For the time being at least, the only sure things in life remain death, taxes and, of course, Salem High School’s domination of New Hampshire boys volleyball.

The undefeated Blue Devils won a sixth consecutive Division-I state championship following a 3-1 victory against Timberlane on Friday, Oct. 30, at Pinkerton Academy.

Despite being a team that had lost just 14 games during a 111-match winning streak, complacency was never an issue entering the contest with the Owls.

Indeed, Salem dominated during the first game. Following a powerful Jason Kinney kill, the score was 16-1. The Blue Devils won the game, 25- 5, and head coach EJ Perry said he witnessed a level of play he had never seen.

“That (game) was by far the best any of my teams have ever played,” said Perry. “Some people were doubting us, saying that we were beatable, and I told them we had to go out there and show that it wasn’t the case.”

After Salem won the second game, 25-20, the Owls erased a late three-point deficit to win game three, 25-23.

Following Salem’s high energy level during the first game, some Blue Devils said the closer second and third games were a result of the adrenaline wearing off.

“We did come down a little, but the second we lost (game three), we bounced right back,” said Daniel Tiner. And how. The Blue Devils rolled in game four, 25-10, to secure the title.

More than three hours prior to game time, the Salem bus pulled up and the team walked through the hallways of Pinkerton Academy, reacquainting themselves with the building Perry called his second home.

“We got here so early, and we were on fire right when we came out,” said Tiner, a senior who collected 20 kills, 14 service points and four aces. “We were so amped, and they couldn’t handle us.”

Kinney recorded 21 kills to complement his 10 blocks. Justin O’Brien managed 13 service points, and Chris Barnes delivered his second-highest career total when he dished out 53 assists.

Those seniors, along with Matthew Les, Patrick Sheehy, Jared Scali, Kevin Delfosse, Kyle Ruffen, Joseph Trovato and Chris DeMarco, depart with perfect records.

And next season’s boys volleyball landscape figures to change slightly in other ways, too.

Perry said he hopes at least three more teams join Division I, maybe even squads from Massachusetts. Further, the Blue Devils won’t begin their title defense until spring 2011, when volleyball becomes a spring sport.

“When you’re on a roll, you always want to play. I wish we could play tomorrow,” said Perry. “The level of play has climbed, and we want it to continue to do so. As long as they work hard in the offseason, we will reload.”

While Timberlane proved a worthy adversary, head coach John Dube said his team’s slow start set the tone for what became another link in the never-broken chain of wins for Salem.

“Any team is beatable, but that’s not a team you can play down against,” said Dube. “Once they smell blood, forget it.”