Girls Volleyball Eliminated in Round of 16

• Needham girls volleyball will not advance to the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2022. 

Needham girls volleyball was swept by Winchester (13-25, 21-25, 16-25) in the second round of the MIAA Division One tournament on Monday, Nov. 4.

The two teams met in the same round last year, with the Rockets taking a 3-1 victory. This year, however, the Red & Black came out strong, stifling the Rockets’ offense while showcasing their own attack.

Winchester took an early 3-0 lead in the first set, with senior Johanna Melhorn and junior Hazel Lovins collecting their first kills of the game. The Rockets tied the set at four before the Red & Black took a six-point lead, 11-5. Winchester dominated the rest of the way and closed the set on an 11-2 run (from 14-11) to win 25-13.

Needham responded in the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead, thanks in part to two aces from Bella Lee. But Winchester answered with a five-point run to take their first lead of the set. Tied at 16, the Rockets established a three-point lead with a kill from senior Coco Cusick and two aces from senior Eleanore Alley, forcing Winchester head coach John Fleming to take a timeout. Out of that timeout, the Red & Black went on a 9-2 run to win the second set 25-21.

The third set was more of the same, as Winchester dominated play and went up 17-6. The Rockets battled back to get within five, 21-16, but the Red & Black won the next four points to complete the sweep.

Sadie Stants led the way offensively for Needham with five kills and four aces. Lovins recorded 14 kills for Winchester, while Melhorn added nine kills, three aces and two blocks.

With the win, Winchester advances to the quarterfinals, where they await the winner of No.2 Newton North vs. No. 15 Westford Academy. Despite the loss, the Rockets finished their season with an impressive 16-3 record.