Agwam – The Westfield High School Volleyball Team reached a large route block on Route 57 in Agawam on Tuesday evening.
For the second time this season, Westfield fell to Agawam in a boys’ volleyball match. The Brownies won in three consecutive ensembles, 25-19, 25-19, 25-16, to devastate the season’s series, 2-0.
“They are extremely difficult to beat because they control the ball well and we did not play enough tonight to demolish them,” said Tyler Wingate, Westfield Boys volleyball coach. “You have to play really, really well and really, really efficient and we did not cause them enough trouble. We had enough problems by our side.”
It was an emotional night for Agawam (16-1) with the Brownies playing the game in honor of Justin Lingenberg, a former volleyball player who lost the battle with cancer shortly after his graduation in 2019.
“We couldn’t beat Westfield twice I don’t know how long,” said coach Agawam, Kevin Pender, who surpassed the Tres-Set-one bombers at his first meeting on April 2. “I am really proud of our boys to step on and take advantage of the opportunity. We were inspired by Justin Lingenberg. He solved the chimiolic and re -playing in practice. Adversity.
Agawam was playing in short hands, as the first book, Eric Nazarets, was set aside for unpayed reasons. Brownies Sophomore Jacob Nesen (five excavations, an ace) filled this gap.
“Because our second libero enters and playing so he did, I thought he really shows this level of … confidence,” said coach Pender. “We really considered this time against the hardest team we have seen since the last time we played them.”
Agawam, in Agawam, created a command advantage from the outset, rising by 10-3 at the opening of the opening behind a solid junior effort outside of the beat Tim Karcha, who delivered three of his seven deaths and a blog during this race.
Westfield (11-3) cut its deficit up to four different occasions before finally cutting Agwam’s leadership.
Westfield Junior Bogdan Kuzin (five-bush, two excavations, 1½ blocks) and the outer beat of Zachary Kukharchuk (11 Mata, Ace, nine excavations) made 11-7 and 12-8, respectively. At that time, a slaughter of the Middle Bator Jacob Satkowski (Five Killes, One Dig, two blocks) made 13-9. The bombers were 15-11 with a slaughter by Giovanni Gonzalez. Gonzalez ended the night with seven slaughter, nine assists, nine excavations and 1½ blocks.
A kukharchuk slaughter turned it into a three-point game. Agawam built his advantage up to five before a Kuzin Kill and a spectacular work of Westfield Senior Libertarian Nolan Rodgers (Kill, Assist, Ace, Ace, eight excavations) caused the bomber to hit the door.
Rodgers went to the final line to the wall, and with his back on the net and all his teammates, they hit the ball again in Agwam. Blessed, the Brownies pulled the ball out. Kuzin made a block on the next possession to do 17-15. It is as close as Westfield would be achieved as the Brownies missed the opening victory.
The second set turned out to be even more nervous with eight ties and six lead changes.
Kukharchuk kept Westfield either at the helm or a short distance, landing four killings by four of the first 13 points in the middle frame bombers. Its fourth slaughter of the set reduced the deficit of its team to one, 14-13.
Westfield finally scored the team at 18-All, which he asked Agawam to call for a waiting time. It was all Brownies later, as the home team scored seven of the eight final points of the team to get another 25-19 victory.
Agawam opened the third set with a 9-1 race. Westfield closed the gap by 14-11, but the Brownies responded with a 6-0 race that involved them new, 20-11. Joe Culhane (12 slaughter, six excavations) handed over an ace and a slaughter for 19 and 20 points on his team. Another slaughter of Culhane had his team ready for game, set and game. In the next possession, the middle bean geranium junior bean (Set Mata, two excavations, two blocks) landed the final slaughter to clean the three -team barrier.
Dennis Nesen, Senior Agawam, finished the game with seven killings and 12 excavations. Brownies Senior, David Dzhenzherukha, had 31 assists.
“I think this night was not a good show for us,” said coach Wingate. “I really think we have been doing and showing some quality during the last month, just depending on our results. We have not had the performance we needed tonight. It happens. It is difficult to swallow. [Agawam] It’s a good team. Accredit them. That is why they are the number one in the ranking, deserving. “”
Max Yurtuc collected 24 assists for Westfield to go along with three excavations and a half block. Andrew Yerak (five slaughter, three excavations, ½ block), Arlen Messier (AS, five excavations) and Zack Maslar (two excavations, block) also contributed to the bombers.
“I am still positive that still, we still have a month or less of this season to try to make a deep career at the [state] Tournament, “Wingate said.” If we get a shot to play [Agawam again]We know that we will do quite well because they will be fine there probably at the end where we can see them. “”
Agawam’s main coach said he is waiting for a much tougher test in case the two teams will meet again in the post -season.
“I was made some mistakes that are not western like this, I think they have benefited us [tonight]”, Said Pender.” We need to bring our game a-plane if we find them for the third time. “”
Both teams return to action on Thursday. Westfield returns home to face Minnechaug (3-11), from 18:15 Agawam travels to West Springfield (13-2) to take on the terriers at 6.