BRAINTREE — “The story is not over,” Braintree junior Jack Goddeeris said.
But Goddeeris and The Wamps’ (16-6) 2025 season ended on Monday night after suffering a heartbreaking 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-23, 27-25) loss to No. 9 Acton-Boxborough in the Round of 16 of the D-I state tournament.
The final score doesn’t give justice to the fight the Wamps displayed all game and all season long. No matter how many points they would go down, they would fight right back into it.
“They are cohesive and adaptable. Adaptability was their superpower,” Braintree coach Roberta Stannard said. “All these guys know the full game, so I can’t ask for more than that. I’ve got a whole arsenal sitting here.”
Braintree scored at least 20 points in each set, highlighting the gritty playstyle that led the Wamps to their second consecutive league title in 2025 and the No. 8 spot in the D-I state tournament.
“I’m proud of what they did; they should be proud of what they did,” Stannard said. “Their season was amazing, probably the best in school history.”
After winning the first set 25-20, the Wamps found themselves trading blows with the Revolution (13-6) throughout the following three sets, each of which came down to just two points.
When the fourth set rolled around, with Acton-Boxborough leading 2-1, the energy inside the gymnasium started to pick up. Braintree was playing desperately to avoid the loss, and the fans and bench both knew it.
“The energy on the bench is like the seventh player,” Stannard said. “We have a couple incredibly enthusiastic guys, and they were the ones that would put us over the top. They were the ones in the huddles saying ‘keep going, keep going, keep going.’”
For Goddeeris, hearing the noise motivated him and his squad to play harder. They dove for loose balls, putting their bodies on the line.
Every time Goddeeris or senior Justin Liu would spike down a thunderous kill from their outside hitter spots, the crowd would respond in fashion. Every time the sole sophomore on the team, Allan Ho, would dive for a dig, the bench would jump up and shout its approval.
“That energy just compounds,” Goddeeris said. “You hear the fans, you hear your teammates, the coach, and it all kind of builds together. Even if you lose the point, it almost feels like a victory because you’ve succeeded in some way.”
Yet, when the ball hit the hardwood for the final time, signifying an Acton-Boxborough victory, the crowd fell silent. Only to be broken up a few seconds later by the cheers of the Revolution squad as they celebrated clinching their way to the quarterfinals.
“It was a blast,” Goddeeris said. “I haven’t had that kind of experience with volleyball in a long time, and I’m really disappointed that we couldn’t pick up a win for all the guys in the crowd.”
With nine seniors on the squad, Goddeeris knows that this team won’t look the same come next season.
The junior is already starting to think long-term, planning his revenge for the 2026 season. Goddeeris wants to return to this spot next year and change how it will end for the Braintree volleyball team.
“Im super proud of all these boys,” Goddeeris said. “I’m super happy that we made it this far, and the story is not over. We still got more stuff to do.”
