CHICOPEE – The Westfield High School boys volleyball team finally stood up to the bully.
No. 2 Westfield avoided a season sweep to top-seeded Agawam, defeating the Brownies 25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20 in the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class A boys volleyball championship Saturday at Chicopee Comprehensive High School.
Westfield played one of its cleanest, sharpest matches of the season to net its biggest win of the year. Agawam won both regular season matches.
Nolan Rodgers dove in nearly every direction, narrowly avoiding the stands, while racking up 29 digs as he saved one ball after another, and even thwarting Agawam’s star player, senior outside hitter Joe Culhane (17 kills, 16 digs), keeping him from landing several kill shots. Jake Satkowski rose high above the net to record 13 kills and 2 ½ blocks. Gio Gonzalez delivered time and time again, putting up a solid all-around game with 16 digs, nine kills, two aces, and two blocks.
Andrew Yerak (12 digs, 2 ½ blocks, ace) and Bogdan Kuzin (three blocks, two aces, dig) each logged 10 kills, and Max Yurtuc finished with 42 assists to go along with 14 digs, one ace, and one kill.
Westfield came out with a purpose from the outset, beginning the match with a 19-9 lead. Agawam went on a 4-0 late in the opening set to pull within 23-19 but it was not enough to match the intensity of the Bombers.
Agawam stepped up its game in the second set, flirting with an early lead until Westfield went on a 5-0 run to go up 20-13. Again, it would not be enough for the Brownies to overtake the Bombers.
Although Westfield continued to push Agawam, the third set belonged to the Brownies in the end. The fourth frame was tightly contested with the Bombers leading by just two points late, 21-19.
A Yerak kill followed by two straight Westfield blocks made it 24-19. Dennis Nesen (10 kills, 10 digs) had a kill for Agawam to keep the Brownies alive. The Bombers scored the next point though to secure the set, the match, and the championship.
