WELLESLEY – Avenging last year’s first-round postseason loss with a 3-1 win over host Wellesley Thursday night, the Barnstable High Red Raiders volleyball team (11-8) advanced in the MIAA South Sectionals for the first time since 2011.
Senior co-captain Harrison West Mather – who two weeks ago reached the career 1,000-assists milestone – turned in his usual top-shelf performance with 38 assists in the victory.
Fellow senior co-captain Donnie Mach added 15 kills to the effort and Red Raider junior co-captain Scott Sawyer Jr. led the way with 25 kills.
“They played hard tonight and ran a well-executed offense,” said Barnstable head coach Marylou Martin.
But at the outset of the match, it appeared as if the Red Raiders might suffer the same first-round fate that Wellesley handed them last season at this time when the hosts took the first set 25-16.
But Barnstable didn’t believe that it could happen again and under Mach and Sawyer’s leadership the Red Raiders staged three straight victories, 25-20, 27-25 and 25-12.
“It was a well set up offense,” Coach Martin said.
Barnstable advances to Monday night’s quarterfinals against Newton South which will be played at Newton North High School.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm