The Madison Park Technical Vocational High School girls volleyball team powered its way over East Boston at Friday’s City Championships in the Boston Latin Academy gym, topping off a 17-0 regular season and earning a high seed in this week’s Division 5 state tournament.
The team cruised to a win in their first state playoff game at home on Saturday, Nov. 1, against Pioneer Valley Regional School, 3-0. The second seeded Cardinals will have another home game on Tuesday, Nov. 4, facing #15 seed Mahar Regional School at 4 p.m.
Madison Park beat TechBoston Academy, and a tough O’Bryant High School team in the early going on their way to the city title game, which it won 3-0, challenged only in the first set, 25-22. It was Madison’s third trip to the title game, which was won last year by Boston Latin Academy.
It all took place amid an electric atmosphere with seating areas packed, and dueling chants of “MP, MP” and “Let’s go Eastie” echoing through the gym for a fall sport that has surged in popularity recently in Boston.
Senior captain Naisha Marte – a routine force at the net – tapped one over an East Boston defender at Friday’s game. Seth Daniel photo
“This year has been the best year of coaching, and the easiest,” said Head Coach William Harvey after the win. “The group of girls that are seniors are the girls that started with me, and this is my fourth year as a head coach of the team. It’s family oriented. We can call each other out and they understand and respect that. Because of that, it’s made it very, very easy. We have senior, junior – even sophomore and freshman leadership.”
Mattapan’s Emily Ramirez De Jesus, Madison’s captain, said the players have worked hard for the wins.
“It was practice every day after school and Coach Harvey made sure we were staying humble through the whole process,” she said. “Thankfully after our hard work, we’re here today and we took the win.”
The team comprises a tight-knit group of seniors, juniors, and sophomores – as well as one freshman – in a collaborative team with Fenway High School, which contributes six players. Several of the girls are from Mattapan and Dorchester and have made volleyball their passion, devoting summers and off-seasons to training.
Dorchester’s Noelia Guerrero, a junior at Fenway, chosen MVP of the championship tournament, served up six straight points in the final victory.
Dorchester junior Noelia Guerrero prepared to serve during the championship game. Seth Daniel photo
“I feel like city volleyball has definitely grown a lot and I’ve seen all the different schools,” said. “The atmosphere here today was really intense. When I was going up to serve, I was kind of nervous, but I let the nerves go away and let the crowd be music to my ears. Sometimes you have to just block out the noise and listen to your teammates.”
Guerrero said getting an early start in 8th grade at Dorchester’s Sarah Greenwood K-8 made a big difference. Her assistant coach, Dorchester’s Tucker Welch, helped get her started at the Greenwood.
“It was something random I wanted to try, and it ended up becoming everything I love,” she noted.
Ramirez De Jesus felt the same way when she first got involved in volleyball at the former Lilla Frederick Pilot Middle School on Columbia Road.
“I started volleyball in sixth grade and then I stopped,” she said. “I came to Madison Park and talked to Coach Harvey, and I’ve really liked volleyball since I was very little. I decided to start here and have been going at it since freshman year.”
Harvey said that a two-year-old ‘Strong Girls Summer’ training and conditioning program at Madison’s gym has played a big part in the team’s success. They commonly get 50 to 70 girls every Tuesday and Thursday. Beyond that, there is a new city-based club team with open tryouts for all Boston girls that has added to a city volleyball resurgence.
“It’s really that we’re putting in work,” he said. “Because of all that, a lot of girls throughout the city get extra touches in the off-season. That’s why you see the quality of play and interest picking up lately.
“I’m really hoping we can get some college coaches in here to see some of this talent,” he said. “I think we’re real close to doing what we have to do to send some of these girls off.”
Harvey said the focus is now on the state tournament and after securing their seed on Tuesday, they will start state play at home.
Madison Park Captains Emily Ramirez De Jesus, Naisha Marte, and Reishmell Tejeda Arias. Seth Daniel photo
“This seed means the teams have to come to us and we’re going to have a few home games,” he noted.
For players like Ramirez De Jesus, it’s about remaining “humble” as they move ahead, but for Guerrero, it’s about remaining undefeated.
“I look forward to us going into the playoffs and remaining undefeated and leaving states undefeated and getting that chip,” she said.
Captains for the team include Ramirez De Jesus, senior Naisha Marte, and senior Reishmell Tejeda Arias, of Dorchester. Other Dorchester or Mattapan players include Emily Arias, Maranda Escalera, and Camila Martinez.
Assistant coaches include Welch and Vanessa LaRocque.
Madison Park will kick off their state tournament season as the number two overall seed.
