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Merrimack ends Pinkerton's title hopes

Saturday, November, 08 By Jeff Hamrick

DERRY — The Pinkerton girls didn't easily give up their championship volleyball dreams, but top-seeded Merrimack once again made things difficult on a 2014 opponent.

Losers of only two sets the entire season, top-seeded Merrimack swept to the Division I title last night with 25-16, 25-22 and 28-26 victories over the game Astros.

"All we'd done was seen them,"  Pinkerton coach Todd Royce said of the undefeated Tomahawks. "Actually, we'd seen them play several times, but it's different once you get on the court with them. They are a very good team, and Jen Coffey is one of the better hitters that we've had in the state."

Playing tougher as the evening progressed, Pinkerton (18-3) took Merrimack to the limit in the finale. The teams combined for nine ties and four lead changes.

"Even though we didn't win, they're still champions in our eyes," Royce said. "They never gave up, and they made the last game very exciting.

Leading the way for the Astros were Alexis Bowers (10 blocks and 58 in the four-game tournament) and seniors Elizabeth Hicks (34 assists and 15 service winners), Michaela Blackwell (nine kills) and Nicole Langlais (12 service winners).

"We're going to miss our three seniors," Royce said. "They did a great job with leadership, and they're the reason why our team never gave up."

The only teams to score set victories over Merrimack were Exeter and Timberlane, and both of those losses were by a mere two points. Coffey was dominant, leading the Tomahawks in every statistical category.

"This (title) means everything," said Merrimack coach Tammy Lambrou, whose squad lost the 2011 championship and the past two semifinals. "So a lot of girls remember what it's like to be here and they took a pact to go undefeated this year. To be honest, I'm (mad) we lost those two sets.

Pinkerton was playing in the program's second title game and first since losing the 1998 crown to Spaulding in straight sets.