RallyNorth.net

Top-seeded Phillips Academy rallied from a two-game deficit to tie the match and send it into a deciding fifth game, but could not finish it off and fell to No. 5 Choate 25-22, 25-18, 17-25. 21-25, 15-9 in the NEPSAC Class A Semifinals.

LAWRENCE — Even after a slew of unforced errors left Andover on the brink of elimination, the Golden Warriors didn't easily surrender their unbeaten campaign.

But despite hanging with second-ranked Newton North in the Division 1 semifinals, Andover saw its season-long 23-match winning streak come to a slamming halt last night at Lawrence High School. The Tigers (22-1) posted their 17th shutout of the season, knocking off the Warriors 25-19, 25-22, 25-20.

The Phillips Academy volleyball team closed out the regular season with a perfect 15-0 record by sweeping Phillips Exeter in three games. The Big Blue advance to the prep tournament this week as the No. 1 seed.

LAWRENCE — For Andover volleyball coach George Sullivan it all proved to be all too symetrical.

The top-seeded Golden Warriors remained perfect on the season and advanced to the state semifinal for the second time in three years with a convincing sweep over sixth-seeded North Andover last night at Lawrence High School.

The season is about to come full circle for the Andover girls volleyball team.

"We started the season with North Andover," said Golden Warriors coach George Sullivan. "Now we will be taken them on for the North title. Everything is back to where it began."

After a two-week break, PMA volleyball came out flat and Shawsheen was hot, rolling to a 3-0 victory in Division 3 North quarterfinal play.

Amari Spears (nine kills) turned in a strong effort for PMA, a team that should return to prosperity next season as only two seniors graduate from this year's 12-6 unit.

North Andover's surging volleyball routed Beverly in Division 1 quarterfinal action last night and will now host Central Catholic in the semifinals tomorrow, a team that handed the Knights (17-5) three of their five regular-season losses. Andrea King was a force serving against Beverly with 16 points, including six aces.

Andover's unbeaten volleyball team had no problem rolling over Dracut in three games last night in the Division 1 quarterfinals. Although plenty of Warriors (21-0) contributed, Becky Hoffman led the way with a team-leading 15 service points with five aces and also had 12 assists and eight digs.

Central Catholic wasn't about to let Peabody make it a five-game match last night in the Division 1 North volleyball quarterfinals.

The Raiders won the first two games convincingly but dropped the third game. But, led by Amanda Willaims, who had 17 kills and three blocks, Central won the final game in a rout, 25-13,  to advance to tomorrow's semifinal at North Andover.

Less than a day after eliminating Methuen, Haverhill found itself exiting the Division 1 North volleyball tourney via a 3-0 loss to a Reading squad that drew a bye into quarterfinal play.