Natick Redhawks survive late scare to beat Hopkinton in tournament

Brooke Barnett finished with 11 kills and five blocks as the No. 12 Natick Redhawks defeated the No. 21 Hopkinton Hillers 3-1 in the first round of the Division 1 girls' volleyball tournament on Friday.

The match came down to the final points of the fourth set. Hopkinton led 19-17 and appeared poised to force a deciding fifth set. Barnett then recorded three consecutive kills and a block to shift the momentum. The Redhawks, who finished the season with a 13-5 record, closed out the set and the match.

Natick won the first set 25-18. The second set was tighter, with the Redhawks needing a 9-2 run to take the set 25-23. Hopkinton, which finished 13-7, responded in the third set with an 11-2 run to win 25-17. The Hillers started the fourth set with a 10-5 lead before Natick clawed back.

Coach Bob Harless said he reminded his players at every timeout that anything could happen. He noted that eight seniors were playing for their final career. Harless said a good team like Hopkinton can steal a set in a tournament if a team does not play clean.

Barnett said the team's energy was off after losing one set. She explained that the group tries to shake off mistakes and have fun because the sport is about playing with friends.

Senior Meghan Pole recorded 10 kills. Junior Lily Chung dished 29 assists. Junior Kayla Dunlap compiled seven kills and two blocks. Dunlap said the team performs well when the ball is close to the net. She said that proximity gave them an advantage and allowed them to finish points easier.

Other first-round results in Division 1 included a 3-0 win for No. 6 Andover over No. 27 Lexington. Freshman Kiki Wright had 13 kills for Andover. No. 5 Franklin defeated No. 28 Springfield Central 3-0, with junior Emerson Delleo leading with 10 kills. No. 9 Needham beat No. 24 Plymouth North 3-0.

In Division 2, No. 5 Barnstable defeated No. 28 Silver Lake Regional 3-1. Senior Bella Magalhaes had a season-high 22 kills. No. 14 Dartmouth beat No. 19 Marblehead 3-0. No. 3 Melrose defeated No. 30 Westwood 3-0.

In Division 3, No. 3 Lynnfield beat No. 35 St. Mary's 3-0. Senior Audrey Manning reached 1,000 career assists. The fifth-seeded Newburyport Clippers defeated No. 37 Greater Lowell 3-0. In Division 4, No. 4 Greater Lawrence beat No. 29 Northeast 3-0. In Division 5, No. 32 Cape Cod Tech defeated No. 33 Abby Kelley Foster 3-2.

The Natick Redhawks will travel to No. 5 Franklin for the second round. Franklin is the defending champion and entered the tournament with a 19-2 record.