VOLLEYBALL ALL-SCHOLASTICS
Branch Barnes (Natick)
Finnian Bell (Wayland)
Ben Cleary (BC High)
Matt Cloonan (Needham)
Gustavo Da Silva (Milford)
Luke Dratch (Natick)
Brady Dwyer (Newton North)
David Dzhenzherukha (Agawam)
Dylan Engelhardt (Wayland)
Travis Johnson (Taunton)
Zachary Kukharchuk (Westfield)
Brady Kundel (Barnstable)
Andrew Kurdziel (Needham)
Bogdan Kuzin (Westfield)
Shawn LaDuke (Methuen)
Ale Luciani (Lexington)
Francis McGonagle (St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Dennis Nesen (Agawam)
Liam Quinn (Chelmsford)
Liam Raybould (Brookline)
Nick Rosa (New Bedford)
Nathaniel Ross (Needham)
Tuto Sampaio (Winchester)
Alec Smagula (Brookline)
Justin Tejeda (Greater Lowell)
Kristaps Vaivars (Brookline)
Simon Vardeh (Newton North)
HONORABLE MENTION
Alex Bak (West Springfield)
Levin Brenner (Newton South)
Marcio Castro (Woburn)
Joe Culhane (Agawam)
Cody Gibendi (Natick)
Kean Jarvinen (Longmeadow)
Brennan Loud (Cambridge)
Parth Pawar (Acton-Boxboro)
Jayden Pelletier (St. John’s Prep)
Otavio Perks (O’Bryant)
Peter Reale (Newton North)
Nic Sanchez de Rojas (Lexington)
Vitou Seng (Lowell)
Amir Tomer (Brookline)
Nadav Vachtel (Lexington)
ALL-SCHOLASTICS
BRANCH BARNES
NATICK
Barnes’ historic career ended with 280 kills, leading the RedHawks to a second straight Div. 1 state semifinal appearance. The versatile two-time All-Scholastic closed out with 824 kills, 455 assists, 108 aces and 142 blocks.
FINNIAN BELL
WAYLAND
A second straight trip to the Div. 2 state final was spearheaded by the junior two-time All-Scholastic, who earned his second Dual County League MVP and All-State honors.
BEN CLEARY
BC HIGH
With 341 kills this year, Cleary set the program record for most kills in a regular season, as well as the most in a single game with 41 against St. John’s of Shrewsbury. The junior is the fastest in program history to reach 500 kills (552), adding to 437 digs and 108 blocks with a year to go. Cleary is a high honor roll student and is a beach and grass club volleyball player.
MATTHEW CLOONAN
NEEDHAM
The Rockets’ historic fifth straight Div. 1 state finals appearance was largely due to the junior’s impact at outside hitter. His 252 kills this year were complemented by 16 blocks. He’s an honor roll student and a captain of the basketball team.
GUSTAVO DA SILVA
MILFORD
The Scarlet Hawks reloaded after graduating a large group of seniors, anchored around the junior returning starter, one of the toughest hitters to slow down with a career-best 370 kills, while posting over 200 digs and 30 blocks. The junior looks to study construction management in college.
LUKE DRATCH
NATICK
After time as an outside hitter and a right-side over the past two years, Dratch excelled in his first year as starting setter to help guide Natick back to the Div. 1 Final Four. His 800 assists, 45 kills, 20 blocks and 21 aces ranked among the best at the position, earning an MAVCA Central All-Star selection. The junior captain is a National Honor Society member and a three-year high honors student.
DAVID DZHENZHERUKHA
AGAWAM
The Brownies reached the Div. 2 state semifinals in each of the last three years behind their starting setter, and his 46 kills in this year’s final led to a second state title in that span. The senior is a three-time first-team All-Star and a MAVCA All-State selection. He was also a captain of the Pioneer Valley 18-1 national team, and a Bay State Games winner. He’s headed to Elms College for volleyball and business.
DYLAN ENGELHARDT
WAYLAND
At 6-foot-4, Engelhardt was a key cog in the middle for the Warriors to make their second straight Div. 2 state final appearance. His career-best 190 kills set a program record for a middle, while also posting 58 blocks, 84 digs and 26 aces. The junior is a captain of the football team, and plays club for Smash Volleyball.
TRAVIS JOHNSON
TAUNTON
Johnson in his final year at right-side had a career-high 335 kills, 172 service points, 27 aces, 105 digs and 225 receptions with only seven errors. The senior anchored the Tigers in a run to the Div. 1 state quarterfinals as the 27th seed, which was the lowest-ranked team to reach the stage in the sport’s MIAA history. He also is a member of the basketball team and is headed to Dean College next year.
ZACHARY KUKHARCHUK
WESTFIELD
With 311 kills, 20.5 blocks and a career-high 221 digs in his senior season, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter closed out with 817 kills, 56 aces, 61 blocks and 398 digs, along with a state title in 2024. He is a four-year member of the Pioneer Valley Juniors Boys Volleyball Club.
BRADY KUNDEL
BARNSTABLE
His 369 kills, 49 aces and 142 digs helped Barnstable reach the Div. 1 state quarterfinals as the No. 26 seed. The three-year varsity captain’s MAVCA All-State honorable mention season put him at 699 kills on his career. Kundel has a 4.3 GPA , is the president of the Chinese Mandarin National Honor Society, and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honors Society, the National Honor Society, and the MIAA Leadership Committee.
ANDREW KURDZIEL
NEEDHAM
Kurdziel anchored the Rockets in the middle as part of their fifth straight trip to the Div. 1 state final. The senior posted 61 blocks, 24 aces and 151 kills while hitting .324 percent. The four-year letter winner is a Bay State Conference All-Star and an MAVCA All-State selection, as well as a two-time state champion in 2022 and 2023. Kurdziel is bound for the University of Delaware.
BOGDAN KUZIN
WESTFIELD
The junior middle blocker proved vital in the Bombers’ run to a fourth straight Div. 2 state semifinal appearance, stepping up to post 172 kills, 31 aces and 66.5 blocks. Kuzin is also a two-year member of the Pioneer Valley Juniors Volleyball Club.
SHAWN LADUKE
METHUEN
After helping lead Methuen to its first Merrimack Valley Conference title in decades last year, the senior setter closed out with a bang by posting 770 assists and 168 digs. LaDuke finished with 1,503 assists and 317 digs, earning MVC First Team All-Conference selections in his only two years playing varsity. He’s headed to play at Rivier University next year, where he’ll study nursing.
ALE LUCIANI
LEXINGTON
The senior rattled off 316 kills while hitting .357 percent to help lead the Minutemen to the Div. 1 state quarterfinals. The 6-foot-5 force earned Middlesex League MVP honors, adding to All-Conference selections in each of the last two years. Luciani played volleyball in Italy in 2023 and 2024 at Modena and is headed to the University of Tampa next year.
FRANCIS MCGONAGLE
ST. JOHN’S SHREWSBURY
With 350 kills and 193 digs in his senior season, he earned Catholic Conference MVP honors and a second MAVCA All-State selection. He finished with 861 kills, 561 digs and 106 aces on his career – all program records. McGonagle is a member of the National Honor Society, plays basketball and competes in crew. He’s set to study environmental science at Carroll College.
DENNIS NESEN
AGAWAM
In Agawam’s second Div. 2 state title run in three years, Nesen dominated on the right side with 199 kills, 50 blocks, 145 digs and 18 aces. The senior All-Star is a member of the History National Honor Society and made honor roll all four years of high school. He’s headed to Western New England next year to major in accounting and minor in finance.
LIAM QUINN
CHELMSFORD
The senior had 375 kills while hitting above .400 percent. He also recorded 65 aces, 55 blocks and 150 digs to earn Merrimack Valley Conference Player of the Year honors, as well as a MAVCA All-State selection. Quinn holds program records in career kills, single-season kills and single-season aces, and is a member of the National Honor Society. He’s set to play at Merrimack College next year while studying biology.
LIAM RAYBOULD
BROOKLINE
At 6-foot-5, Raybould challenged opponents all year at the net to help lead the Warriors to their first Div. 1 state title since 1992. He notched 115 kills and 72 blocks as a junior, pushing his program-best mark in blocks to 126 on his career. Raybould plays club for Smash Volleyball.
NICK ROSA
NEW BEDFORD
Rosa had 314 kills as a senior to earn Patriot League MVP honors. His 660 career kills are the second-most in program history, also earning All-Star honors in the Big Three last year. Rosa also played basketball and is headed to Bristol Community College for business.
NATHANIEL ROSS
NEEDHAM
Ross amassed over 500 assists in helping to guide a mostly new rotation in Needham to its fifth straight Div. 1 state final appearance. The three-year varsity player earned Bay State Conference and MAVCA All-Star honors in the process. Ross is a state champion and a member of the National Honor Society. He’s headed to the University of Michigan next year.
TUTO SAMPAIO
WINCHESTER
The 6-foot-2 senior stepped up for Winchester as the top hitting option, erupting for 337 kills, 245 digs and 44 blocks this year. Sampaio earned Middlesex League All-Conference honors and was named team MVP. He was honored by the English department in the classroom for outstanding performance. Sampaio heads to UMass-Dartmouth next year for mechanical engineering.
ALEC SMAGULA
BROOKLINE
An incredible run to the program’s first Div. 1 state title since 1992 wouldn’t have been possible without the three-year starter. The junior setter notched 669 assists, over 160 digs, over 45 kills and over 40 blocks to earn a second All-Scholastic selection and a third Bay State Conference nod. Smagula now has 1,954 assists on his career and is an MIAA student ambassador.
JUSTIN TEJEDA
GREATER LOWELL
Tejeda exits the program with a major mark, notching a record 355 kills in his senior season along with 194 digs and 41 blocks. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter earned a second Commonwealth Athletic Conference MVP selection and was an All-Star for a third time. His 776 career kills is also a program record, complemented by 113 blocks. He’s an honor roll student and heads to Lemoyne-Owen College to play volleyball and study business.
KRISTAPS VAIVARS
BROOKLINE
Vaivars made a strong case as the state’s top player, starring in every major moment to notch 324 kills and anchor Brookline’s first state title since 1992. His 882 kills set a program record, continuously posting big numbers in his senior season with a .346 hitting efficiency. Vaivars is an honor roll student and heads to Bocconi University to study finance.
SIMON VARDEH
NEWTON NORTH
Vardeh’s absence was felt when he missed some time from injury, but showed in the tournament what made him one the state’s most elite outside hitters over the last few years. He still notched 300 kills despite missing time, including a career-high 37 in the state quarterfinals. He finished his career with 820 career kills. Vardeh also plays for the Smash Volleyball 18-1 team, and heads to Harvard after taking a gap year.
LEAGUE ALL-STARS
BAY STATE CONFERENCE
Justin Liu, Deon Li (Braintree); Kristaps Vaivars, Alec Smagula, Liam Raybound, Conor Christopher (Brookline); Branch Barnes, Cody Gibendi, Luke Dratch (Natick); Andrew Kurdziel, Nathan Ross, Ben Vu (Needham); Simon Vardeh, Brady Dwyer (Newton North); Ben Zimmer (Wellesley); Mikey Faiella (Weymouth)
HERGET MVP: Justin Liu, Deon Li
CAREY MVP: Kristaps Vaivars, Branch Barnes
BIG PATRIOT LEAGUE
Santiago Duquette, Ryan Haralstad (Brockton); Braeden Bartley (Durfee); Matthew Cummings (Hingham); Nick Rosa, Amir Salih Tavares, Davon Centeio, Abner Cun (New Bedford); Eugene Foong, Ryan Thong (North Quincy); Jake Basan, Nick Mangino (Quincy); Caleb Foley (Scituate); Zach Corr (Silver Lake)
MVP: Nick Rosa
BOSTON CITY LEAGUE
Gabriel Ugoji, James Urbaez, Tri Duong (Latin Academy); Ivan Tran (Madison Park); Max Dong, Otavio Perk (O’Bryant)
MVP: Tri Duong
COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
UPPER: Justin Tejeda, Daymeon Chea. Luis Carrasquillo, George Robles (Greater Lowell); Anthony Rubim, Joel De La Rosa, Janiel Vizcaino, Jelisson Peguero (Greater Lawrence); Matteo Wright, Luke Dennis, Aren Lyttle (Lowell Catholic); Felipe Oliveira, Grant Brierly, Muhammed McClure (Salem)
LOWER: Didlaire Jacques, Elmer Duran, Bryan Robles, Jacob DeLeon (Lynn Tech); Morni Kong, Ansh Patel, Jackson Sims, Dev Patel (Innovation); Xavier Pena, Anjel Mendez, Cristopher Pena (KIPP); Jizea Vargas, Nathean Gutierrez, Miguel Robles (Whittier); Felipe Cangirana, Elijah Oxender, Hermes Prak (Nashoba Tech)
MVP: Justin Tejeda, Didlaire Jacques
DUAL COUNTY LEAGUE
ALL-CONFERENCE: Finn Bell, Dylan Engelhardt (Wayland); Eric Su, Brennan Loud (Cambridge); Nicolas Tse (Boston Latin); Levin Brenner (Newton South);
Parth Pawar, Obi Umeh (Acton-Boxboro)
ALL-LEAGUE: Zach O’Donnell, Liam Frenzel, Cooper Szeremeta, Mason Lee (Wayland); Nate O’Connell, Oscar Goodeker, Eric Ohanyan (Cambridge); Caleb Handel, Matan Worcel (Acton-Boxboro); Ashish Uhlmann, Yonatan Rotem (Newton South); Johan Pineda, Cory Tse (Boston Latin); Avery Remley (Lincoln-Sudbury); Rithvik Senthiraja (Westford Academy); Baylor Mandell, Winston Lin (Waltham/Weston)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Finn Bell
GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE
Edward Mei, Kenton Nguyen, Israel DeSouza, Nick Li, Lynkohnn Silva (Malden); Ismael Alagic (Chelsea); Henrique Franca, Christian Ramirez (Everett); Viet Tran, Kenzel Lantano (Lynn Classical); Ahmed Abdelrahman (Lynn English); Leo Fixon, Will Travers (Medford); Kawan Dias, Larry Claudio, Juan Perez (Revere); Adam Hill, Ozzy Marks (Somerville)
MVP: Edward Mei
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE
Ricardo DeJesus Yusti (Attleboro); Nolan Franz, Jett Tucker (King Philip); Gustavo DaSilva, Diego Inacio-Santos, Mayck Moreira (Milford); Travis Johnson, Daniel Freitas, Dantae Bauer, Ike Aseigbunum (Taunton)
MVP: Daniel Freitas
MCSAO
NORTH: Matteo Rosa, Miguel Silva, Patrick Dang, Kelvin Souza (PCSS I); Christian Quezada, Joshua Cayco, Gabe Navarro (Salem Academy); Jero Salazar, Michael Odowardi, Joseph Marquez (Excel); Guilherme Moleiro Oliveira, Andrew Baybay, Milan Montiel (PCSS II); Eden Cherisme, Dev Patel (CCSL); Mason Oliver (PHA)
SOUTH: Jaiden Okonkwo, Santos Najarro, Michael Grant, Ailijah Carty-Tonge (APR); Haziel Abreu Mercado, Jeriel Abreu Mercado, Ayden Lima (Argosy); Kyle Antoine (South Shore); Jaedyn Phillips (Brooke); Ben Millien (Foxboro); Bryan Aleman (Codman)
MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE
Teddy Addesa (Andover); Liam Quinn, Ridty Tauch, Ryan Heng (Chelmsford); Logan Phousengthong, Jacob Louk (Dracut); Aundre Rivera, Vitou Seng, Ian Mao, Logan Uy, Gianni Rodriguez (Lowell); Victor Torres (Lawrence); Lucas Giard, Andrew Cox , Shawn LaDuke (Methuen); Prady Mistry (North Andover)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Liam Quinn, Victor Torres
MIDDLESEX LEAGUE
ALL-CONFERENCE: Alessandro Luciani, Nadav Vachtal, Nicolas Sanchez de Rojas (Lexington); Arthur Sampaio (Winchester); Ian Lewis (Arlington); Marcio Castro (Woburn)
MVP: Alessandro Luciani
TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE
Haden Houatchantara, Logan DeMarzo, Dolan Conforti (Nipmuc); Hesrick Richards, Jack Davidson (Bellingham); Andrew Strojny, Anthony D’Amore (Norton); Nate Koterba, Treydon Shu (Medfield); Sebastian Eugene, Xavier Walkins (Norwood); Liam Grady, Alex Piccioli (Hopkinton); Jacob Liu (Westwood); Leeland Judkins, Henry Keegan ( Millis)
MVP: Haden Houatchantara
