Darien wins fourth straight FCIAC title
FAIRFIELD — Draw up a blueprint of the perfect boys volleyball game and it likely wouldn’t look much different than the performance Darien delivered in Friday night’s FCIAC final.
Unbeaten for three years, the Blue Wave were methodical, intense and dominating while claiming their fourth consecutive conference championship with a 3-0 shutout of Trumbull at Fairfield Warde.
It was also the 71st consecutive win for Darien, which hasn’t lost since a five-set defeat to Staples in the 2019 Class L final. The state’s longest winning streak is 101, set by Staples in 2010.
According to seniors Trevor Herget and Isaac McMullin, the Blue Wave’s success starts at the top with coach Laurie LaRusso.
“She’s phenomenal,” Herget said. “It’s an honor to play for the best coach in the state. We have the best team and all the credit goes to her. I wouldn’t be the player that I am today without her.”
“I give all the props to coach,” McMullin said. “She sets it up for us at practice today, and keeps us focused every day.”
Top-seeded Darien (22-0) has beaten No. 2 Trumbull (20-3) three times this season and over the past two years, the Eagles have just seven losses, with six coming against the Wave.
Darien won both regular-season matches via shutout, but of the six sets, five were decided by five or fewer points, and three by just two points.
That wasn’t the case in the FCIAC final, as the Wave came out flying and never stopped en route to 25-14, 25-18 and 25-15 wins.
“First, congratulations to Darien,” Trumbull coach Nicole Trommelen said. “They played at an extraordinarily high level. We’ve seen that from them especially when it comes time for the playoffs. They’re really able to kick into a high gear and we weren’t ready to match that intensity tonight.”
The BYU-bound Herget has had a remarkable career with
The Darien boys volleyball team celebrates after defeating Trumbull in the FCIAC championship game at Fairfield Warde on Friday.