Milford adds might to its middle

It didn’t take long after last season had ended for Milford boys’ volleyball coach Andrew Mainini to identify the Scarlet Hawks had further potential after their run to the Division 2 semifinals: more options at the net.

Opponents know captains Alex Guerra and Arthur Gomes headline a senior-heavy squad. Guerra had the second-most kills (500) in the state last spring, and Gomes’s abilities at hitter and libero made them Globe All-Scholastics in 2023.

Milford also has a pair of senior middle hitters who do not play at top clubs, but have unlocked another level of play. They’re a big reason the thirdranked Scarlet Hawks are 4-0, including a 3-1 win over No. 5 Brookline.

“We went really far last year without as much depth in the offense,” Gomes said. “The way for us to improve this year would be to spread the ball around . . . keeping the other team on the other side of the net on their toes as to who we’re going to set.

“We’ve been playing on varsity for two years now, so this is where we get nitpicky.”

At 6 feet, 5 inches, Joey Newman is committed to Norwich University as a pitcher. Ryan Franklin is a 6-2 center on the basketball team. The unlikely tandem brings height and athleticism to the middle, unrelenting against foes.

Guerra paces the team in kills (59), but Newman (32) and Franklin (29) are second and third. And Newman has a team-best 13 blocks, with Franklin (9) right behind.

“As fun as it is getting kills, it’s not going to get me or the team where we want,” said Guerra, who also has a teamleading 28 digs. “We needed others to step up [last year] and no one did. This year, Ryan and Joey are already off to a great start . . . It makes me feel a lot better.”

Newman decided to “take a chance on volleyball” last season, wanting a change from baseball. He instantly found a home on the court, calling his new teammates “phenomenal.”

“It was really eye-opening,” he said. “I thought this game wasn’t as fun as baseball or whatever. I thought I was too late for volleyball, didn’t think I could go places. I switched to volleyball and it was like, ‘Holy moly.’ ”

In the gym, he loves the environment with the packed Milford crowd right next to the court that roars for each point the team earns.

“It’s great, I feel like I’ve finally succeeded at something,” Newman said. “Everybody has my back, pushing me to do the right thing. Everybody wants me to thrive and succeed in the environment.”

When Newman substitutes out, in comes Franklin. Though he did not play club in the winter due to basketball, Franklin joined the volleyball team his sophomore year to improve his skill in both sports.

“The way volleyball helped me in basketball is jumping higher, and the way basketball helped me in volleyball is the lateral quickness, sliding on my feet,” Franklin said. “Going from block to block, you have to be able to move fast.”

They work with Mainini and assistant Kelly Lorence to put together what the coaches believe has become one of the best middle duos in the state.

“What makes our team special is not just having that one lockdown hitter, but these two middles who are both big and athletic is what sets us apart,” Mainini said. “Last year, especially at the beginning of the season, they didn’t stand out on the court because they came to the sport later.”

With other key players like senior setter Owen Callahan (team-high 131 assists) and sophomore hitter Gus Da Silva, the Scarlet Hawks believe they can make a run, even though Milford is now competing in Division 1 with the new MIAA alignments.

“We’ve set the bar high for the past two years. We want to raise it even more,” Gomes said.

Set points

R After graduating top player Matteo Luciani, Lexington is back with a younger roster. It has not slowed down the Minutemen.

Luciani’s brother Ale ,ajunior, is a returner and is writing his own story as a hitter. Nick Sanchez De Rojas leads a sophomore group of 20, and can play any position at the net with his athleticism.

“The playing level is much higher,” said coach Jane Bergin. “Our sophomore class is talented, athletic. They’re able to fill in some roles.”

The team does have senior leaders, like setter Jack Fan who does a lot more than just set, and John Fullerton brings energy in the middle.

■ After Milford won the first meeting of top five teams in the Globe’s rankings, Needham picked up the next one. The top-ranked Rockets extended their historic winning streak to 76 matches over No. 4 Natick.

“We try not to talk about it and I think we’ve done a good job of not talking about it, but when we hit 75, it’s like, you’ve got to acknowledge this,” said Needham coach Dave Powell. “It’s pretty cool, man. We’re fully aware that these things don’t go on forever, but it’s a cool subplot.”

For a team that has history on the line in every game, the players never look nervous about what’s at stake.

“It’s in the back of our minds, but most of the time we’re like, ‘Screw the streak, we just want to win as many games as possible,’ ” said senior hitter Brian Cloonan.

It rarely gets in Powell’s head, but he was relieved when his Rockets made it three state championships in a row.

“It was really hard at the end of last year going into the state final,” he said. “At this point, let’s just go with it, man.”