Boys’ volleyball fell 0-3 in an intense battle against Brookline for match point of the final set, Tuesday, May 12 in the Reggie Gym.

The Tigers gave the Warriors a four-point lead, after a series of out-of-bound and net touches. Sophomore Aaron Stein broke the unlucky streak, slinging the ball over the net to bring the score to 1-4.

North, gaining momentum, aced Brookline twice in a row, closing the gap to 3-4.

Brookline was undeterred, and maintained its lead, claiming the first set with a score of 17-25. 

The second set was a back-and-forth game, as the Tigers responded to the Warriors’ hits with strong blocks. 

According to senior Amaris Cotto, a captain alongside senior Peter Reale, however, the team lacked synergy. “Connection is probably one of the most important things in volleyball. And in the first two sets, the connections just weren’t there,” he said.

The libero, senior Jake Svartstrom, kept the ball in play to prevent Brookline from getting too far ahead.

According to senior Paul Milliken, Jake greatly improved over the course of the season. “It was Jake’s first year as libero, and he had really had to break out of the shade of last year’s libero.” 

The atmosphere was tense as the Tigers attempted to even out the score. After a series of dropped balls, North called a timeout to regroup, as it was down by eight. 

North played valiantly even as Brookline didn’t back down, which swung for a final kill to take the second set 14-25. 

The third set was where North gained its momentum. It blocked several balls, and pulled ahead to 7-3 early. According to freshman John Warren, the change in pace was exhilarating. “The entire bench and court were energized, and I think we were super motivated because of the lead,” he said.

Brookline also contributed a few points to North, as it served into the net and received double tap violations, which took the score to 15-8. 

According to head coach Nile Fox, the turn of events was a team effort. “In that third set, we hustled a little bit more. We were getting a few more balls up, so I would highlight our defense and coordination.”

The Tigers continued to garner points, as Cotto pinpointed the corners for a kill and leapt up for a clean block. “I think we actually cared more in the third set,” Cotto added. “There was a lot more energy given by everybody.”

A comeback for set three was in close sight for the Tigers, but the Warriors amped up their offense to find a three-point kill streak. The score settled at 20-16 when North called a time-out.

Brookline evened out the score to 23-23 with a defiant block, but North responded with a tip. Both teams chased after the winning two-point lead, with the final play coming down to a climactic back-and-forth.

“I think if we kept our pace and didn’t make a whole lot of errors we would have been fine,” Cotto added. “For every game, we can always get better.”

The team fell to Natick, Needham, and Wayland, but secured the win against South, Friday, May 22. Playoffs begin Thursday, May 28.