4 hours ago 1

Volleyball State Semifinals: Pinkerton spiked by Coe-Brown

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 443 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN MAINE THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL MAINE KENNEBEC SAGADAHOC IN SOUTHWEST MAINE ANDROSCOGGIN CUMBERLAND YORK IN WEST CENTRAL MAINE SOMERSET IN WESTERN MAINE FRANKLIN OXFORD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE BELKNAP MERRIMACK STRAFFORD SULLIVAN IN NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE CARROLL COOS GRAFTON IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE CHESHIRE HILLSBOROUGH ROCKINGHAM THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALFRED, ANDOVER, ARROWSIC, ASHLAND, ATHENS, ATKINSON, AUBURN, AUGUSTA, AVON, BARRINGTON, BATH, BERLIN, BETHEL, BETHLEHEM, BIDDEFORD, BOSCAWEN, BOWDOIN, BOWDOINHAM, BRIDGEWATER, BROOKFIELD, BRYANT POND, BYRON, CANTERBURY, CAPE ELIZABETH, CHESTER, CHINA, CLAREMONT, COBURN GORE, CONCORD, CORNISH, CORNVILLE, CROYDON, DAVIS, DERRY, DOVER, DUMMER, DUNBARTON, DURHAM, EMBDEN, ERROL, FARMINGTON, GILFORD, GILSUM, GOSHEN, GRANTHAM, GREENE, HAMPSTEAD, HANOVER, HOLLIS, JACKSON, KEENE, KINGFIELD, LACONIA, LEBANON, LEBANON, LEMPSTER, LEWISTON, LINCOLN, LITTLETON, LOUDON, LYME, MADBURY, MANCHESTER, MARLOW, MILAN, MILLSFIELD, MINOT, NASHUA, NEW GLOUCESTER, NEW PORTLAND, NEWTON, OLD ORCHARD BEACH, OQUOSSOC, OSSIPEE, PALERMO, PALMYRA, PELHAM, PHIPPSBURG, PITTSFIELD, PLAISTOW, PORTLAND, RANGELEY, ROCHESTER, ROLLINSFORD, SABATTUS, SACO, SALEM, SANFORD, SIDNEY, SKOWHEGAN, SOMERSWORTH, SOUTH PORTLAND, SUGAR HILL, SULLIVAN, SURRY, TOPSHAM, TUFTONBORO, TURNER, UNITY, UPTON, VASSALBORO, WAKEFIELD, WALES, WATERVILLE, WESTBROOK, WILSONS MILLS, WINDSOR, WOLFEBORO, AND YORK POND.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 95 expected. * WHERE...Eastern Hillsborough and Interior Rockingham Counties. * WHEN...From noon today to 7 PM EDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates. &&

NASHUA – Justin Scott was well aware of the tall task at hand.

Taking on undefeated Coe-Brown Northwood, the No. 1 team in New Hampshire, who Pinkerton had lost to in a 3-0 sweep just weeks prior, he knew a potential upset would be a colossal duty.

“Coe-Brown is a really, really good team,” said Scott. “There’s a ton of athletes, they’re big, they jump, they simply crush it every game.”

Unfortunately, Scott was right on June 10. Coe-Brown dominated from the opening point, sweeping Pinkerton on their way to the finals, 3-0.

“Our plan was to try to keep them on their heels serving, and we had some really good swings, they just have a great Libero,” said Scott. “Coe-Brown has no holes, they have guys that can do it all.”

It’s not an understatement to consider Coe-Brown’s 2025 campaign as arguably the most dominant in New Hampshire volleyball history. They’re not just undefeated — they’re winning everything with ease.

In fact, the No. 1 seed has swept every team, 3-0, except for one match, a five-set thriller versus the No. 2 seed, Dover.

It seemed to be a collision course for those two powerhouses, until No. 3 Hollis-Brookline stunned Dover in five sets, setting up their match versus Coe-Brown on Saturday afternoon in the title game.

While Pinkerton had a respectable first set, falling 25-16, the next wasn’t so sweet for the underdogs, falling 25-5 in the second set, pulling the Bears away for good.

However, Pinkerton did come out strong in the third set, leading 10-6, before Coe-Brown stormed back on a 12-3 run, ending the set, 25-17.

For the Astros, it’s the end of an era for two of the best to do it in recent memory, in Kaden Layne, and Ben Koelb. Layne will continue his playing career at Rivier, while Koelb is headed to Northeastern.

Despite the exit in the semifinals against an impressive Coe-Brown team, Scott believes this run is just the beginning of something to come, with untapped potential for a bevy of underclassmen.

“Ben was a three-year starter, Kaden was a three-year starter, and we have five other seniors that we have to replace,” said Scott. “It’s hard to fill those holes, but with the underclassmen we have, you have to feel confident. We have the power next year, and getting this experience is huge.”

Follow Evan Applebaum on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, at EvanApplebaum2.

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