Boston, MA
Chelmsford Lions come out roaring, oust Saint John’s of Shrewsbury
CHELMSFORD – Any concerns the Chelmsford boys volleyball team might have felt for the playoffs after dropping its regular season finale were quickly put to rest Thursday night.
With the exception of a couple late runs they allowed in the second and third sets of their Div. 1 state first-round matchup, the 12th-ranked Lions (15-6) mostly dominated a sleeper No. 21 Saint John’s of Shrewsbury team to the tune of a 3-0 sweep (25-13, 25-22, 25-18).
A balanced attack and momentum were at the heart of the win, using at least seven kills from three different players to help Chelmsford force large deficits in each set. The Pioneers’ (9-11) 5-1 run near the end of the second set was the lone time the Lions’ didn’t close out with a comfortable lead.
They await the winner of Saturday’s No. 5 Methuen versus No. 28 Greater New Bedford matchup to play in the second round.
“They’re a quality opponent, they were in the Final Four last year,” said Chelmsford head coach Edgar Valdez. “We kind of just waited (past a slow start) and just kind of played really well defensively. Just a total team effort. Everybody doing their job, everybody playing to their potential. It was great, especially with the way we ended the season on Friday. … This was kind of perfect for us to just come out here, shake that stuff off and just get back to work.”
Francis McGonagle (13 kills) and Eric Barcelos (six kills) were bright spots for Pioneers setter Suraj Marla (21 assists). Saint John’s just couldn’t keep up with Chelmsford when it was clicking on all cylinders, which was most of the match.
Liam Quinn was a constant threat for the Lions, racking up 12 kills with a block. Add in Royce Roxas’ nine kills and Ridty Tauch’s seven kills, five aces and two blocks, and Chelmsford presented too many threats for setters Jack MacPhee (25 assists, four aces) and Jayden Som (seven assists). A tough start in serving still finished with double-digit aces for the Lions, and excellent defense from Som (12 digs) and the rest of the team often kept the Pioneers from breaking up runs.
“Everybody found a way to contribute,” Valdez said. “That’s the best part, when everybody kind of pulls (together a team effort).”
It showed up huge in a 25-13 first set, using an 8-0 run to close out a tone-setting win.
A 4-0 run near the middle of the second set helped separate from side-out volleyball to take a 12-8 lead. Teams traded points again, but another 4-0 run pushed the advantage to 20-12. By the time Chelmsford built a 23-17 lead, the 5-1 response Saint John’s gave came far too late in a 25-22 set.
The Lions allowed consecutive points against it just twice in the third set, quickly running away with the match by building a lead as high as 23-13.
“I think that’s the part of being on track,” Valdez said. “is scoring a few points here and there, and then getting in a good rhythm. … That’s kind of what you want. It’s a momentum game.”
Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe
Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.
“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”
In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.
“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”
Here’s the preview:
RED SOX (1-0): TBA
Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray
REDS (0-1): TBA
Pitching: RHP Brady Singer
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7
Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2
Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.
Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.
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