Newton North and South Boys Volleyball to Face off in South Div. 1 Title Rematch

Facing off for the third year in a row, the and boys volleyball teams will both take the court in the South Div. 1 finals. 

The No. 5-ranked Newton South team defeated North Quincy during last night's semifinal match in North Quincy, with the Lions taking down the top-seeded team 3-1. 

Meanwhile, at Newton North, the No. 2-ranked Tigers took down No. 3-ranked Needham, defeating the Rockets 3-0 in the other South Div. 1 semifinal match.

Last year, the North and South teams faced off in the finals, with . The year before that, Newton South took the title. 

Tigers vs. Rockets

Throughout the first two sets, the Newton North boys seemed to anticipate every move the Rockets made; the team managed to consistently block, reach and dive at just the right moment. Newton North easily defeated the visiting team 25-13 and 25-12 to take a quick 2-0 lead.

But in the third set, Needham started to pick up on the skill and intuition Newton displayed in the first two sets. The Tigers, on the other hand, stumbled -- making small but costly mistakes that resembled much of the Rockets' efforts in the first two sets.

Slowly but surely, though, the Tigers clawed their way back to the top, tearing into a six-point streak before Needham managed to pause the scoring run at 18-15. 

After a brief time out, the Tigers finished strong while Needham only answered with three more points. The final set ended at 25-18 and the Tigers moved into the South Div. 1 finals with a 3-0 win.

Needham's season, which featured a team with six seniors, ends at 17-5. Meanwhile, the Tigers improve to 18-1 before heading into the finals against their cross-town rivals, who are currently 16-6.

The South Div. 1 final will take place Sun., June 3 at 4 p.m. The game will be held at Quincy High School. 

Do you have photos or video from Friday night's semifinal matches? Add them in the image section above by clicking "upload pictures."

Would you like to contribute game coverage, photos or video to Newton Patch? Email Melanie.Graham@patch.com.