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Jan 14, 2024

2023 CIAC Boys Volleybal Championship Capsules

The boys volleyball finals start on Thursday. A possible three-peat and at least

The boys volleyball finals start on Thursday.

A possible three-peat and at least one new state champion are on the horizon as the CIAC boys volleyball finals are set to tip off on Thursday and Friday.

In Class L, Darien carries a three-year, 75-match win streak win streak into its final against FCIAC foe Trumbull, which is appearing in its second straight state final.

The Class M bracket became a free-for-all when preseason favorite and two-time defending champ Joel Barlow was eliminated by New Canaan in the quarterfinals. That meant the semifinals consisted of seeds 4, 6, 9 and 10 with No. 4 Masuk and No. 6 Cheshire reaching the title match.

WHERE — Newtown High SchoolWHEN — Thursday, 7 p.m.SEEDS/RECORDS — No. 1 Darien (25-0) vs. No. 2 Trumbull (23-3)TICKETS — $10 general admission, $5 student/senior. Available online (with service charge)ON THE AIR/WEB - NFHS Network (Subscription required)CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES - This is Darien's ninth appearance in the state finals, going 5-3. The Blue Wave have won two straight championships, beating Trumbull last season, and have appeared in seven of the last eight Class L tournaments. Trumbull is making its fifth appearance in the state finals and has gone 1-3, with the lone title coming in 2001.TOP PLAYERS — Darien: Trevor Herget, Sr., OH; Griffith Crouse, Sr., S; Isaac McMullin, Sr., L. Trumbull: Brennan Cutter, Sr., MH; Matt Cherfane, Sr., L; Kieran O’Sullivan, Sr., MH.YOU SHOULD KNOW — This is the fourth time in the past two seasons that these two FCIAC foes have meet in a championship match. Darien defeated Trumbull in last year's Class L final, and in the last two FCIAC championship matches.OUTLOOK — There aren't enough superlatives to describe a Darien team with a roster of players, including the BYU-bound Trevor Herget, who have never lost a high school volleyball match. The Blue Wave's win streak is at 75 over three seasons, as they inch closer to the state record of 101 set by Staples in 2010. They have lost just one set this season and two in the past two years, and have shut out their final opponent, Trumbull, three times this season, including a 25-14, 25-18, 25-15 rout in the FCIAC final. The Eagles are also one of the dominant teams in the state with a 46-7 record during the past two seasons, but they are 0-6 versus the Blue Wave. Trumbull's strength is in the middle with the 6-foot-8 Brennan Cutter and the 6-foot-6 Kieran O’Sullivan. If any team has a shot of beating Darien, it's the Eagles, but it is a tall mountain to climb.DAVE’S PICK — Darien

WHERE — SMSA High School, HartfordWHEN — Friday, 6 p.m.SEEDS/RECORDS — No. 4 Masuk (20-4) vs. No. 6 Cheshire (21-1)TICKETS — $10 general admission, $5 student/senior. Available online (with service charge)ON THE AIR/WEB — NFHS Network (Subscription required)CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES — This is Masuk's third appearance in the state finals and it has split in its first two trips, beating Farmington in 2009 and losing to Lewis Mills in 2010. Cheshire is appearing in its fourth state final and is 2-1. The Rams won back-to-back Class L titles in 2009 and 2010 and lost in Class M in 2019.TOP PLAYERS — Masuk: Nate McCauley, Sr., OH; Nate Kurkowski, Jr., S; Daniel Ferris, Soph., OH. Cheshire: Will Allen, Jr., OH/MH; Matt Irizzary, S; Matti Lilback, Soph., MB.YOU SHOULD KNOW — These two teams have never met in a state championship game, but did play during the regular season this spring with Masuk winning 3-0. They also squared off in the 2019 Class M quarterfinals, with Cheshire taking that one, 3-0.OUTLOOK — The Class M bracket turned out to be wide open, especially after New Canaan eliminated top-seeded Joel Barlow in the quarterfinals. Masuk subsequently eliminated the Rams in a wild five-set semifinal match to reach the final for the first time since 2010, while Cheshire, the SCC champ, slipped past Farmington in another 3-2 semifinal. The finalists clashed during the regular season with the Panthers defeating Cheshire 3-0 on April 20. Both teams are deep, with Masuk led by senior outside hitter Nate McCauley, and Cheshire led by junior outside hitter Will Allen, the Most Outstanding Player of the SCC final. We’re a long way from the 3-0 sweep, so this lines up to be a close one. And we could do it again next year as many of the standouts on both teams are underclassmen.DAVE’S PICK — Cheshire