The concept isn’t exactly flashy, but Natick sophomore Branch Barnes is pretty hyped up over it.
In the second set of a Bay State Conference bout April 27, a talented Brookline squad was hammering spikes. It attacked the area around Harrison Landry perhaps the most within the frame’s first eight points, and the junior RedHawks setter needed to make four digs within the stretch.
Normally, putting a setter into that spot forces a team out of system. Most programs run a 5-1 rotation with just the one setter. But Natick, which went on an 8-0 run before eventually winning the match 3-0, is different.
“I set four balls from right-side, which is huge,” Barnes said. “When the setter (Landry) gets taken out like that, four times in eight points? We converted on all of them. … The big thing is (we have) two setters at all times. It’s very hard for us to get put out of system, we can usually get a good swing down.”
It’s common for teams to run a situational 6-2 rotation, or at least experiment with one.
Six hitters and two setters – versus five hitters around one setter – is a no-brainer advantage. But one setter typically needs to be subbed out once they rotate to the front row, bringing in a player with stronger skills at the net. That 6-2 turns into a 5-1, thus limiting the team’s hitting options.
Natick used to do it last year, subbing out a then-sophomore Landry – who hadn’t quite grown into the frame that’s contributed to vast improvements in his blocking and hitting. But now, alongside outside hitter-turned setter Barnes, the RedHawks have something special cooking.
“Usually we don’t have the luxury like we do now with Branch and Harrison … at this level, you don’t see (a traditional 6-2) a lot,” said Natick assistant coach Bob Harless. “When (Landry) came into tryouts this season, we were like, ‘Yeah, we can definitely play him in the front row now.’ And Branch is a great front row player, he jumps higher than anyone else on the team.”
As a result, Natick has a serious edge over much of the state.
Landry is an exceptional setter, often leading the two in assists every game. Barnes isn’t too far behind him, though, and plays a pivotal role as a blocker and hitter. The sophomore groups in nicely with senior outside hitters Matt Salerno and Nick Bonavire, and the emergence of John Carroll within an improving bunch of middles gives the RedHawks a bevy of electric hitting options at all times on the court.
Throw in a premier libero in Shawn Ferguson, and Natick is one of the most well-rounded squads out there. That shows in its 8-1 record and No. 2 spot in the latest MIAA Div. 1 power rankings. The RedHawks’ only loss is to unbeaten Needham.
It all starts with the 6-2.
“Having the two setters on the court – two setters that can hit and play defense – just makes us that much more dangerous,” Harless said. “We never give teams a break when those guys are rotating around or in the back row because we always have good hitters and blockers in the front. … We have Matt and Nick, and then when one of them rotates into the back row, now we have Branch in the front. So it’s like we have three good, good hitters.”
“In a 5-1 offense, when the setter gets to the front row, there’s only two hitters available,” Landry added. “But in the 6-2, there’s always three hitters available. I think having that third option, that’s what makes us who we are. That’s what makes us better than other teams.”
The relationship between Landry and Barnes has proved critical, as well. Harless observes they’re probably the two closest friends of any two players on the team, on and off the court. Landry drives Barnes, who lives very close, to team get-togethers. As a setter since the seventh-grade, he’s also helped Barnes develop into the newer role.
“I played freshman and sophomore year, and the age gap between the players was kind of difficult,” Landry said. “This year, we’re all pretty close.”
“I thought the biggest thing is (Landry’s) able to understand what (Suxho’s) trying to tell us,” Barnes added. “Coming on freshman year, just meeting (Suxho), he can be a little intimidating because he’s a pretty intense guy. I think the big thing was almost be like a translator.”
By May 6 of last year, BC High was 3-6 with a bevy of tough losses. At 8-3 and No. 11 in the latest Div. 1 power rankings a year later, the Eagles are rolling to a much different tune.
Wins over Winchester, New Bedford and Boston Latin are notable, and their only three losses are to teams that figure to make a big splash come tourney time. Captains Mason Cleary, James Shriver and Grayson Kamadeu lead a team without any seniors, making for a promising future as well.
“Our guys are excited at the start we’ve had,” said coach James Chen. “Overall, this is the strongest serving team I’ve had in a while, which has really helped us as well.”
The Merrimack Valley Conference is churning out more high-quality parity beyond Lowell’s unbeaten start. Haverhill, Chelmsford, Methuen, Andover and North Andover are all proving to be on the same level as all rank well in the power rankings.
Essex Tech has rallied wonderfully from an 0-3 start, winning its last six. Barrett Cross stands out at setter to get hitters Ryan Cole and Ryan Lovasco heavily involved.
Wayland freshman phenom Finn Bell is coming into his own, impressing head coach Phil George as a future stalwart in the state already. An 18-kill, 13-dig performance with two aces to help beat Lincoln-Sudbury 3-2 was his first complete effort.
Just three unbeaten teams remain in the state, all in Div. 1 – Needham (13-0), Lowell (12-0) and Acton-Boxboro (10-0).
