Boys Volleyball Reaches Sixth Straight State Championship

June 9, 2026
• For the second straight year the Final Four featured four Bay State Conference teams. 

No. 1 Needham boys volleyball advanced to their sixth straight state championship with a 3-0 win (25-20, 25-18, 25-16) over No. 12 Newton North on June 9.

The Tigers had an uncharacteristically rough regular season, finishing 6-11, but went on a run in the postseason, defeating No. 5 Lexington and No. 4 Chelmsford to get to the semifinals. But, the Rockets handled them easily, sweeping them for the third time this season.

The teams went back and fourth early in the first, before Needham took a 10-7 lead. Newton North scored four straight to pull back within one, but the Rockets went on a 5-2 run to make it 17-13. They continued to roll from there, taking the first set 25-20.

Newton North took their biggest lead of the match in the second set at 7-4, and Needham responded with a seven point run to make it 11-9. The Rockets never gave the lead back to the Tigers and won the second set 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The third set was all Needham, as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead, prompting a Newton North timeout. The Rockets built their biggest lead of the game at 17-7, and eventually won 25-16 to win the match and advance to the state title game.

No. 2 Brookline defeated No.3 Natick on the other side of the bracket, setting up a rematch of last year’s state title game between the Warriors and the Rockets. Brookline defeated Needham 3-1 in that game, earning their first state championship since 1992.

The two Bay State Conference teams split their regular seasons contests this year, with the Warriors winning in five sets on April 30, and the Rockets sweeping them on May 14. They will play for the title on Friday, June 12, at 6 p.m. at Newton South High School.