All hail Craig Kolek.

Their NCAA Division III tournament run over with a loss to powerful Nazareth College of Rochester, N.Y. in the semifinals, the Rivier University men’s volleyball team returned home, their season done at 27-12.

There was probably no big welcoming reception. The Rivier community is used to this team’s success. It’s even more in the spotlight now that the sport has come under the NCAA umbrella.

But men’s volleyball has never been a headline grabber.

We keep saying that if Kolek, the Raiders coach, had built a basketball or, say, soccer program, there’d be a statue of him in front of the Muldoon Fitness Center.

Nazareth (36-1) swept the Raiders, who reached the men’s Final Four with a win over Juniata on Friday. But Riv has so many good young players back (only one senior graduated), they should make a return next year.

The key will be finding a way to overcome the big boys, like Nazareth and Springfield, who played for the title on Sunday. It won’t be easy, because Nazareth is young, too – two freshmen, Tim Zyburt and Grant Levermore, combined for 23 kills against the Raiders.

But if you know Kolek and the Raiders, you can never count them out.

Fashion statement

Wednesday night will be the annual Nashua North-South baseball meeting at Holman Stadium, and for those who haven’t seen the Panthers play yet, you’re in for, well, a bit of a surprise. Just remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You’ll be beholding new uniforms. And boy, are they different.

They’re basically gray lined with a bit of purple, fairly baggy, but not what you’d expect. According to Nashua Athletic Director Tom Arria, they’re from Adidas and were an overwhelming choice.

“We first looked at them, and the kids liked them,” Arria said. “It’s a new type of look. I like them. … They’re lead (colored). It’s kind of new.”

Who’s No. 1?

Ok, just who the heck are going to be the top high school baseball teams in Division I this year?

“I think Division I is actually down this year,” Alvirne coach Mike Lee said. “It’s wide open. There are some top pitchers, but every year coming in there was somebody – North, Salem – somebody you could pick. But this year it’s wide open.”

Some point to Concord, who started the year 6-0 until North knocked them off with a delayed double steal in the bottom of the seventh on Friday night at Holman Stadium. One thing is for sure: It’s a stronger year for catchers than pitchers.

Think about it, in the area, there’s at least three really good receivers in Division I – Nashua North’s Matt Fortin, Merrimack’s Mickey Gasper and Lee’s own Pat Emanuelson. And Bedford’s Andy Lalonde is a prospect.

At the start of the year, some felt Timberlane was the team, with a lot of returning players. But the Owls got off to a slow start, with inexperience behind the plate.

“It comes back to catchers,” Lee said. “You take a veteran team, without a veteran catcher, and they’re floundering. It comes back to you. You have to have somebody back there.”

Here’s an oddity for you. Nashua North’s ace, Kyle McCarthy, is still 0-0, with all his starts being no decisions – despite having given up just two earned runs in his last 24 innings.

“That’s indicative of the way we’ve played,” North first year coach Kyle Harvell said. “We keep wanting to give teams a chance.”

In other words, the Titans have allowed teams to get back into games, and have won a couple, like Friday’s big win over Concord, in dramatic fashion.

Out of the draft

The Patriots draft? Ho-hum.

Maybe a third receiver out of it? Or eventual starter? Maybe not.

Maybe an eventual starting defensive end out of it? Maybe not.

Maybe a nickel back? Who knows?

All we know is it’s over. And probably won’t be the impact draft the team enjoyed last year, with three defensive starters.

Tom King can be reached at 594-6468 or
tking@nashuatelegraph.com. Also, follow King on Twitter (@Telegraph_TomK).

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