Hanover Volleyball Keeps Rolling with Record-Breaking Start

Hanover High School’s girls volleyball team continued its record-setting season Tuesday night with a win over Plymouth South, adding to what has already been the best start in program history. Hanover entered Tuesday’s matchup against Plymouth South ranked No. 5 in the Massachusetts Division III power rankings.

Head coach Colleen Smith, now in her fifth season leading the varsity team and twelfth overall in the program, said the success has been years in the making.

“This started, I would say, probably two years ago with this senior class,” she said. “They love volleyball.”

When Smith first joined the program, volleyball was often a “second or third sport” for many athletes. That has changed as youth participation has expanded and club opportunities have grown. “They’re playing year-round,” she said. “They play at a high level in the off-season on some pretty elite club teams.”

That development has fueled a breakout year. Hanover opened the season 10–2, qualifying for the state tournament faster than any team in school history. “No team has started since I could find records has started 10 and two,” Smith said. “No team has qualified for the tournament as quick as we had just based on our record alone.”

Along the way, individual milestones have added to the excitement. “We have one of our outside hitters [who] just got her 500th kill and one of my setters in the next probably three or four games will get her 1000th assist,” Smith said. “We’ve never had things like that happen in our program.”

Key victories have helped shape the season. “For the first time since I’ve been coaching, we beat both Quincy and North Quincy,” Smith said. “It’s rare to beat them—they were kind of like the top dogs.” Tuesday’s win over Plymouth South was another statement moment for the fifth-ranked Hawks. Before the match, Smith said she expected a challenge. “They’re the type of team that scares me,” she said. “They’re scrappy… but this year the league is just very even.”

Team chemistry, Smith said, has been central to Hanover’s success.

“This particular team too is just very close,” she said. “They love each other. It is just a very special group that I would say that we haven’t had in the past.”

The five-member senior class — Tessa Madden, Dylan Poirier, Maia Bonilla, Shannon Murphy, and Damaris Mejia-Miller — has anchored the team’s leadership. Madden, a four-year varsity starter and two-year captain, leads the Hawks in kills and digs and will continue her career next year at the University of New England.

“She’s kind of our spark plug on the court,” Smith said. “She knows exactly what to say in the timeout. I would say that perfect balance of knowing when she can kind of goof around and when she has to be serious.”

With the tournament berth already locked up and a top-five ranking in hand, Hanover now turns its focus to maintaining momentum through the final stretch.

“Our goal is to stay in the top eight by the end of the season,” Smith said. “It’s a pretty steep goal to have… but we’ve got a good group returning as well, so it’s a good balance of seniors and underclassmen.”