Scarlet Hawks shown through challenging schedule

At the start of the season, Milford head boys’ volleyball coach Andrew Mainini said he wanted his team to be one of the best in the state, and he thought it was an ambition well within reach. He was proven correct 18 matches later as the Scarlet Hawks earned 12 regular season victories and entered the state tournament as the fourth-ranked team in division II.

“This was an experienced team,” Mainini said. “We had 12 seniors, but we came into the season a little slow and hit a couple of early bumps in the road. But we are excited because we hit a groove just at the right time of the year.”

Milford scored a first-round playoff victory and has its sights set on a deep tournament run. Three players — Mayck Moreira, Gus Da Silva, and Sam Abreu — have driven the MHS offense.

“Mayck transitioned from being a libero to an outside hitter this year,” Mainini said of the junior. “He is super athletic and a six-position player for us. He kind of does it all.”

Moreira took over the team lead in kills from Da Silva late in the season. Mainini said Da Silva is another player who seldom leaves the court and works alongside Moreira to solidify Milford’s serve receive. Abreu is third on the team in kills, though all three players have been extremely consistent throughout the year.

Milford has also been lifted by the play of setter Eston Lebron and libero Jude Moffitt.

“They were really solid, consistent players who are super dedicated to the sport,” Mainini said. “Their ability to play well and be consistent and solid allowed us to move other players around in the lineup and, as leaders in the court, they set the tone for us this season in terms of having high expectations and playing hard.”

Mainini said he expected the Scarlet Hawks to be one of the top teams in Massachusetts, regardless of division. He said the feedback he has gotten from other teams reinforces the notion that Milford is a team to be reckoned with. The coach was also impressed with the way his team was able to recover from a slow start.

“Our confidence was a little rocked at the beginning of the year when we had some losses where we thought we should have competed better,” he said. 

But it was a loss that helped Mainini’s players start to gain confidence. Milford lost to Wayland, potentially the top team in the state, in a five-set thriller.

“That was really a moment for us where it reinforced the team that we can play with, and potentially beat, any team we come up against,” Mainini said.