Spring sports season is in full swing, yet winter jackets and knit hats haven’t been able to have been tucked away in the closet quite yet as mid-April approaches. Raw conditions haven’t stopped area tennis from taking the court, while local boys volleyball teams get the benefit of being the only indoor spring sport.
The PVICIS boys tennis team looks primed for another noteworthy season as it returns its top three singles players, while the Amherst girls bring back several experience players from last season’s Western Mass. runner-up squad.
Granby appears to be the class of Hampshire County once again in boys volleyball, but Belchertown may make some noise this season with a good group of newcomers and returners.
Here’s more details on each local tennis and boys volleyball team:
Boys Tennis
Amherst
After a loss in the Western Mass Class A semifinal round and a 5-10 overall record last season, head coach Michael DeRosa is looking to get his team back on track in 2026.
Belchertown
The Orioles are looking to bounce back after a 6-11 finish in 2025, getting out to a 1-2 start to the new season. Luke Dudek will serve as the team’s No. 1 singles player, hoping to lead the team to success.
Northampton
The Blue Devils will also be competing in the Valley League this year, coming off a 14-3 season in 2025, where they were the Class A Western Mass runners-up and fell in the round of 32 in the Division 2 state tournament.
Co-captains Oliver Levine and Reed O’Connor have stepped up their game for this new season and are transitioning to singles after two seasons as the number one doubles team for Northampton.
Kaz Sugihara will also be a co-captain and has solidified his position as a singles player for the year. Eli Wool leads a strong junior class and will play both singles and doubles.
PVCICS
After winning their third Western Mass championship in a row last year, the Dragons are back in a new league (Valley League) for this season, ready to compete. The team finished 19-3 overall in 2025, making the round of 16 in the Division 4 state tournament as well.
Mike Locher enters his sixth season as PVCICS’s head coach, ready for the challenge that comes with having a target on your back. Lee Ferguson headlines a group of talented athletes for the Dragons, with the eighth grader looking to build off an impressive year in 2025.
“[Ferguson’s] only an eighth grader, but possibly the best player in Western Mass,” Locher said.
Derek Ye and Devan Ye round out the other singles players for the Dragons, with each 10th grader improving their serves to become more well-rounded throughout the offseason. Locher’s group scheduled some matches with schools from the Berkshires to get some early information on them and make sure the power rankings reflect everyone’s true strength.
Girls Tennis
Amherst
The Hurricanes came up just short of some huge milestones last year, finishing as the runners-up in the Western Mass. Class A tournament, also making the quarterfinals in the Division 2 state tournament.
Amherst will look to overcome the departure of its previous No. 1 singles player, Katie Gromacki, with senior Emma Learned-Miller sliding into the top singles spot. Seniors Janaki Ewoton and Cynthia Tian will serve as the Hurricanes’ first doubles pairing.
Sophomores Mahima Ganesan and Micayla Shefftz are players to watch, per head coach Claire Cocco.
Getting a bit of a late start to 2026, the team is hoping to get over the hump come the end of the year.
Belchertown
Last season, the Orioles’ 19-3 finish featured a Western Mass Class B Championship, along with a trip to the Division 3 round of 16. Amanda Murray headlines a group of five seniors on the roster, hoping to anchor the team.
Allie Randall and Emma Kornbluth also bring veteran leadership to the 26-player roster, looking to help the team bounce back after a slow start to the 2026 campaign.
Holyoke
The Purple Knights struggled last season, finishing the year 2-11, but come back in 2026 with a strong group of returning seniors at the singles positions. Grace O’Shea-Griffiths, Abby Ngure and Madison Bruso will play each singles spot in order, serving as the backbone of an otherwise young group.
“They have solid groundstrokes, volleys, and serves, and most importantly, are capable of battling through tough matches,” Holyoke head coach Doreen Weinberger said. “They can never be counted out, even against the best opponents.”
With the rest of the team having much less experience on the court, the Purple Knights will be looking to see growth out of their doubles pairings over the course of the season.
PVCICS
The Dragons were flawless during the regular season in 2025, coming up short in the Western Mass. Class C finals and the Division 4 state tournament. With a strong start to the new season, they’re looking to redeem themselves in the big moments in this year’s postseason.
Boys Volleyball
Granby
The Rams appear poised for another successful season on the hardwood this spring after getting out to a 5-1 start through their first six games this year.
Chad Gagnon’s squad saw most of his varsity roster return, led by his son Jake Gagnon, who highlights Granby’s talented six-player senior class.
Expect Gagnon to be a force on the outside once again, while Nathan Walsh will be the primary setup man with regular contributions from Braeden Gallagher and Daniel Santiago sprinkled in throughout the season.
The Rams will strive for their second Western Mass. champioship in three years after claiming their first title in program history in 2024.
Belchertown
Chris Shea has several reasons to be optimistic about his Orioles group this season.
Belchertown is nearly halfway to its win total from last season (five) through four matches this spring while largely being led by underclassmen.
Sophomores Arda Cayan and Dara Mao already look to be reliable varsity players and junior Gavin Couchon is emerging as a threat on the attack. Seniors Shea Maclean, Brian Burns and Ryan Shea will provide a good support system for the rest of the roster.
Additionally, the Orioles moved to the South Division this year and should see more favorable competition compared to years past where they regularly ran into Central and Longmeadow. PVCA appears to be the frontrunner in the South through the early-goings of the season
Belchertown has not had a winning record since Shea took the head coaching position in 2020.
Holyoke
It’ll be a rebuilding year for the Purple Knights as Paula Conway lost all 10 players from last season’s seven-win team to graduation.
Holyoke is 0-3 to start the 2026 campaign and join Belchertown in the South Division.
The Purple Knights are just two years removed from a victory in the MIAA Division 2 state tournament.
