NEW BEDFORD — Davon Shields is looking to make his mark on the volleyball program, as his father, Predell, played on New Bedford High School's past two state championship boys volleyball teams in the late 1990s.
The junior center hitter is off to a great start.
He helped New Bedford to a rare victory over rival GNB Voc-Tech on Friday night, helping the Whalers end a two-game losing streak against the Bears and win their first City Challenge Cup since May 13, 2022. did.
“It feels great,” said Bedford's new senior setter Carter Barboza. “We've been waiting for this. Last year we lost to them twice in one season and it was a soul-crushing game, but this year we have a great team with great intensity and very high skill. We came into the game with confidence and that was what carried us throughout the game.”
Shields set the tone early on for New Bedford at the net, making two of five blocks in the first set.
“My dad won two ships here. He really taught me to play with intensity,” Shields said. “I just had to make sure I maintained the energy with my teammates. I wanted to make sure it was electric. I wanted to be able to set the tone and maintain it throughout the entire game.”
New Bedford jumped out to a 15-5 lead in the first set and won 25-10. The Bears, without senior outside hitter Colin Stussy (illness), played the second set but lost 25-18. The Whalers won the third set, defeating GNB Voc-Tech 25-21.
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“We played well and were on track, but we still have room for improvement,” new Bedford head coach Ben Catal said. “We know they lost one of their top players with Colin's absence, but we told them we can't focus too much on what the opponent is doing. Our side needs to be clean, play smart and effectively.”
GNB Voc-Tech Head Coach Richie Gomez said: Losing him (Colin Stuessi) was definitely a big blow for us. We rely on him a lot.
“I'll see them again and I'm ready. It's going to be a completely different team. I'm looking forward to it.”
The undefeated Whalers (5-0) are off to their best start in eight years under Keterle and rely on Shields' presence in the front row.
“Shields is an animal at the net. He's getting every block whether he's setting or not,” Barbosa said. “Other teams aren't getting anything out of him.”
Keterle added: “He's played well in other sports, but he's really stepped into a new phase this year as a middle and has become a go-to option. And we have a lot of options. There is,” he added.
“He's Mr. Consistent and plays smart.”
Keterle said he saw potential in SEALs when he was in middle school.
“I saw him at Roosevelt and he’s been winning money ever since and he’s really dedicated,” Ketel said. “We built a clinic and ran it for a year or two, and he was there. When we started the men's program, he was one of only a few men there. It was one person, and now we have an entire middle school program. He was one of the first to bring it back. I'm proud to see him playing at this level now.
“He's been doing that all season. He leads with that intensity. He's been playing with a lot of fire.”
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its meaning
With this win, the Whalers improved their season record to 5-0. They visit the Catholic monument on Tuesday morning. … The Bears, who lost 4-2, host Hingham on Monday, April 22nd. … The rematch between the Whalers and Bears will take place on May 10th at GNB Voc-Tech.
coach corner
“They did a really good job tonight. They did exactly what they needed to do on the net side and exploited our weaknesses. That swung the situation in their favor. ” — Gomez
“I thought I blocked well tonight and Nick Rosa is one of the reasons why. He's always up there with the best hitters on other teams. Nylon (Foster) had a great game and Carter ( (Barbosa) was very consistent. It's a deep team with a lot of players, so it makes my job difficult because who has to go out there.” — Keterle
statistics
New Bedford was led by Nylon Foster with 10 kills, five aces and two blocks, while Shields had seven kills and five blocks. Juan Grau Montano had four kills and 11 digs. Barboza had 23 assists, one ace, one kill and eight digs, Amir Salif Tavares had seven blocks and Davon Centeio added nine digs.
