Herget’s Heroics Leads Blue Wave to Fourth Consecutive FCIAC Volleyball Title
The 2023 FCIAC Boys Volleyball Champions the Darien Blue Wave. The trophy celebration at Fairfield Warde High School.
May 28, 2023
When Darien entered the Fairfield Warde Main Gym on Friday, all the stats were in favor of the Blue Wave Boys Volleyball team. A 21-0 perfect season in 2023, a 70-match winning streak dating all the way back to pre-covid and the three-time defending FCIAC champions.
The Wave would face the Trumbull Eagles for the third time this season in the FCIAC title match, last year they met in both the FCIAC and State finals both won by Darien and the Wave were looking for FCIAC title number eight in program history.
Trumbull came out of the gate firing winning the first three points of the match behind a Brennan Cutter kill and Kieran O’Sullivan block but than the Wave got hot and rallied to take a 15-10 lead in the opening set.
And behind the attacking likes of senior Trevor Herget, the BYU volleyball commit and all-state setter Griffith Crouse the Wave were looking lethal.
The Wave ended the first set winning it 25-14 and outscored the Eagles 15-4 in the closing parts of the set when the score was once tied at ten a piece.
Leading one set to none the Wave returned to work in the second set. It was back and forth all set, Darien would win a point than Trumbull won the next. The Eagles started serving to the Darien libero Isaac McMullin but McMullin made magnificent save after magnificent save and set up this Darien offense.
Everything was working for the Wave team and they worked like a well oiled machine, McMullin dig to Crouse set to Herget kill worked every time.
With the score at 15-13 in the second set it was anybody game before the junior Bryce Ford spiked home a Darien point and put his senior captain Herget back on the service line.
Behind Herget serving and Davenport and Ford attacking the front row the Wave continued to win the next seven points thanks to the kills and aces to move up 22-13 in the second set.
The Eagles tried to claw their way back into the set but the comeback was too little too late as Davenport won a jump ball at the net for Darien’s 25th and clinching point for the second set.
The Wave now stood just 25 points away from their eighth all-time FCIAC title and fourth consecutive in program history.
Trumbull again started the set strong by winning four of the first five points of the set but than Darien and the serving likes McMullin brought the Wave right back on top.
Darien took the lead at 6-5 and did not look back as Ford, Davenport, Black and Herget continued to swing well and the Darien team continued to play well.
Darien went on to win the third and final set 25-15 in dominating fashion to clinch the FCIAC champions trophy.
A huge accomplishment for the Darien Varsity Boys Volleyball team as they enter the state tournament but they already have a piece of championship hardware to their name.
Trevor Herget was named the game MVP for his 12 kills, 7 aces and 9 digs in the contest. For Darien they will celebrate tonight and return to work on Tuesday when the Wave start their state title run against 16th seeded Greenwich at home.
Darien 3,
Trumbull 0
TRUMBULL 14 18 15 — 0
DARIEN 25 25 25 — 3
Darien: Trevor Herget 12 kills, 7 aces, 9 digs, 16 service points; Austin Black 8 kills; Griffith Crouse 30 assists; Isaac McMullin 7 digs; Bryce Ford 3 blocks; Thomas Herget 2 aces; Jeff Nduati 6 service points.
