Canton volleyball's new kills queen at forefront of rebound after 2023 state final loss

CANTON — There are a few reasons why Sally Hoban's individual accolades snuck below the radar in the past.

For one, the Canton High girls volleyball team's pursuit of an undefeated season lived until the final hour of the 2023 fall season -- that storyline dominated the spotlight then.

And second, Jess Wright , the program's long entrenched star outside hitter, was starring in Hoban's preferred position as one of the team's three headlining All-Scholastics.

“Sally is a really hard-working kid,” head coach Pat Cawley said. “She was overshadowed by Jess (last year) because Jess was amazing, but Sally came through for us many times in our undefeated (regular) season. We wouldn’t have won without Sally.”

Wright has since graduated. That shadow is no longer.

Last week, the senior Hoban became the sixth player in school history to eclipse 500 career kills as Canton (13-3) nears another tournament trip following the team's loss to two-time champ Westborough in the Division 2 state final last fall.

Hoban saw scarce varsity time as a freshman, but her role increased in recent years to play opposite of Wright. The outside, however, is now hers to claim.

“It’s been fun coming into the season with an open mind," Hoban said. "I just always look to have a great time relying on my teammates and pumping them up. That’s what I look forward to every day.”

Hoban recorded 17 kills to gain the milestone in a road sweep of Foxboro on Oct. 10. Her season-best of 23 came against Oliver Ames on Sept. 19, a breakout game that earned her Patriot Ledger Female Athlete of the Week honors.

“Coming in this year, she’s kind of putting us on her back. She’s progressed year over year," Cawley said. "I just can’t say enough about her.”

“I know she’s always there," said junior setter Erin Bigham. "I know she’s always ready to kill it. Sally never has a bad game. She’s amazing all the time.”

Back after near-perfection

Canton finished last season with a 24-1 record. It rode a 24-game winning streak into the Division 2 final, where it surrendered three of its nine total lost sets of the season. Going into the 2023 tournament, Canton lost just four sets in 20 regular-season games en route to collecting 17 sweeps.

Though it didn't yield the program's second state championship, and first since 2019, the run at near-perfection not only produced the most single-season wins in its 23-year history but also mettle. Plenty of it.

“I took it as motivation," sophomore libero Soley Rodriguez Martinez said. "I already knew the feeling and I want to get there again."

“I don’t want to ever lose, but I think losing isn’t a bad thing. You learn from it," Cawley said. "You know you have to work hard. And these kids are working really hard. We’re a working class team.”

More: 'Toughest kid I know': Boutin speaks up, stands out as Hanover football topples Quincy

Featuring a pair of new middle blockers in junior Chloe Dubuisson and senior Ife Ajanaku to compliment the mainstays, this year's group boasts 11 sweeps through 16 regular-season games and currently stands as the No. 8 team in the Division 2 power rankings.

“I think we’re more determined this year. We’re more ready for it," said Bigham, who last year picked up her 1,000th career assist as a sophomore. "I think last year we weren’t expected to do that well and, this year, we know we’re able to do that well. We’re ready to kill it.”

Cawley said Thursday's sweep of Oliver Ames (25-22, 25-16, 25-19) was the team's best all-around outing of the season. It was a quality bounce-back following consecutive losses to King Philip and Bishop Feehan last week that halted a nine-game winning streak.

“I know we have it in us," Cawley said. "We all have to play our best in order to win against these teams. Tonight (against OA) everyone played at their top.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Canton volleyball's new kills queen at forefront of rebound after 2023 state final loss