The Mascenic volleyball team may be 1-12 on the season, but every loss is an opportunity for the young Vikings. 

"I tell the kids, ‘It's not losing, it's learning,’" said first-year head coach Dominic Viglione after Monday night's three-set loss to Souhegan in New Ipswich. "Every time we lose a game, we learn something from it and we try to improve on it and capitalize on it. They're very good about taking that in and making it constructive and turning it around, trying to be better in the next game."

The Vikings hung tough with the Sabers in the first set but fell apart in the second, losing 25-5 after Souhegan reeled off a 13-0 run. 

"The first set, our team was down, we were ready, we were making plays, and we lost it in the second one," Viglione said. "We missed a lot of serves, a lot of errors we need to overcome."

The second set got out of hand to the point that some Souhegan players were practicing the "stanky leg" dance midgame, but Mascenic didn't roll over in the third, fighting back for another competitive set.

"I was happy with them transitioning, getting into the spots they needed to get into," Viglione said. "I thought we had a couple of key blocks, some key hits, and I wish our passing was a little bit better."

Indeed, Mascenic's strongest area is at the net, where Kirvan Hughes (four blocks), Eli Barthelmess and Marley Cedrone do their work. The Vikings' weakness, though, is their inexperience, as they came into the season with five solid players and went on a recruiting binge to fill out their roster. 

"A lot of the kids don't have athletic backgrounds, so they've had to overcome learning a brand new skill, learning a brand new sport, learning the competitive nature of the sport,” Viglione said. “But I think they've done a great job of overcoming that skill level and really coming up to speed."

As a case in point, Mascenic started a brand-new player, Lucas Parhiala, at setter, and the novice fared well in his debut. 

"He did a tremendous job, and this was the first time he'd ever touched a volleyball," Viglione said.

The Vikings have just one win on the season, a shutout of winless Farmington; they'll close out their season with games against 6-7 Timberlane, undefeated No. 1 Londonderry and 2-10 John Stark.

 

The small Mascenic squad toils away against Division I-size programs (the NHIAA pools all boys' volleyball teams into one division). With only four seniors and a few eighth-graders on the way for next year, Viglione has his eye on building for the future, and he has the right group for the job. 

"Their communication has definitely improved over the course of the year, where they're actually talking, motivating each other and getting each other mentally tough,” Viglione said. “Just as much as their skill level, we're trying to build mental toughness as well."

Mascenic is set to host Timberlane Wednesday after press time and then travel to Londonderry and John Stark on Thursday and Friday. 

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