October 27, 2026 – Story by Dave Wolcott, photos by Joshua Ross
Girls volleyball wins its first Patriot League title since 2018
After ending the regular season on a 10-match winning streak, including eight sweeps by the score of 3-0, the last thing the Hingham High girls volleyball wanted was two weeks off between matches.
But here we are. So now, we wait…
The Harborwomen wrapped up a 15-3 regular season on Oct. 21 with a 3-0 win over Quincy High. They won their first Patriot League Keenan Division championship since 2018 and are seeded seventh in the latest MIAA Division 2 power rankings.
That’s a ton of momentum to have on your side, but playing games has to be placed on hold for the moment. The tournament pairings come out on Tuesday, Nov. 3 with the opening round games scheduled to take place on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Head coach Fabe Ardila will use the two-week break to let his team rest up a little bit while also honing some skills and keeping the team’s competitive edge sharp as Hingham gets ready to make a run at the Division 2 state title.
“We’ll do a little bit of everything between practices and also setting up some scrimmages to try to stay sharp,” explained Ardila. “One big thing we’ll do in practice is go back to the basics. We want to clean up everything we can because little issues can get a lot bigger when you enter into tournament play. We want all of those details to get a little bit better and a little sharper each day.”
Finding ways to stay sharp during this break in the action is a nice problem to have. The volleyball team is having its best season in recent memory under Ardila, the owner of the MGA club volleyball program. Currently an assistant coach at Babson College, Ardila has more than three decades of volleyball coaching experience and in 2017 was inducted into the Mass. Girls Volleyball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
“This season has been unbelievable,” admitted Ardila. “I approached the year differently than I have any other before. I really emphasized building a cohesiveness with the team over the summer and it seems to have worked out well for us.”
This year’s group is junior-heavy with six 11th graders on the varsity roster. There are two seniors as well as four underclassmen and the mix has brought the program a ton of success this season.
Captains Reese Barnes and Taylor Ferrante, both seniors, and junior Liana Melgoza said the way the team has bonded together bodes well for the rest of the season as well as the next few years.
“This team is full of so much energy and we are all each other’s best friend on and off the court. That really helps us work well together,” said Melgoza, who plays the outside hitter spot.
“I love how close we all are and how we support one another every game. The younger players were a little quiet at the beginning of the year, but now everyone knows they can have a voice on the team,” said Barnes.
Familiarity between teammates is another key to this season’s success.
“We all have known each other for a long time. We do a good job working together,” said Ferrante.