October 7, 2026 Written By David Wolcott (Photos By Josh Ross)
A slow start last season left the Hingham High volleyball team in an uphill battle to eventually earn a spot in the Division 2 state tournament.
There will be no such struggle this season. The Harborwomen (9-3) officially put their name into the playoff mix Monday night with a four-set victory over Cohasset. A home playoff game or two is possible if they can keep up with the momentum. They were in ninth place in the most recent MIAA D2 power rankings.
A large sophomore class was a leading reason why Hingham turned around a 1-6 start all the way around to a 13-10 finish in 2025. The talented group is having another great season, led by junior setter and returning all-star Ava Boschetto.
“We are all good friends and we are here to support one another. We always try to stay positive,” said Boschetto about the team’s success. “(New head coach Fabe Ardilo) has been awesome. We are learning a ton of new stuff with him every day.”
Ardilo is a familiar name in high school volleyball circles as the owner of the MGA club program. Currently an assistant coach at Babson College, Ardilo 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.
“Close to half of the players at MGA in Hanover come from Hingham, whether they play here or at NDA. I stepped away from high school coaching four years ago, but I wanted to ensure that the kids at this level were getting good coaching,” explained Ardilo.
Halfway through the regular season, Ardilo had not a single regret about returning to high school coaching. Hingham has already defeated traditional power Duxbury High twice as they begin a second tour around the league.
“I am very happy with my decision to come back and coach this team,” said Ardilo. “The thing I missed the most about coaching a high school team is watching the way the players learn and grow. You see the changes in them every day and that’s one of the things that makes coaching worthwhile.”
According to Ardilo, the players are the reason he’s having so much fun.
“I’ve always found it tough to coach motivation and effort, but that’s not a problem with these girls,” said Ardilo. “I love the energy of these girls as well as how much they love and respect each other as teammates. They walk into this gym every day ready to work.
“I’ve coached for many, many years and that kind of a team attitude always makes me smile.”
