Newton North volleyball ranks ninth as rival Brookline takes top spot

Newton North’s girls volleyball team stands ninth in the latest MIAA Division 1 power rankings, while Bay State Conference rival Brookline holds a narrow lead at No. 1.

The Tigers are 7-4, according to the Oct. 13 rankings, which reflect results entered into the Arbiter system by 4 a.m. that morning. Newton South is No. 12 at 6-4.

Brookline, at 10-1, leads second-ranked Winchester by just 0.0005 rating points. The Warriors have won six consecutive matches since their only loss, against Winchester.

Newton North was among the teams Brookline beat during that run. The Warriors defeated the Tigers 3-1 on Sept. 24 in conference play, according to a MassLive roundup.

The rivalry has also played out on the state’s biggest stage. Newton North swept Brookline in the 2024 Division 1 championship match, claiming its third consecutive state title. The Tigers returned to the final in 2025 but lost to Franklin in five sets.

Brookline’s current winning streak includes victories over Newton North, Natick, Wellesley, Bishop Feehan, Weymouth and Needham. Three were sweeps, bringing the Warriors’ season total to seven, MassLive reported.

Among Brookline’s additions this season is Cori Cenac, a 6-foot-1 junior middle attacker who transferred from Louisiana. She is the younger sister of Chris Cenac Jr., whom the Boston Celtics selected 27th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Coach Caitlin Sobolewski, in her eighth year leading Brookline, is pursuing the program’s first conference championship during her tenure.

“You have the talent,” Sobolewski told The Boston Globe in an Oct. 9 profile. “You have to put them in there.”

Newton North and Newton South remain inside the top 32, the threshold for automatic state tournament qualification regardless of record. Teams ranked below that cutoff can qualify for a preliminary play-in round by finishing with a winning percentage of .500 or better.

The rankings remain provisional. The MIAA publishes updates each Tuesday and Friday through the end of the regular season, with final rankings released alongside the tournament brackets.