Nipmuc-Valley Tech boys volleyball standing tall behind Dolan Comforti

“That’s one of those character-building moments,” Gerard said of the late rally.

“We have a lot of great players; we all know what we’re capable of,” Comforti said. “At the end of the day, you only lose when you get to 25. We knew we could come back. We were able to pull each other up. We could’ve gotten negative, but we didn’t. We celebrate every point and that got us the win.”

After dropping the third set, the serving of Myles Guikema and the net play of Ethan Dahmer lifted NVT to a 15-5 lead in the fourth before the team closed out a 25-15 victory to improve to 16-2.

“The potential for this group – the sky’s the limit,” Gerard said of the up-and-down performance. “We’re our own worst enemy and we can be our best friend. When things aren’t working out, you need to simplify everything.”

Comforti eyes Division 1 college career

Comforti wanted to attend BVT because the high school in his hometown – Uxbridge – doesn't have a volleyball program. He is studying information technology with a focus on cyber security.

He started playing volleyball in eighth grade for a local club team – the Dragons – and has played with SMASH volleyball the past two years. His goal is to play in college at the highest level.

“I’d love to do D1,” he said. “I just have to edit more film. I’m quite busy right now so I haven’t had the chance to sit down and edit a lot of the film that I want.”

Even while not at 100%, the highlights are many. He hurt his wrist two weeks ago diving for a ball and said his knee “felt off” before the Southeastern match, leading to the compression wrap.

Nipmuc senior Myles Guikema at the net against Southeastern Voke at Blackstone Valley Tech, May 14, 2026.

“Nothing I can do about it,” he said of the injuries. “I just have to keep pushing and try to give my all no matter what happens. I know that if I give a good performance, (his teammates) can give a good performance. If I have a bad they, they bring me up.”

After saying hellotwo seasons ago, Gerard dreads the day when he has to bid farewell to his talented – and tall – outside hitter.

“He’s the full package,” Gerard said. “Once he goes, replacing his talent will be a mission and a half.”

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Instagram at tdumas1.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Nipmuc-Valley Tech boys volleyball soaring behind 6-foot-7 Comforti