Northern Essex is no stranger to successful sports programs. Knights baseball and basketball have both been ranked nationally and perennial championship contenders. Now volleyball has joined the ranks.  

The 2023 Knights finished an undefeated season at (23-0), a program best and claimed their first region title since 2018.The team finished last season 11-17, a 12-win turnaround. 

Most of the team members are Lawerence natives who had played together in high school. Abigal Heredia of Lawerence, MA Cited this familiarity translating to chemistry on the hardwood. 

Leading the team is first year head coach Franchesca Nival. Nival previously played as a middle hitter and defensivespecialist for four seasons at Lowell high school and three at UMass Lowell. Nival’s prior playing experience helped shape her abilities as a coach. 

“There are some things that me as a player wished my coach did in the past, so I implemented those things as well as other things I learned as a player” Nival explained. 

The Knights faced off against Century community college on Nov 9th for the NJCAA tournament in Cedar Rapids, IH.NECC fell to The Wood ducks three sets to none in the match.