‘Not a tolerable situation’: Patient groups take aim at CMS over Alzheimer’s coverage decision
]
“If drugs go through the FDA, get approved and then have to go through another clinical trial process to get coverage, then no one’s going to invest in this space,” said George Vradenburg, the chair and co-founder of patient group UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “This is just not a tolerable situation. FDA was charged with this decision, they made the decision, CMS should honor it.”
Lee Fleisher, the agency’s chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, said in a statement after the decision that their goal was to protect Medicare recipients “from an intervention without known benefits.”
The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.
This image provided by Biogen shows a vial and packaging for the drug Aduhelm. | Biogen via AP
While the various supporters of broader access have not yet coalesced around a single strategy, broad outlines of a plan are already becoming clear.
Advocates are enlisting patients, investors and health professionals to flood CMS with comments opposing its proposal. As of Friday, nearly 80 comments had been submitted, less than a week into the 30-day public comment period following the CMS decision. Many of these comments express concern and frustration with how few patients could receive Aduhelm under the agency’s proposed plans.
Biogen declined to comment on its strategy, but the company told investors that it hoped CMS would revise its decision and cover the drug for patients who mirrored the populations that were already included in clinical trials. Michel Vounatsos, Biogen’s chief executive, said the company had a plan to manage the fallout but declined to elaborate during a call with analysts on Thursday.
Separately, patient groups and pharmaceutical lobbyists plan to pressure Congress, making the case that CMS is stifling innovation and also creating a paradigm that will disproportionately harm patients with low incomes and patients of color.
“On the Hill, a lot of people care about Alzheimer’s,” Vradenburg said. “There will be letters. There’ll be meetings. There’ll be everything we can muster to turn that decision around.”
Harry Johns, the chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Association, said his group plans to lobby the White House, warning that millions of patients will be left without a drug they thought they could soon receive.
“It’s hard for us to believe that this president and this administration wants to be responsible for setting the precedent of not covering a treatment approved by the FDA and, more specifically, causing this kind of difference in coverage that is available for other diseases that would not be for people with Alzheimer’s,” he said.
It is rare but not unheard of for CMS to change trial participation requirements between a draft and final coverage decision. In 2019, CMS proposed requiring hospitals administering CAR-T therapies to track patients in observational studies. Hospitals complained it was too burdensome and CMS relented.
The agency plans to make a final determination on Aduhelm in April.
CMS’ requirements for Aduhelm are even more burdensome, said John Dwyer, president of the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation. The proposed trials must be randomized and conducted at a hospital-based outpatient setting, and the diversity of participants should be representative of the patient population diagnosed, a standard that is nearly impossible to achieve, he added — and certainly not in a timely manner.
“There’s never been an Alzheimer’s study that has closely approximated the percentage of African Americans that have Alzheimer’s or Latinos that have Alzheimer’s in terms of the enrollment,” he said.
In a statement to POLITICO, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said that the diverse population requirements were there to rectify past underrepresentation in Alzheimer’s research.
“We are creating every incentive for manufacturers and trial administrators to ensure that the clinical trials recruit diverse participants,” she said. “The equity implications of this decision were a central part of the hard, thoughtful work that went into developing this proposed [coverage].”
Some public health experts and members of Congress have already expressed support for the agency.
“This was the best decision,” said R. Scott Turner, a neurologist and director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center. Turner has been involved in conducting clinical trials for Aduhelm and other anti-amyloid drugs for over eight years but doesn’t believe they should be available beyond a research setting.
“I don’t think it should have been approved by the FDA, frankly,” he said.
FDA granted Biogen’s drug accelerated approval despite mixed results in clinical trials, saying that because Aduhelm reduced the amount of amyloid — a deformed protein thought to be the root of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s — in participants’ brains, it was “reasonably likely” that it would ultimately slow or stop patients’ cognitive decline.
Several scientists disagreed with the assessment, including those on FDA’s external advisory panel for neurological drugs; three of them resigned in protest. Only one, David Knopman, responded to POLITICO for comment, saying that he agreed with CMS’ proposed decision.
CMS, in explaining why it limited coverage, said that because there has never been a trial demonstrating that reducing amyloid meaningfully improves patients’ health outcomes with Alzheimer’s, there was “insufficient evidence” that Aduhelm would be reasonable and necessary for Medicare beneficiaries.
Pharmaceutical advocates told POLITICO that by effectively overruling the FDA, CMS could chill investment in drug development.
“Alzheimer’s is an area that has just been littered with the carcasses of failed efforts,” said one pharmaceutical lobbyist, who asked for anonymity to speak freely about the industry. “Back in 2018, Pfizer just abandoned the field entirely … [Eli] Lilly has sunk hundreds of millions of dollars here. So I would definitely never underestimate that your adding these obstacles has real impact.”
The CMS decision goes beyond Aduhelm. All similar drugs would be subject to the same requirements, which critics say would make it difficult even for drugs that perform better during clinical trials.
John Murphy, the chief policy officer at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, an industry group, said that CMS “has gone well beyond its statutory mandate.”
“This is the epitome of the agency throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” Murphy said. “CMS is purposely turning one product into a pariah to stand up on a pedestal, and doing it at the expense of all future development of other products yet to come and patients who desperately need innovation in this disease state.”
Eli Lilly and Genentech both have similar anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs in the pipeline, in addition to a second offering from Biogen. Both companies expressed concern that CMS’ proposal would deny patients access to forthcoming drugs.
“CMS is writing off an entire class of medicines before multiple products have even been reviewed by FDA, positioning itself and not FDA as the key arbiter of clinical evidence,” Nicole Longo, a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in a statement after the agency’s proposal was released. The group declined to comment about its advocacy efforts.
The fact that CMS is considering requiring a randomized trial makes industry and patient groups wary of the delay in getting the drug to patients, and lobbyists note that novel treatments are often flawed as a result of being first.
“Innovation is incremental oftentimes and we have to show a willingness to be flexible,” Murphy said. “Right now, [CMS is] just backdoor disapproving the drug.”
Light Agenda at January Barnegat Light Meeting
]
A quorum at the Barnegat Light Borough Council meeting was possible because two members were connected by phone to make a total of five out of seven members, so the meeting proceeded Jan. 12 in Borough Hall.
Masks were more prevalent than at recent meetings that had been held in the more spacious fire hall before the post-holiday spike in cases of COVID or other illnesses. Winter meetings are typically sparsely attended; a number of taxpayers are in Florida. But more than a dozen homeowners, borough employees and others had come out and sat down in spaced-apart chairs.
Borough Attorney Terry Brady said at the 4:30 p.m. caucus session that in-person meetings are important “to the greatest extent possible.” He remarked, “The purpose of the Open Public Meetings Act is so that the public can witness the manner in which government is conducted.”
About 15 people attending was “a rather large showing” for January, Brady said, indicating that “you do care enough to be here and witness” the meeting.
One comment came from the audience asking about a return to remote viewing options. On the other hand, COVID counts were showing first signs of easing off in metropolitan areas, and no remote plans were agreed upon for next month.
Council President Michael Spark presided, and voting took place with council members Mary Ellen Foley and Dottie Reynolds participating by phone. Absent were Mayor Kirk Larson and Councilman Ed Wellington.
Council held the first of two public hearings on what to apply for in this year’s Community Development Block Grant application. The funds are for projects that increase accessibility. The second hearing will be at the February monthly meeting, at 5 p.m. Feb. 9.
A part-time construction code control clerk position was approved, and the clerk will be John Schulze, who is also captain of the beach patrol.
Water metering rates were not announced at the meeting. “By next meeting, we should be able to answer that question,” said Foley. Preliminary numbers have been worked up, but it was noted that Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Flanagan was also out sick.
Council approved a one-time stipend of $1,000 to borough employees for extra work done in the state-mandated water metering project.
The water department had responded to three shut-offs due to frozen pipes since the December meeting; they stemmed from icemakers inside the houses. “Neighbors caught them before our new advanced system did,” Foley said.
In the committee reports, Councilman Sam Alloway, chair of the Docks and Harbors Committee, said all of the boat slips at the municipal boat basin are rented for next summer. That is a recent record for earliness. And there are 58 boat owners on a waiting list.
The borough attorney thanked council for reauthorizing his appointment for another year.
“This year is the 40th anniversary of me being sworn in,” Brady said. He said his reappointment is not something that is “presumed or taken for granted,” but is something he hopes to “earn, each and every year.”
Some discussion was held on a written request from Jo Stott for a memorial area at Bay Breeze Park honoring veterans. It will be discussed more in future meetings.
A moment of silence was held for recently deceased former council members Fred Gibbs and James Stavish.
— Maria Scandale
mariascandale@thesandpaper.net
Government’s Covid sites escape from a tangled Web
]
Government’s Covid sites escape from a tangled Web Presented by Telehealth Access for America
The Big Idea
Government websites for urgent health needs have a way of manufacturing high drama. Who can forget the rollout of Obamacare’s Healthcare.gov? And how many people searching for Covid vaccines early in the rollout put a fist or head through the wall when thwarted by online appointment portals?
Designing a website requires features that can serve web-savvy Gen Zers without choking people with poky internet service. Then, there are questions about how many different languages to feature, and how to make the site accessible to users with disabilities.
The Biden administration heard both the enthusiasm and the groans this week when it activated COVIDtests.gov, a website allowing Americans to order free rapid tests for the pandemic. Early reviews are OK, despite a glitch that made it difficult to delineate residents of apartments and other multiunit dwellings. One doctor called it “remarkably quick and easy.” And the website took off fast: As our colleague David Lim noted, at one point, visits accounted for nearly half of all internet traffic to U.S. government sites.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
But the ultimate verdict may hinge on the site’s staying power, and whether developer tweaks and revisions address the user experience as a crisis surges and ebbs. With Omicron on the loose and the Biden administration pressing people to get their initial vaccine series and boosters, we asked two experts to revisit Vaccines.gov, the federal Covid vaccine appointment finder, and rate it, Siskel and Ebert style.
“Thumbs up!” said Shannon West, who formerly worked with the U.S. Digital Service, a unit set up in the wake of the troubled Obamacare health insurance shopping site fiasco, in 2014. West said the Vaccines.gov search features and maps are fantastic. “Being able to book an appointment directly on the site would be awesome,” she said, adding that the seamless integration was helpful.
Vaccine registration sites got poor reviews upon their debut for their accessibility — many sites were simply not compatible with the screen reader technology users who are blind or have low vision rely on. The latest version doesn’t suffer from that problem.
“The site is accessible, with proper use of headings, alternative text, and labels on form controls throughout,” said Karl Belanger, an accessibility analyst with the National Federation of the Blind.
The overall quality suggests the government is beginning to get a better handle on website development — or at least improvement when there are early problems. Remember, early on in the vaccine rollout, Kaiser Health News came out with a scathing review of state vaccine registration sites, concluding that nearly all had some sort of problem for users who are blind or visually impaired.
In its own way, that bodes well for the government’s efforts to steal a few tricks from Silicon Valley, where they think fixing your errors, making constant improvements and being flexible is a way of life.
Welcome back to Future Pulse, where we explore the convergence of health care and technology. Share your news and feedback: @dariustahir, @ali_lev, @abettel, @samsabin923, @BenLeonard.
A message from Telehealth Access for America: Patients need urgent action from Congress to avoid losing access to telehealth services. Telehealth access is vital to achieving better health outcomes, greater health equity, more patient choice, and a more efficient health care system. We’re committed to preserving this crucial care pathway in communities across the nation. Learn more → TelehealthAccessForAmerica.org
Tweet of the Week
Jonathan Cohn @CitizenCohn “Chiming in to agree that http://covidtests.gov is almost ridiculously simple to use. Have to see how distribution goes, obviously, but so far so good.”
The Next Cures
MODERNA COMBO JAB DUE NEXT YEAR?: Moderna wants to market a combined booster vaccination for Covid-19, influenza and the common respiratory syncytial virus as soon as the fall 2023, CEO Stéphane Bancel said during a virtual panel discussion at the World Economic Forum this week.
The combination vaccine would give people broad protection against illnesses caused by respiratory viruses ahead of the winter without having to obtain multiple shots, POLITICO Europe’s Douglas Busvine writes.
Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
Bancel told investors in September that Moderna was working on a booster shot that would combine its mRNA vaccine for coronavirus, a vaccine the company is developing against influenza and possibly a dose to treat RSV. The Covid booster is currently in Phase III trials while the flu vaccine under development — which also uses mRNA technology — should progress from Phase II to III trials in the second quarter.
Investors sold off Moderna shares after an update in December reported an early-stage study showed the vaccine generated antibody levels against all four flu virus strains, but the levels were less robust in older people than levels generated by an existing flu jab from Sanofi. Bancel also confirmed Moderna plans to ship 2 to 3 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines this year, after 807 million in 2021.
Ideas Lab
CYBERSECURITY IS TOP HEALTH SAFETY HAZARD: 2021 was not a great year for health care cybersecurity. Ten health care organizations suffered breaches of more than a million patients’ data, according to the federal government; the Food and Drug Administration sent out multiple warnings of cybersecurity holes in medical devices, and big manufacturers like Medtronic were forced to recall products.
Add it all up, and safety experts at the nonprofit ECRI are calling cybersecurity their top health technology hazard for 2022, ahead of supply-chain shortfall, damaged infusion pumps and inadequate emergency stockpiles. “The question is not whether a given facility will be attacked, but when,” said Marcus Schabacker, the organization’s leader.
And we’ve seen attacks have actual safety consequences: Ransomware can take critical software or monitoring devices offline, potentially resulting in patient death, as The Wall Street Journal reported last fall. Given the increasing digitization of health care, reports like this will likely multiply.
A message from Telehealth Access for America:
Around the Nation
TRUSTED INFO SHARING: Sharing patient data between electronic health record systems could become as seamless as handing off calls between cellular providers under a new framework from the federal health IT office and the nonprofit Sequoia Project.
The collaboration between the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and Sequoia was mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act, POLITICO’s Ben Leonard writes.
The trusted exchange framework released Tuesday sets forward nonbinding principles covering transparency, standardization, privacy, access and equity. Platforms like Health Gorilla will soon be able to apply to become Qualified Health Information Networks, or QHINs, which will be able to share data nationwide once they sign a common agreement, exchange information and have the necessary infrastructure in place.
Getty Images
A lack of standards enabling networks to exchange queries with one another has been seen as a barrier to interoperability because patient data can reside in multiple networks spread across several states. The goal is to create broad qualified networks, as opposed to one that serves a single EHR’s customers or whose members are in a single state.
“Few things have been as elusive as a governance framework for nationwide health information exchange,” National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Micky Tripathi and Sequoia Project CEO Mariann Yeager wrote in a blog post. “Today’s milestone marks the beginning of a new era of electronic health information exchange in the U.S.”
Washington Watch
MISSED DEADLINE ON FDA FEES: The Food and Drug Administration and the medical device industry missed a Jan. 15 deadline to submit an agreement to Congress outlining the contours of a five-year extension of a user fee program that helps fund evaluations of products ranging from oxygen masks to next-generation pacemakers and ventilators.
POLITICO’s David Lim writes the two sides have not had a formal meeting since before Thanksgiving; however, conversations between high-level FDA officials and industry negotiators are ongoing.
Device makers want fewer user fees and are focused on having funds spent on speeding premarket reviews and cutting application backlogs. The FDA is asking for more user fees, in part to boost postmarket surveillance efforts to more quickly identify and fix device safety issues.
The current user fee agreement runs until the end of fiscal 2022 — a hard deadline for the lawmakers trying to finish the must-pass legislative packages. The effort to extend it for five years may yet intersect with congressional work on a follow-on to the 21st Century Cures biomedical innovation package.
CMS IN DRUG COVERAGE DRAMA: Barely a week into a 30-day public comment period, drugmakers and patient advocacy groups are mounting an aggressive push to strong-arm the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services into reversing a preliminary decision to limit coverage of Biogen’s Aduhelm, the controversial $28,200-a-year Alzheimer’s drug.
POLITICO’s Katherine Ellen Foley and Megan Wilson write the effort is built around the argument that CMS could stifle innovation if other drug companies suspect the agency will overrule the FDA while creating a paradigm that will disproportionately harm patients with low incomes and patients of color.
Harry Johns, the CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, said his group plans to lobby the White House, warning that millions of patients will be left without a drug they thought they could soon receive.
Medicare this month limited coverage of Biogen’s new drug for patients enrolled in ongoing clinical trials, effectively cutting off access to the first new Alzheimer’s treatment in nearly two decades, which the Food and Drug Administration approved in June despite conflicting trial results.
It’s rare for CMS to change criteria between a draft and final coverage decision. In 2019, CMS proposed requiring hospitals administering CAR-T-cell therapies to track patients in observational studies. Hospitals complained it was too burdensome, and CMS relented.
What We’re Clicking
Big data hasn’t delivered on its public health promises, reports STAT News.
Artificial intelligence should be in touch with our emotions, says The Washington Post.
Maybe monitoring our brain waves can lead to better health, writes The New York Times.
A message from Telehealth Access for America: More than ever before, telehealth is an integral component of high-quality, patient-focused, and affordable health care. Emergency access to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic made virtual care essential to health care. Without action from Congress, millions of families will lose access. Millions of patients have come to rely on telehealth, using it to see their providers, get prescriptions, or manage their health - and more than 90 percent of U.S. voters support urgent action to safeguard access to virtual care. We urge leaders in Congress to take decisive action now. Learn more → TelehealthAccessForAmerica.org
The Best Love Triangles In TV Shows
]
The Best Love Triangles In TV Shows
Love triangles can be seen as a moneymaker in television. They create new opportunities for drama and increase the stakes for characters that audiences have gotten invested in, for better or for worse. That’s why it’s so great when love triangles are used as a tool to help their characters grow and develop. And swooning over adorable moments isn’t half bad either!
The best and most memorable love triangles create believable and compelling relationships between their characters. They can often lead to an intense preference for which person you want your favorite character to end up with, and thus, we have the rise of shipping (where a fandom wants two people to end up together over another potential love interest). Let’s dive into some of the best and biggest love triangles in TV shows. While we’re always getting juicy new triangles to dig into (Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, anyone?), these relationships have the biggest fan bases, the strongest shippers, and the most drama.
Girls volleyball All-Scholastics and league All-Stars
]
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ALL-SCHOLASTICS
Nadine Abdat (North Andover)
Carrina Barron (Tewksbury)
Mia Berardino (Triton)
Samantha Berenson (Hopkinton)
Maggie Brogioli (Old Rochester)
Kya Burdier (Haverhill)
Laura Cogswell (Barnstable)
Samantha Driend (Methuen)
Julia Elie (Rockland)
Ella Gizmunt (Lynnfield)
Lauren Harrell (Bedford)
Corinne Herr (Concord-Carlisle)
Sorelle Lawton (Dartmouth)
Liz Linkletter (Ipswich)
Raimy Little (Concord-Carlisle)
Cailyn Mackintosh (Franklin)
Kate Powers (Hopkinton)
Grace Presswood (Dennis-Yarmouth)
Mackenzie Proukou (Duxbury)
Elena Soukos (Melrose)
Ellie Streeper (Needham)
Lucy Swanson (Dennis-Yarmouth)
Samantha Tam (Needham)
Lauren Tian (Winchester)
ALL-SCHOLASTICS
NADINE ABDAT, North Andover
The junior was a first-team All-State performer, while also being selected to the AVCA Phenom Watch List. In the classroom, the middle hitter boasts a 4.03 GPA. Abdat also participates in track and field, owning North Andover’s program record for best distance in the long jump relay.
CARRINA BARRON, Tewksbury
The junior libero was named to the Merrimack Valley Conference’s All-Conference First Team, and played a pivotal role in guiding Tewksbury to an appearance in the Div. 3 state semi-finals. Barron has been a member of the SMASH Beach Volleyball Club since 2014. She also plays for the Northeast Bay State Team, and hopes to continue her volleyball career in the college ranks.
MIA BERARDINO, Triton
As a senior, Berardino racked up 264 kills, finishing with 732 for her career. She also added 124 digs to go with 77 aces and 34 blocks. The outside hitter was named the Cape Ann League’s Most Valuable Player at the Div. 3 level. A member of the National Honor (with a 4.55 GPA) and the Foreign Language Honor Societies, Berardino is committed to Stonehill, where she will continue to play volleyball.
SAMANTHA BERENSON, Hopkinton
The senior registered 385 digs and 69 aces, as Hopkinton capped a perfect season with a Division 2 title. The libero concluded her career as a Hiller with 631 digs. Berenson’s plans to attend a Big 10 school, and hopes to major in food science, as well as biogenetics.
MAGGIE BROGIOLI, Old Rochester
Brogioli was crucial for Old Rochester during its run to a Div. 3 state championship in 2021. She posted 271 kills (with a 45.9 percentage), and tallied 233 digs, good enough to be named the South Coast Conference MVP for a second straight season. A two-time Herald All-Scholastic and two-time All-State selection, Brogioli also is a member of Old Rochester’s girls basketball and track and field programs. She hopes to attend a four-year university, and plans to study physical therapy and athletic training.
KYA BURDIER, Haverhill
The senior year finished with 358 assists, while adding 188 kills and 185 digs. The setter and occasional right side hitter closes her career with a whopping 958 assists overall.
LAURA COGSWELL, Barnstable
Cogswell was a Boston Herald All-Scholastic for a second time in 2021. She recorded 547 assists (finishing with 1,101 for career) and 67 aces, as Barnstable made a run to the Div. 1 state quarterfinals. A member of the National Honor Society, Cogswell plans to attend a four-year college.
SAMANTHA DRIEND, Methuen
The junior’s incredible stat line featured 428 kills, 159 digs and 64 aces. She was named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Div. 1 Player of the Year, and selected as an All-Conference member. In her spare time, Driend plays for the Mill City Volleyball Club (currently on the 17 Adidas National Team), as well as the Bay State Club team.
JULIA ELIE, Rockland
Following her senior season, Elie was named the South Shore League’s Player of the Year and selected to the Div. 4 All-State Team. The Rockland middle hitter finished her career as a three-time South Shore League All-Star as well. Elie starred in basketball and will play for Bentley University next year.
ELLA GIZMUNT, Lynnfield
As a junior, Gizmunt earned Cape Ann League Player of the Year honors. She recorded 426 kills to go with 83 aces. She also added 248 digs and 257 serve receptions. A three-time Cape Ann League First Team athlete, Gizmunt also has a 4.12 GPA.
LAUREN HARRELL, Bedford
Harrell led the Dual County League in blocks (61) and hitting percentage (.374). She also added 327 kills and 70 digs, good enough to be named to the MAVCA Div. 3 All-State Team. The Bedford senior will continue her volleyball career for the University of New Orleans, where she will study business.
CORINNE HERR, Concord-Carlisle
The senior led all Div. 1 athletes in kills (423), finishing with 939 for her career. She also posted 238 digs and 54 aces, earning Dual County League MVP honors. Herr was a MAVCA All-State player for a second time, and participates with the SMASH Volleyball Club during the offseason.
SORELLE LAWTON, Dartmouth
Lawton had 174 kills to go with 197 digs. She tallied 67 assists on the year as well. The senior was named to the Div. 2 All-State Team. Lawton is committed to Cornell University, where she will play lacrosse.
LIZ LINKLETTER, Ipswich
Linkletter led Ipswich to a Div. 4 state title this past fall. She tallied 453 serve receptions, along with 64 assists and 57 aces. The Tigers standout also registered 210 digs, and is now the program’s all-time career leader in that category. Linkletter is a member of the National Honor Society, and enjoys painting in her spare time. She is undecided on her college plans, but hopes to major in psychology.
RAIMY LITTLE, Concord-Carlisle
Little led the commonwealth in assists with 667. The senior setter added 208 digs and 48 kills, helping Concord-Carlisle capture the Dual County League (Small) title with a 21-2 record. Little hopes to attend a four-year university, where she plans to study business and communications.
CAILYN MACKINTOSH, Franklin
Mackintosh was selected to the Hockomock League All-Star Team for a third straight season, and named the conference’s Most Valuable Player after finishing with 535 assists and 241 digs. Her performances guided Franklin to an appearance in the Div. 1 final four, where the Panthers fell to the eventual state champion, Natick (a 3-2 loss on Nov. 17). In the classroom, Mackintosh is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the Spanish National Honor Society.
KATE POWERS, Hopkinton
The Tri-Valley League’s 2021 MVP finished with 230 kills and a .373 hitting percentage, finishing atop the conference in both categories. Powers also added 76 digs and posted 41 aces, as Hopkinton went on to capture the Div. 2 crown with a 3-1 victory over Westborough on Nov. 20. The senior was selected to the Div. 2 All-State Team at season’s end. She also has been named the recipient of Hopkinton High School’s Leadership Award, and is a member of the National Honor Society.
GRACE PRESSWOOD, Dennis-Yarmouth
The junior outside hitter played 78 sets in 2021, tallying 301 kills to go along with 281 digs and 50 aces, propelling Dennis-Yarmouth to an appearance in the Div. 3 title match. A two-time Herald All-Scholastic, Presswood also participates with the Southern Alliance Volleyball Club team. She is hopeful to continue her playing career at the collegiate level.
MACKENZIE PROUKOU, Duxbury
The senior registered 191 kills, as well as 76 digs and 72 aces, earning Patriot League All-Star honors again. The Duxbury standout was named to the AVCA High School All-Region Team (Region 1), and to the MAVCA Div. 2 All-State Team. Proukou also won countless Summa Awards (given to students who show exemplary attitude, effort and achievement) during her high school career in numerous subjects. She is the literature co-editor-in-chief with Duxbury High School’s literary magazine, Inkblot.
ELENA SOUKOS, Melrose
Soukos was named to the Middlesex League All-Conference Team, and awarded the Freedom Division’s Most Valuable Player. The Melrose captain finished with 323 kills, helping her earn a spot with the MAVCA Div. 2 All-State Team. The senior enjoys exploring new restaurants in her spare time, and is a member of the Mass Impact Volleyball Club. She wishes to study business in college, with a concentration in sports management.
ELLIE STREEPER, Needham
Streeper helped Needham claim its second Div. 1 state championship since 2019 this season. The outside hitter and libero accumulated 220 digs, as well as 176 kills and 77 aces, earning a spot with the MAVCA Div. 1 All-State Team and the AVCA’s “Best and Brightest” First Team (All-Region). Streeper is a three-time Bay State Conference All-Star and a two-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic. The senior is committed to Swarthmore College, where she will continue her volleyball career while majoring in biology and biochemistry.
LUCY SWANSON, Dennis-Yarmouth
The senior was Cape and Islands League MVP for a second time this season. She contributed 364 kills and tacked on 214 digs, finishing her high school career with 1,036 kills over the course of 260 total sets. Swanson is a member of the National Honor Society, and will be attending Salve Regina University next fall.
SAMANTHA TAM, Needham
The sophomore contributed much for Needham during its run to a Div. 1 championship. The outside hitter recorded 265 kills to go with 135 digs, earning a spot on the Bay State Conference All-Star Team, and with the MAVCA All-State Team. In the offseason, Tam participates with the SMASH Volleyball Club, as well as the Boston Hurricanes. She also owns a first degree blackbelt in karate.
LAUREN TIAN, Winchester
Tian racked up 301 kills this fall, and was selected to the Middlesex League All-Star Team. She was named the Liberty Division’s Most Valuable Player, and finished All-State for Div. 1. The junior is a member of the National Honor Society, and enjoys working with digital art and singing as hobbies.
LEAGUE ALL-STARS
BOSTON CITY LEAGUE
Kelly Hoffman, Dariella Joseph (Latin Academy); Farianni Abreu, Nachenie Augustin, Eligia Campana (Boston International); Regina Butler, Sali Djassi, Marlen Esteban (Brighton/Green Academy): Jess Estime (CASH); Anailis Guerrero, Gabrielle Hashioka, Karla Sorensen (Charlestown); Cindy Alfaro, Salome Arango, Jennifer Delgado, Luisa Sanchez (East Boston); Charlene Alphonse (English); Katherine Arauz (Madison Park); Sumaya Barre, Courtney Sarfo (New Mission); Alejandrina Estrada, Karen Huynh, Grace Lloyd (O’Bryant); Julie Aria Gomez (Snowden); Michelsie Cajoux (Tech Boston)
CAPE AND ISLANDS
ATLANTIC: Laura Cogswell, Lindsay Jones, Allison Nystrom, Neely Alger (Barnstable); Lucy Swanson, Alayna Rooney, Grace Presswood, Ellen Swanson (Dennis-Yarmouth); Camille Leite, Sydney Sevigny (Falmouth); Maria Mozeleski (Sandwich)
MVP: Lucy Swanson
LIGHTHOUSE: Kacey Riseborough, Chloe Marrero, Kalina Natcheva, Amelie Roberts (Nantucket); Molly Pulit, Delaney Burrell (St. John Paul); Addison Prada, Olivia VanBeber (Nantucket); Kenna Jarvis (Sturgis East); Olivia Prevett (Rising Tide)
MVP: Addison Prada
CAPE ANN LEAGUE
FIRST TEAM: Mia Bernardo (Triton); Ava Hartley (Newburyport); Abby Gerber (North Reading); Liz Linkletter, Grace Sorensen, Claire O’Flynn (Ipswich); Ella Gizmunt, Sarah Foley (Lynnfield); Mia Flynn, Hannah Pasquariello (Hamilton-Wenham)
SECOND TEAM: Molly Kimball, Emma Campbell (Triton); Sophia Messina (Newburyport); Rose Morelli (North Reading); Jillian Sheehy (Pentucket); Meghan Wallace (Ipswich); Celia Carbone (Lynnfield); Grace Roebuck (Hamilton-Wenham); Gabby Rizza, Lexirose Aulson (Georgetown)
MVP: Mia Bernardo, Ella Gizmunt
CATHOLIC CENTRAL LEAGUE
Maggie Milne, Rachel Murphy, Alison O’Keefe (Arlington Catholic); Elizabeth Hurm, Kathryn Lysko, Ava Loud, Mya Brady (Cardinal Spellman); Olivia Olson, Julia Webster, Maeve Parrish (Bishop Feehan); Jessica Furtado, Sophia Pregent (Bishop Fenwick): Kate Beckel (Austin Prep); Mae Lima (Bishop Stang): Abigail Quinn (Archibishop Williams); Molly Cummings (St. Mary’s); Anna Nararro, Ducariette Nicholas (*Cathedral); Brigid Anderson, Maddie Klein, Alexa McKim (*Matignon); Liz Cassidy (*St. Joseph)
- – played an independent schedule
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
Elizabeth Wagner, Grace Burboyne, Emily Breen, (Notre Dame); Caroline Canavan, Abigail Girard, (Ursuline); Lily Mineo, Bridget Gately (Malden Catholic); Irene Kelly (Fontbonne); Tara Brady (Mt. Alvernia)
COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
UPPER SCHOOLS: Ali Tkach, Gracie Dailey, Brooklyne McFadden (Essex Tech); Kailyn Martinez, Kiara Moralez (Greater Lawrence); Iyana Lopez, Alexa Furtado (Greater Lowell); Madi Franz (Lowell Catholic); Ilona Beacom-Domotor, Mairead St. Claire (Mystic Valley); Kayla Mirisola, Cade Barron (Shawsheen); Hannah Azzari, Nathalia Cintron (Whittier)
MVP: Ali Tkach
LOWER SCHOOLS: Adriana Taboucherani, Laura Harvey (Fellowship Christian Academy); Amanda Gately, Hailey Lima, Casey Dubois (Innovation Academy); Tatiana Megie-Maddrey, Jaynie Maestre (KIPP); Jasinairy Camillo, Derlande Montas (Lynn Tech); Ernidia Goncalvez, Kirsten Veazie (Northeast); Stephanie Moreau, Maya Hardy, Brielle Hardy (Notre Dame); Allison Jensen, Michelle Dunn (Nashoba Tech)
MVP: Stephanie Moreau
GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE
Chloe Clement, Samantha Thoeun, Annabelle Dao, Izzy Faessler (Lynn Classical); Kate Joslin, Widjina Prince, Olivia Tufts (Medford); Lissette Curran, Riley Strano (Malden); Tassya DaCosta, Gianna Mahoney (Revere); Carmen Raftery, Evelyn Leadholm (Somerville); Jasmine Maradiaga Varela, Amy Herrera Castillo (Chelsea); Veronica Moeun (Lynn English); Ashley Hernandez (Everett)
MVP: Chloe Clement
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE
Cailyn Mackintosh, Lindsey Tarantola, Taylor Lacerda (Franklin); Natalie Brojek, Julia Leonardo (Attleboro); Anna Verille (Canton); Mallorie Meyer (Foxboro); Sami Shore, Stella Bailey, Emily Sawyer (King Philip); Julia Kelly (Mansfield); Aliza Syed (Milford); Katherine McHoul (North Attleboro); Hadley Rhodes, Madelyn Homer, Sarah Hilliard (Oliver Ames); Erin Schustek (Sharon); Vanessa Philemond (Stoughton); Mikayla Cleary (Taunton)
MVP: Cailyn Mackintosh
MAYFLOWER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
LARGE SCHOOLS: Amy Freitas, Abby Sousa, Kayla Sullivan (Tri-County); Hannah Martin, Lindsey Moniz (Diman); Samantha Duarte, Laryssa Lopes (Southeastern); Dijonae Young, Katie Willette (Bristol-Plymouth); Antoinae Leaks (Blue Hills)
MVP: Amy Freitas
SMALL SCHOOLS: Gianna DeLucca, Anika Grinbergs, Katie McInnis (Norfolk Aggie); Gemma Geisler, Sarah Teuten, McKennzie Jepsen (South Shore); Rayana Guedes, Julia Ellis (Cape Cod Tech); Allison Sciraffa (Upper Cape); Christina Russell (Bristol Aggie); Allison Bumpus (Old Colony)
MVP: Gemma Geisler
COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS: Abby Gaudreau, Kyleigh Finglas, Madison Benson (Westport); Shannon Esperon, Brianna Sullivan (Holbrook); Victoria Reid, Ashley Potvin (Bishop Connolly); Emma Marchetti, Ava Harkins (West Bridgewater); Valencia Jean (Avon)
MVP: Abby Gaudreau
MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE
Ava Sipley, Marisa Kobelski (Andover); Stephanie Sardella, Kailey Roche, Abby Downs, Jessica Maillet (Billerica); Kya Burdier, Gabby Burdier, Emmerson Cerasuolo (Haverhill); Ali Rivera (Lowell); Samantha Driend, Carolina Rodriguez (Methuen); Nadine Abdat, Christine Crateau, Emma Bosco (North Andover); Carrina Barron, Katie Cueva, Maddie Cueva (Tewksbury)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Samantha Driend, Kya Burdier
MIDDLESEX LEAGUE
LIBERTY: Lauren Tian, Ruby Woodward, Andrea Budiu (Winchester); Fiona Rigby, Martina Pescosolido (Arlington); Hannah Nowell, Meghan Qualey, Sophia Furxhi (Woburn); Abby Farrell (Reading); Julia Griffiths (Lexington); Katherine Bai, Megan Kornberg (Belmont)
MVP: Lauren Tian
FREEDOM: Elena Soukos, Autumn Whalen, Chloe Gentile, Gia Vlajkovic (Melrose); Molly Murphy, Chloe Abuto, Grace Seaman (Burlington); Madeline Seabury, Amanda Nett (Wakefield); Alyssa Fricia (Wilmington); Gianna Scourletis (Stoneham); Jenna Johnson (Watertown)
MVP: Elena Soukos
NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
DUNN ALL-STARS: Lindsey Byman, Vatherine Faddis (Masconomet); Nicolette Teti, Julia Potvin (Marblehead); Tess Vontzalides (Danvers 2022); Kristina Cardello, Lauryn Mendonca, Sarah Broughton (Peabody); Fallon Millerick (Saugus)
LYNCH ALL-STARS: Anna Cantone, Natalie Wessell (Salem): Kiera Sweetnam, Caroline Ploszay, Beatrice Lesser, Mya Perron (Beverly); Nickole Fein, Anastasia Hayes (Swampscott); Megan Goudge (Winthrop)
MVP: Kiera Sweetnam
PATRIOT LEAGUE
KEENAN: Chloe Antaya, Dannielle Beckerman, Katie Quilty, Mackenzie Proukou (Duxbury); Maureen Koenen, Nora Schulze, Lilly Steiner (Hingham); Abigail Martin, Lily Welch (Whitman-Hanson); Olivia Mackinnon (Plymouth North); Farah Hardenbergh (Marshfield); Mairead Frost (Silver Lake)
MVP: Lily Welch
FISHER: Emma Glavin, Colleen Moran, Annika Schmitt, Mona Ly (Quincy); Thomas Chapman, Ashley Gavin, Sonia Abdel-Fattah (Plymouth South); Flora Chen, Kaila Jacques, Stephanie Huang (North Quincy); Lauren Salvas (Hanover); Lauren Canniff (Pembroke); Sarah Dorgan (Scituate)
MVP: Emma Glavin
SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE
Maggie Brogioli, Sally Butler, Mickenna Soucy, Ella Soutler (Old Rochester); Lacie Nolin (Apponequet); Emma Undzis, Delaney Jensen (Bourne); Hannah Storm Joseph, Olivia Silva (Case); Kianna Reuter (Dighton-Rehoboth); Sarah DeSousa, Rylee Botelho (Fairhaven); Kylee Cataeno (Greater New Bedford); Abigail Knight (Somerset Berkley)
MVP: Maggie Brogioli
SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
Julia Mortarelli, Ashley Jacques, Julia Shearstone, Kara Cronin (Bridgewater-Raynham); Ava Crane, Sorelle Lawton, Lauren Augusto, Gabriella Velazquez (Dartmouth); Jasmine Caine, Lauren Kuchar (Durfee); Kayla Soares, Hannah Pereira (New Bedford)
TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE
LARGE SCHOOLS: Kate Powers, Sam Berenson, Cathryn Leighton, Mel Gildea (Hopkinton); Shelby McKim, Emily Liu, Yvette Easton (Westwood); Taylor Simpson, Sneha Yadav, CiCi Labbe (Ashland); Coco Salem (Holliston); Rachel Parry (Medfield); Katie Mellen (Norwood)
MVP: Kate Powers, Sam Berenson
SMALL SCHOOLS: Maggie Regan, Amy Johnston, Mary Keating (Medway); Kate Andy, Bella Vittorini (Norton); Maryn Cyr, Jane Connors (Millis); Maya Jackson, Kateri Ducharme (Bellingham)
MVP: Maggie Regan