BILLERICA – Oliver Ames claimed a 3-2 tie-break set victory against Wayland to win the MIAA Div. 2 volleyball state championship Saturday afternoon at Billerica High School.
The Tigers dropped the opening two sets (25-22, 25-22) and were staring down another heartbreaking loss in the championship game after falling to Westboro the previous season. Instead, Oliver Ames rattled off three consecutive set victories to complete the reverse sweep and win the first Div. 2 title in program history.
“We’ve accomplished what we had set for this year and executed that really well,” said senior Evan Casey.
Wayland won the first set, despite a strong showing from Oliver Ames, with several kills by Chelsea Wagner.
Despite the first loss, the Tigers came out strong for the second set, maintaining a lead over Wayland for the majority of the time. However, Wayland did manage to creep up behind, eventually taking over and closing in on a win with a play from Fiona Strehle.
With Oliver Ames making a comeback, Wayland kept the pressure on, never letting the Tigers get too comfortable. With strong plays from Wayland’s Audrey Nugent & Willa Suratt, the Warriors put up a good fight, but Oliver Ames still managed to take home victory with an ace to close out the third set 25-16.
Wayland had a tough start in the fourth set, while Oliver Ames pulled ahead. The Tigers’ Taylor Donohue went in for several kills, bringing Oliver Ames its second set victory 25-14.
With both teams tied, the game entered its fifth and final set. While both teams played with first and determination, Oliver Ames came out on top, 15-11, with the game finished with a final kill by Wagner.
“After the second set today, we just came together as a team,” said Casey.
