Comeback capper Another 0-2 save nets Westboro title
Most coaches would be nervous trailing two sets to none in a best-of-five, win-or-go-home playoff game, but it’s old hat for Westboro’s Roger Anderson.
As they did in the state semifinals, the Rangers completed an epic comeback to win the Division 2 state final, shocking Melrose 3-2 (17-25, 15-25, 25-13, 25-14, 15-6) yesterday before a capacity crowd at Worcester State.
Westboro (21-2) also trailed Duxbury 0-2 on Wednesday night, but roared back to earn a spot in its third state final in the past five seasons. The Rangers lost both of those appearances, but made sure yesterday’s wasn’t more of the same.
“Melrose played great, especially in those first two games. They executed and we didn’t, and it’s awfully hard to win when that is the case,” said Anderson, whose squad last won the state title in 2007. “We didn’t execute our plan as well as we should have, but the hitters got back in rhythm and opened things up.”
Kristen Steudel’s steady hand at the service line and Alexia Austin’s outside hitting were the difference down the stretch. Steudel fired six aces in the final three sets and Austin finished with 16 kills overall. Emma Randolph added 36 assists.
“We did everything we needed to be successful in the first two games, but (Austin) put a couple down and all of a sudden we got (too) defensive,” said Melrose coach Scott Celli, whose Red Raiders (24-3) squandered a 2-0 lead in the state semifinal against Minnechaug, but came back in the fifth set.
Newton North 3, Hopkinton 0 — The Hillers gave the Tigers (20-1) all they could handle, but Newton North won its second Div. 1 state title in four seasons with a 25-22, 25-19, 25-23 sweep.
Newton North squandered an 11-point lead in the first set before recovering. The fantastic defensive play of Jessie Yang (10 digs) in the middle literally dug the Tigers out. Lisa Halloran, filling in for the injured Miska Legatova (knee), finished the final point off with a kill.
The third set was just as tough, tied at 20 with the Hillers (22-3) pressing the action with their passing and hard hitting. Ashley Wang dominated outside, though, with eight of her 13 kills — including one on match point — coming in the final set. She had zero hitting errors in the frame as well.
“The tone was set by Hopkinton because they could hit from anywhere. It’s frustrating as a team that everything you use gets taken away,” said Newton North coach Richard Barton, whose team won the title in 2014 as well. “You get in a zone in some sports and (Ashley) was in a zone . . . when you are in a zone, you are not careful, you don’t do roll shots, you don’t make errors and you just kill it.
“Hopkinton’s tough and it was a very unrelaxed game, but I’m truly happy for my kids.”
Frontier 3, Bourne 0 — A year after Case ended their run of six consecutive Div. 3 state championships, the Red Hawks (17-6) reclaimed the throne, rolling over the Canalmen 2511, 25-21 and 25-15 to complete a five-game postseason run in which the West champs didn’t drop a set.
“The nice thing about this group is, in 2015, we were loaded with seniors, so for (the current seniors) this is really special because they were on those teams but they were cheering from the bench and now they were on the floor,” said Frontier coach Sean MacDonald. “I get old, but this doesn’t get old, as I get to see the joy in the pictures of three months of work.”
South champions Bourne (25-3) beat themselves in the first set with unforced errors, but gave the Red Hawks a run in the second, leading the entire way until outside hitter Lauren Davenport’s kill tied things 20-20. Frontier rattled off five of the next six points, including one of three aces from senior Grace Randall, to close it out.
Davenport finished with 13 kills and six digs, while Selayna Bathurst (11 kills) and Ashley Telega (7) completed the dominate front line for Frontier, which claimed its ninth state championship, all coming in the last 13 seasons.