BILLERICA — Get away any cliche you possibly can consider, however for Bellingham, the Blackhawks will gladly take them … together with the gold trophy that goes to the Division 3 volleyball champion.
Enjoying in its third straight championship match, the top-seeded Blackhawks discovered a technique to recover from the hump in a 3-1 win over No. 3 Joseph Case.
“These children have performed so arduous for the final three years, and this was a fantastic match. We couldn’t have requested for a greater opponent to play. It was one of the crucial even 3-1 matches you’ll ever see,” Bellingham coach Steve Montegani mentioned.
Montegani wasn’t far off when he mentioned it was as even a state last as you’d ever see. Over 4 video games, the groups performed 195 factors, with Bellingham ending the night time with a 101-94 benefit.
“Case by no means gave us an inch,” Montegani mentioned.
Proper from the outset, it was clear that it might be a protracted afternoon as neither workforce might get a foothold within the opening recreation.
Case ran out to a 6-1 lead however Bellingham rallied to take an 11-10 lead on a Val Nolan kill. After that, neither workforce would lead by greater than some extent as Case had an opportunity to serve for the set at 24-23, however Nolan had a kill and two ace to show the tide and win it 27-25.
Set two can be extra of the identical drama as Case as soon as once more ran out to a lead and was solely three factors from night the match. The Blackhawks, nevertheless, flipped the script once more.
This time, it was Mia Miliani’s hustle that obtained the job finished. Her diving save and Kayleigh Simpson’s put away saved the set going at 24-23, Case. After preventing off two extra recreation factors, Miliani’s ace at 27-26 gave Bellingham a 2-0 lead.
“These two simply go so arduous on the ball on a regular basis,” Montegani mentioned.
Bellingham ran out to a 9-4 lead in set three, however the Cardinals responded with a 10-6 run to take a lead they wouldn’t lose the remainder of the way in which.
Set 4 once more was a seesaw affair that noticed the groups tied at 15 and in factors at 92 apiece. An error on the internet by Case gave Bellingham the lead and the Blackhawks wouldn’t give it up from there, closing the match on a 10-3 spurt. Fittingly it was Miliani that struck the championship successful level.
“I advised them once we had been tied at 15, one workforce was gonna make the run and it might make the distinction. They determined it was gonna be them,” Montegani mentioned.
