WORCESTER – The top-seeded Westborough Rangers volleyball workforce swept Hockomock League juggernaut King Philip, 3-0 (25-19; 25-21; 25-23), to seize the Div. 2 state title Saturday at Worcester State.
Westborough (21-0) finishes the season undefeated after shedding within the state finals in 2021 to Hopkinton in 4 units. Head coach Roger Anderson didn’t draw back from the truth that the loss was gasoline for his workforce this season.
“This is both relief and joy as we learned a ton from that experience. All the things we did this year to prepare was targeting this moment having been there before,” stated Anderson. “I think we stood on the shoulders of that (2021) team as well to get to where we are.”
The first set is all the time an important for momentum in volleyball and with the rating tied 11-11, the Rangers pulled off a 9-2 run to place issues away comparatively simply within the 25-19 win.
The second and third units have been rather more aggressive on each side of the online, however ultimately, it was the Westborough protection limiting the Warriors’ massive up-front senior hitters Ahunna James (seven kills; 9 digs) and Emily Sawyer from massive runs of their very own.
“We were so close yet so far. We felt like we didn’t really take charge of any sets as we went along,” stated King Philip head coach, Kristen Guess. “But we stayed in it, we hung in there, but kudos to Westborough as they are a great team.”
No. 2 King Philip (22-3) led by 4 13-9 with facet out in sport three and regarded stable in making issues attention-grabbing, however the veteran management of junior Quinn Anderson (15 kills) and senior Shannon Clark (28 assists) helped steer the ship for the Rangers en path to this system’s third state title, first since 2017, in solely the sixth journey to the finals dance for Westborough.
“We knew they were really big, and their offense was awesome when they were in system so our whole job was to try and get them uncomfortable and we felt like we could match up because we are a pretty good blocking team,” stated Anderson. “Once we slowed things down it put a lot more pressure on them and Quinn played really good down the stretch. I’m so proud of her.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com