East Bridgewater takes down Bourne to win Div. 4 title

BILLERICA – East Bridgewater bounced back after an opening set loss to claim a 3-1 victory over Bourne and win the MIAA Div. 4 state championship at Billerica High School.

The Vikings’ 12-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-23 victory brought the program its first state championship in its six-year history. Bourne had been seeking a second consecutive title after winning the Div. 5 championship the prior season.

Bourne made quick work of the first set with good communication that set them up for success. Nola Timo delivered two powerhouse kills to help lead the Canalmen to a 25-12 set win.

Vikings head coach Andrew Macdonald said that the team refocused itself after this first loss.

“We’re a type of team that wants a scrap the entire match,” said MacDonald. “Keep your composure, it’s just one set, there’s plenty of volleyball to be played. Let’s get into a rhythm and go from there.”

East Bridgewater started strong in the second set. Serves by Elizabeth Delcarmen, the daughter of former Boston Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen, gave them a good foundation to build their plays off of, giving them the lead.

Bourne battled back, but the Vikings were able to hold on to claim the 25-21 set victory.

Going into the third set tied, East-Bridgewater kept the energy high, with Bourne keeping them on a tight leash, never letting the Vikings get too far ahead. Despite this, the Canalmen weren’t able to secure another victory, and East-Bridgewater grabbed a 2-1 set lead with a 25-14 advantage.

The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle that saw Bourne claim a 16-8 lead before East Bridgewater stormed back to cut the deficit to 21-20. The Vikings would then get a slight advantage and a strong kill from Miley Sweeney sealed the victory for East Bridgewater.

“It feels surreal right now, it’s hard to believe,” said MacDonald. “I knew they had it in them, but to actually get all the way here… and then beat a team like that in the state finals is just something unbelievable.”