BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford volleyball team ended Greely’s seven-straight state titles run Saturday afternoon, knocking off the state powerhouse for the third time this season, 3-2, in front of a packed gym at Steve White Gymnasium.
The Tigers will play in their first state title game on Saturday at Windham.
The match wasn’t easy on Saturday as Greely shot back to tie the match at 2-2 after Biddeford took what appeared to be a commanding 2-0 games lead.
The Tigers regrouped in the fifth set to down Greely 15-11 with senior Deanna Tourigny hitting three straight serves to seal the win.
“I was so nervous,” Tourigny said about serving with the Tigers’ clinging to a 12-11 lead in the final game. “I just said to myself that I have to get these serves in.”
Tourigny did and the crowd of about 400 cheered loudly and stormed the court after Biddeford sealed the win.
“This is such a great feeling,” Biddeford senior Keila Grigware said. “I can’t even describe it.”
Grigware has seen Greely end her and her team’s season three years in a row on its way to dominating the state and winning state titles. Saturday’s win not only puts Biddeford into the title game, but it makes the past a little easier to think about, Grigware said.
“We knew we could be the team to end Greely’s run,” she said. “This is for my sister and all my teammates who played before. We did this for us and for them.”
Biddeford made the match on Saturday interesting. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, Greely stormed back to take the next two games and tie the match at 2-2.
Biddeford took a 9-4 lead in the decisive game, but Greely bounced back in that game to cut the lead to 10-9 before Biddeford put it away.
“They really made me coach today,” said Biddeford coach Ruth Shaw with a smile. “Greely’s a good team. We knew they weren’t going to back down, but I think we mentally let up for a while. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Biddeford will play a familiar foe, Falmouth, on Saturday for the state title. Falmouth beat the overall No. 1 squad Mount Desert Island on Saturday, 3-0. Falmouth and Biddeford split their season series.
On Saturday against Greely, the Tigers took the first game 25-21. They fell behind by five points early, but timely serving by Alyssa Drapeau and Grigware got the Tigers back into the game. They won the first game on a Grigware spike down the left side of the court.
In Game 2, the Tigers again fell behind by four points, but Drapeau and Grigware once again got Biddeford back into the game with serving.
Down 2-0, however, Greely stormed back and dominated the third game, winning 25-17 then tying the match at 2-2 with a 25-21 fourth-set win.
“We ran out of a little energy for a while,” Drapeau said. “We didn’t focus the way we should’ve.”
Biddeford took control in the fifth set behind Grigware’s and Tourigny’s serving, winning the match and heading to the state title on Tourigny’s game-wining serve that Greely couldn’t return.
— Conact Al Edwards at 282-1535, ext. 317.
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