SOUTH PORTLAND — The Scarborough volleyball team swept the final three sets in its Class A state championship game to upset No. 2 Greely 3-1 Saturday at South Portland High School

The fifth-seeded Red Storm used relentless defense and showed unflappable endurance to win the second and third set, 25-23 and 25-20. Then Scarborough controlled the entire fourth set to win, 25-22.

The Rangers, who have won nine state titles, won the first set, 25-20.

“There is a difference between worrying and doubting,”said Scarborough senior libero Emily Hanson. “We had jitters that last set that they would come back, but we never doubted. Mentality is the biggest part of this game.”

Scarborough came into the state championship the fifth seed, but with the memory of losing here two years ago to Falmouth. The Red Storm used hard hitting, big blocks and scrappy defensive to move past defending state champion Cape Elizabeth in the semifinal.

Scarborough Coach Jon Roberts said it was this new “never-give-in attitude” adopted the past few weeks that fueled the Red Storm to the state title.

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“Two years ago we expected to win. That’s the perfect example of putting our heads down. Today we didn’t do that. (Greely’s) Hannah Butland and Alex Tebbs were whipping the ball (winning points). We just played the next point and did not get down,” Roberts said. “I came here trying to transform the program. For me personally, this is a monkey off my back. But today I am happy for these kids.”

Greely dominated the first set, leading the entire way. Tebbs, a senior outside hitter, had two big kills, while Butland, the libero, added a key kill and dig toward the end of the set. When junior setter Kayley Cimino tipped a shot in on the final point to put the set away, Greely had all the momentum.

“We definitely came out strong. But they play such tight defense, said Tebbs. “They never stop digging. We didn’t play a bad game. They just pulled together at the end.”

After Greely took a 3-1 lead in the second set, Scarborough reset its energy and hounded Greely through the entire set.

Junior middle hitter Jordyn Cowan tipped a shot in to put the Red Storm up 12-11 and later senior Taylor Marinko had a timely kill and block to give Scarborough a 21-19 edge.

When Red Storm outside hitter Kacey Foerster tipped a shot in to win the next point, Scarborough went up 22-19 and was well on its way to tying the match.

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The third set was more of the same as Greely jumped out to a 4-1. Scarborough rallied to tie it 8-8, but Tebbs had two kills in the set to propel Greely. Cimino helped win three points with two kills and a tip-in, but the Red Storm always came back.

After Foerster won seven service points in a row to give the Red Storm a 17-13 lead, Greely never came back, and the Red Storm won the set, 25-20.

In the fourth set for the first time, Scarborough took the lead and held it, leading by as much as six points.

“It’s surreal,” said Marinko, a captain, as she held the state title Gold Ball.

“Emily (Hanson) and I, in the back of our minds, knew this team was special, that this was our year. We still had to play our game.”


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