One team went home joyous with a Gold Ball in tow.

The other went home in tears with the runner-up trophy.

The Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth volleyball teams each played for state titles in recent days and both had to go to a fifth set.

The Red Storm wound up edging previously undefeated Biddeford for the third Class A title in the program history.

The Capers, meanwhile, lost a gut-wrenching match at Yarmouth and fell just short in Class B.

Best for last

Scarborough stumbled just twice in the regular season and earned the No. 2 seed for the Class A state tournament. After blanking No. 15 Massabesic, 3-0, in the preliminary round and holding off 10th-ranked Thornton Academy, 3-1, in the quarterfinals, the Red Storm got a stern test from No. 3 Gorham in the semifinals last Thursday but pulled out a four-set (25-10, 25-22, 24-26, 25-23) victory to advance. Maddie Strouse had 15 kills, setter Mya Jones finished with 28 assists and freshman Natalie Moynihan dazzled with 13 service points, including five aces as well as 16 kills and three blocks.

“This means a lot,” Moynihan said. “We’ve worked so hard as a team. It’s paid off and it feels really good.”

“We came in and knew it would be a tough match,” Strouse said. “We knew we had to work hard.”

“We absolutely have unfinished business,” added Red Storm coach Kim Stoddard.

Saturday, Scarborough went to top-ranked, undefeated Biddeford for a state final that will long be remembered.

The Red Storm dropped the first set, 20-25, then won the second (25-21) and the third (25-23), but after dropping the fourth game, 22-25, Scarborough was on the brink of heartbreak in the decisive fifth set, facing match point at 13-14, but the Red Storm rose off the deck and scored the final three points to take the game, 16-14, and the match, 3-2, to win the third title in program history (2015 and 2017 were the others).

“When we were down 14-13, the set went to our freshman, Natalie Moynihan,” Stoddard said. “She found an open spot and pushed the ball there to tie it. That was after a sophomore right side Olivia Smith dove for a pass that was going to hit the floor for match point. That rally is one that will always stand out because we stuck together when we were down. It was really special.”

Moynihan ended the match with a kill, her 12th of the match.

“I thought it could be the winning shot, but I knew if they blocked it, that was OK because my team would still back me up,” Moynihan said.

“The match was crazy,” said Strouse, who finished with 16 kills. “We wanted to stay cool and calm to pass well and hit hard. There definitely were a lot of errors in the match and that was frustrating, but we didn’t let it rattle us. We brushed it off and kept our focus.”

“It was a great match,” Stoddard added. “Both teams fought hard until the last point. Biddeford is such a strong team and they were relentless in all aspects of the game. I have never seen a crowd that size or that electric for a high school volleyball match. To win in a close game five, after being down a match point, shows the trust and confidence the team has in themselves and each other. That has been our theme this fall.”

Scarborough finished the season 16-2.

“It means a lot to the team to win the state title this year,” Stoddard said. “It’s been our goal since losing (to Falmouth) in 2019 to make it back. After missing out on the opportunity in 2020, we were motivated this year to get there. I am so happy for my team, especially my eight seniors.”

The Red Storm will have some holes to fill in 2022, but they’ll be back knocking on the championship door again.

“We are losing some key players and some of our height,” said Stoddard, but I have a very strong sophomore class, many of whom played all through playoffs and the state championship. That experience is valuable for future seasons. We will have a strong and competitive team again next year.”

So close

Cape Elizabeth, meanwhile, finished third in Class B and didn’t lose a set en route to the state match. The Capers blanked No. 14 Westbrook in the preliminary round, took three straight sets against sixth-seeded Greely in the quarterfinals, then handed No. 2 Gardiner its first loss in the semifinals last Thursday, 25-12, 25-18, 25-21. Annaliese Rudberg led the way with 16 kills.

“It was a really great team effort,” Rudberg said. “We all came out here and played like we wanted to win and like we knew how we could win. We were just really excited to come out and play a new team and show what we’ve got.”

“I think it’s confidence,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Sarah Boeckel. “We talked about it a lot this season, that good teams are going to get their points. We’ve just got to be prepared to get that ball back. Don’t give them runs.”

Monday, the Capers went to top-ranked Yarmouth for the state match and were considered underdogs after twice losing, 3-1, to the Clippers in the regular season.

But Cape Elizabeth refused to go along with the script, rallying from an early 11-3 deficit to take the first game by a surprising 25-18 margin.

“I didn’t say anything to the girls because I didn’t want to put pressure on them, but the coaching staff and I talked about how important that first game was,” Boeckel said. “Yarmouth hadn’t been pushed much, so I wanted us to get that under our belts.”

The Capers let a 15-8 second set lead slip away in a 25-21 loss, but they bounced back in the third game to prevail, 25-16, and pull within one set victory of a championship.

But it didn’t come, as the Clippers won the fourth game, 25-14, then, despite leading the fifth set, 6-2, Cape Elizabeth couldn’t finish it off and lost, 15-10, to drop the match, 3-2, and finish the season 13-5. Rudberg had 22 kills, setter Maeve McQueeny 36 assists added and Amy Rasco finished with 13 kills and 11 service points, but it wasn’t quite enough.

“We always say we want to walk off the court with no regrets knowing we did everything we could, and I think that’s the best match we’ve played all season,” Boeckel said. “We made a couple tight mistakes at a tough time in the match and that allowed Yarmouth to get the ball back and make a couple runs. We kept fighting and I’m really so proud.

“It was a great atmosphere. What I love about volleyball is that it’s still fairly new in Maine, but anyone who comes to a match leaves thinking it’s the most exciting thing they’ve seen. Hopefully more schools keep getting it and we get high-quality coaches and the sport keep growing.”

The Capers lose some top players to graduation, but will be a factor again in 2022.

“It’s always a building process, but we have good kids coming back,” Boeckel said.

Press Herald staff writer Deirdre Fleming and Kennebec Journal staff writer Drew Bonifant contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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