11/15/202511/15/2025

Oliver Ames Captures First State Title Following Epic Comeback

Oliver Ames volleyball celebrates after completing an epic comeback against Wayland to win the program’s first ever state championship. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By Ryan Lanigan || HockomockSports.com Editor

BILLERICA, Mass. — The revenge tour is complete.

A year after falling in their first-ever appearance in the Division 2 state title game, Oliver Ames completed a perfect season in dramatic fashion, rallying from a two-set deficit to stun Wayland, 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-14, 15-11).

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Riding a 24-game win streak into the finals and having only lost one set in its last eight matches, the Tigers had an uncharacteristic start filled with nerves and unforced errors. The Warriors, who knocked off #2 Duxbury and #3 Longmeadow on their way to the final, took advantage and stormed out to a 2-0 lead, just one set away from the upset.

But then the real Tigers showed up.

A dominant start to the third set the tone — the first seven points going in favor of Oliver Ames. And the rest was history — the Tigers closed out the third, dominated again in the fourth, and took an early lead in the fifth that they never surrendered.

“You have no idea,” said a relieved Chelsea Cunningham, who finished her 10th season at the helm of the Tigers with a state championship. “They’re kids, there are emotions, they knew the season was coming to an end. It didn’t hit them until they hit the court. So after we shook the feeling, we got to work.

“We had been in this spot before and we had said all season how we were going to change how it ended — so let’s do it. Taylor Donohue came in after the second set and said it’s time for a reverse sweep and that’s what we did.”

Taylor Donohue helped set the tone early in the final set for the Tigers. After getting blocked on her first swing, she tipped over the double block, and then used a short push shortly after to find a hole in the defense. After a nice pass from junior Molly Milliken (20 digs, 25 serve receptions), junior Chelsea Wagner smashed a kill between the block and Wayland had a hitting error to give OA an early 5-2 advantage.

Chelsea Wagner had two more kills, the latter coming on the third swing of a rally, and a two-touch call on the Warriors had the Tigers ahead, 8-4, at the switch. Wayland got a point back on a kill from Audrey Nugent but a huge dig from senior Evan Casey set up a strong swing from Donohue for a point. Another push from Donohue and good net defense from junior Claire Kenny increased the lead to 11-6, forcing a second Warrior timeout.

Another Nugent kill was canceled out by a serving error and then Kenny came up with a massive block. Wayland made it interesting with two points, including a big block from Fiona Strehle, but Wagner put down another kill to put the Tigers on the brink.

For the clinching point, Donohue (27 kills) took the serve with her hands, junior Lyla McDonough pushed a set to the outside, and Wagner smashed one — her 27th kill of the match — down the line to the corner to clinch the state championship.

“We started to play our game,” Cunningham said of the final three sets. “Playing with confidence, supporting one another on the court and whether it’s an earned point for us, or we lose a point. This is a game of mistakes — we have to make less.”

Donohue added, “This feels good, like really, really good. We worked extra hard this year. It couldn’t be any better. We’ve wanted this so bad, words couldn’t even describe. We had some trauma from last year in this building but we wanted to get rid of that.”

Nerves were on full display early for the Tigers, who have kept mistakes to a minimum throughout the season. Instead, OA had nine unforced errors — half of Wayland’s 18 points in the opening set — as the Warriors jumped ahead 18-12. It seemed OA found a little momentum late after fighting off five straight set points to pull within 24-22 — including three straight kills from Wagner — but the Warriors closed it out to go up 1-0.

OA had a bright start to the second with McDonough landing a pair of early aces and catching the Wayland defense off guard with a dump on the second touch, as the Tigers had an early 10-4 lead. But Wayland kept swinging and clawed back into it. A block from Willa Suratt and a kill from Nugent brought the Warriors within two, and then Wayland went on a 4-0 run to surge ahead, 20-18.

OA battled back with three straight points, including another ace from McDonough (57 assists, including her 1,000th assist, four aces, 35 service points), but Wayland once ahead had a 4-0 run, including two aces from Anna Yalli, to take it 25-22, and go up 2-0 in the match.

“We came out scared the first two sets and we looked at each other and said ‘we have worked so hard for this all year — we need to finish,'” Wagner said. “We reverse-swept and every single one of us on our team did everything they could to win because we wanted it so bad.”

The Tigers had another strong start in the third, and this time, kept their foot on the gas and never let the lead slip. Donohue slammed a pair of kills early and Wagner had another. Then came the separation in the form of a 5-1 run — kills from Wagner and Donohue, and a perfectly placed tip from freshman Lyla Yurrita. When Wayland pulled within two (14-12), Wagner had two kills and Kenny dropped an ace just inside the far line for a 17-12 lead.

OA won the final five points of the match, including a dump on two from McDonough for the 24th point, and an ace from McDonough to clinch it.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a year,” McDonough said. “It’s been so long. We were not going to go down without a fight. We wanted this. After we won that third set, we weren’t stopping. We were like, all gas and no brakes. We did not want to stop.”

The fourth set couldn’t have started any better for the Tigers. Kenny and Angelina Romeiro combined for a block, Donohue and Romeiro each had a kill, and a pair of errors from Wayland to give OA a 7-0 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Kenny, Wagner, and Donohue each added kills in the run, and senior Lindsey Solomon served up an ace as OA’s advantage ballooned to 14-6. Fatigue seemed to set in for the Warriors, who made three straight errors. Romeiro smacked one off the block, and two more Wayland errors put the Tigers on the brink. Wagner finished it off with a kill off the block, 25-14, to make it 2-2.

“The redemption is there,” Cunningham said of her seniors. “The tears, the celebration…they contributed to an undefeated season which we’ve never had before. And I just could not be more proud of all of the kids on this team.”

Oliver Ames finishes the season with a perfect 25-0 record.

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11/12/202511/13/2025

Oliver Ames Sweeps King Philip To Return To Division 2 Final

By Ryan Lanigan || HockomockSports.com Editor

STOUGHTON, Mass. — Since the moment last year’s state final ended, Oliver Ames has been building toward another shot.

On their road back, they haven’t lost since.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Tigers have done it with the same formula every match: rock solid defense, a variety of offensive weapons, and relentless effort.

On Wednesday, that combination delivered again as top-seeded Oliver Ames swept Hockomock League rival #5 King Philip, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-12) to book a return trip to the Division 2 state championship game.

“This is their revenge tour,” OA head coach Chelsea Cunningham said. “They’ve been planning this since we were in that classroom [at Billerica High School] one year ago [after the state final], and they never wanted to feel like that again. And they meant it. A lot of teams will come in and say it. They’ve kept their focus on this. This has been on our whiteboard in the team room — like, we’re going back. We went one game at a time, took everything, positives and negatives from every match, to be able to craft how we were going to get here. And they’ve done nothing but stick to their work.”

The Tigers were met by a game Warriors squad at the start of the match. Unsurprisingly, the two squads went back-and-forth for the first half of the set. OA had a couple of small two or three point runs, and then King Philip took its turn. The result, a slim 11-10 lead for the Tigers.

But like OA has done to teams all season, they just kept coming. A tip from junior Taylor Donohue (16 kills) preceded a kill off the block from classmate Chelsea Wagner (15 kills), and then one from junior middle Claire Kenny. Earlier in the set, Kenny had a big block and senior Evan Casey floated a short serve just over the net and down for an ace.

After a service error, OA came back with three straight points including an ace from Kenny and a big block from freshman Lyla Yurrita shortly after junior setter Lyla McDonough made a terrific save on a ball flying out of play and OA’s lead was suddenly 17-11.

Another block from Yurrita kept the momentum with the Tigers and then senior Lindsey Solomon toed the service line, dropping in a pair of aces around a kill from Donohue as the lead ballooned to 22-14. KP battled: a kill from senior Cece Kilroy, who earned her 500th kill earlier in the set, a perfectly placed tip from junior Amie O’Neil, who then teamed up with senior Alli Cleasby for a block to get within six at 23-17. But Donohue, who usually swings from the outside or the right side, popped up with a kill from the middle and OA sealed the set win after a KP hitting error.

OA’s balance and depth was on full display in that first set. McDonough (26 assists) was responsible for setting up the majority of the Tigers’ kills and junior libero Molly Milliken (21 digs) was super steady defensively, helping OA get into its offense seamlessly.

“Everybody contributes and that’s what makes us such a great team,” Kenny said. “It’s not one person winning the games. It’s all of us contributing together. Lyla knows that we have such a strong offense and that she can rely on setting anybody. She knows whoever she sets, they can work with it no matter what.”

Cunningham added, “Any point of those six rotations, we’re comfortable. We have learned to adapt to whatever we have to do, with whoever is out there, knowing who connects well, knowing we can switch it up. The trust, you can see it on the court. If they make an error, they acknowledge each other right away to move on, and they do it. Volleyball is a game of mistakes. We try our best to make less of them, and we came out on top of this game, which is great.”

OA played from ahead for the entire second set, though it was hard to fully pull away from KP. Early kills for Donohue and Wagner sparked the Tigers, though Kilroy landed three early kills, including a great shot down the line to keep pace.

But once again, OA just kept going with its relentless play. Yurrita found a hole in the defense, Donohue landed a kill after a long back-and-forth rally, and Solomon had an ace. A kill from KP sophomore Molly Sweeney off a set from classmate Charlotte Bailey brought the Warriors within five at 13-8, but in a blink, OA’s lead reached double digits. Kenny dropped in a tip, McDonough had an ace, Donohue and Wagner each had a kill, and senior Angelina Romeiro went up and put down a block on a loose pass as the advantage peaked at 19-9.

The Warriors refused to go quietly though. Senior Cece Mullen set Kilroy for a kill out of a timeout, OA had a hitting error, and then Mullen got a deep free ball pass to hit the line after a nice dig from Mya McCormick. Kilroy had two more kills and O’Neil, after a nice dig from Caleigh Shore, put one down from the middle as KP crawled back into it at 21-17.

“We never really had control at any point of the match,” King Philip head coach Kristen Geuss said. “There’s a reason why they’re undefeated. They’re a phenomenal team, kudos to them. They’re a really great team. I thought we played well in the first set, just couldn’t keep up with them in the next two sets.

“I’m really proud of my team. I admire how hard they’ve worked. They’re practicing six days a week and they haven’t had a day off — they’re tired. We had to work super hard for all our points. It’s almost like we have to play perfect to beat a team like that. We wanted to see what we could do, and we got this far, it was really fun.”

Yurrita had another block, Solomon had another ace, and Donohue another kill, as OA closed out the second, 25-18.

OA put any thought of a comeback away pretty early: the Tigers won 11 of the first 13 points for a commanding lead. Romeiro rolled in a kill, Donohue had two aces, and Wagner found a gap to land a roll shot. Sweeney had a block and Bailey dropped in an ace to cut it to 13-7, but the Warriors didn’t win consecutive points the rest of the set.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“If you watch the first match we played [KP] two months ago, we’re both completely different, and I had a completely different lineup and so did [KP],” Cunningham said. “You don’t know what to expect and you prep as best as you can. You still have to show up prepared. We scrimmaged Needham and Franklin, and now playing Canton and KP, that’s the level of play we want to be at.

“This group is so smart. They’re able to reflect immediately and adjust if they have to. They adapt, they talk, they communicate. And like I said, the trust is unmatchable right now. It’s fantastic. This is the best group I’ve had to date.”

Oliver Ames will look to finish off its revenge tour in the Division 2 state championship right back at Billerica against #7 Wayland on Saturday.

“It’s very nerve-wracking, obviously, but also so exciting,” Kenny said. “We’ve been here before so we know what to expect, and we’re all very eager to claim that title this year.”

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11/09/202511/13/2025

Oliver Ames Overcomes Gutsy Canton Effort To Reach State Semis

By Ryan Lanigan || HockomockSports.com Editor

NORTH EASTON, Mass. — For a moment, it felt like the script was flipping. Oliver Ames rolled through the first two sets, then let a late lead get away in the third as Canton forced the match to stretch longer than it looked like it would just moments earlier.

And then it nearly happened again.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Bulldogs erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth and drew level in the closing points. But this time, OA didn’t break. Canton kept answering, but back-to-back kills from Chelsea Wagner and Taylor Donohue finally closed out the fourth and sent the top-seeded Tigers to the Division 2 state semifinals with a 3-1 win (25-10, 25-15, 22-25, 27-25) over the Bulldogs.

The final point was emblematic of the match. Senior Angelina Romeiro went to the floor to dig up a Canton attack, and Donohue was forced to push it over. A free ball came back over, but the Bulldogs came up with a double block on Donohue’s second swing. On the third chance, Donohue slammed one to the floor to close it out.

“I think we got up in our feelings a little bit knowing that it was that close and all the pressure,” said Oliver Ames head coach Chelsea Cunningham. “They started to feel it towards the third set, but that just means after that we realized it’s anybody’s game. We had to take it one point at a time, reset as much as we could. I even took timeouts to calm them down because I could see it in them. You just can’t shake that feeling that it’s coming that close.

“I’m so proud of them. They fought through that pressure and learned how to persevere even when our weaknesses were being exposed constantly. We still gave it right back to them.”

Wagner went up and smashed one of her 20 kills to give the Tigers a commanding 19-11 lead in the fourth set. Canton freshman Brooke Connor (12 kills) had a perfect line shot for a kill and sophomore Michaela Singleton followed with an ace, but Wagner came through with another kill to make it 20-13 as OA was just five points from closing it out.

But a service error opened the door for the Dogs, and sophomore Brynn Connor sandwiched a pair of kills off loose passes around an ace from junior Fiona Trendell, and Brooke Connor put down another loose pass and suddenly Canton was within two at 20-18.

Sophomore Lyla McDonough (32 assists, four aces) won a battle at the net for a key point for OA, junior middle Claire Kenny (six kills, five aces, two blocks) put a kill down, and a service error put the Tigers on the brink at 23-20. But once again, Canton came back. Senior Chloe Dubuisson (18 kills) hit a roll shot into a hole in the defense and OA had back-to-back hitting errors as the set to knot the score 23-23.

Wagner got a kill, but Canton stayed alive after an OA hitting error. Wagner and Brooke Connor traded kills again to tie it at 25-25. Adjusting to the defense, Wagner threw one to the back corner to make it 26-25, and then Donohue (10 kills, 17 digs, four aces) ended it on her third swing.

“When the points are going back and forth, it gets so nerve-wracking and you just want to finish it as fast as possible,” Wagner said. “But when you have those swings where they keep getting it up, because Soley Rodriguez Martinez is an amazing player so the cross shots are hard, you have to think about where you can tip it and where you can place the ball smartly to get those points.”

The third set was mostly back-and-forth with Donohue getting some early kills for the Tigers while Dubuisson had some big swings for the Bulldogs. With the game tied at 13 apiece, Sean Raymond dropped a roll shot on the second ball and McDonough had consecutive aces. Kenny added a big kill from the middle and freshman Lyla Yurrita came through with a block to put the Tigers up 19-16.

Brooke Connor answered with a kill after a strong pass from Melanie McDonough, a long rally ended in favor of the Bulldogs, and back-to back errors from OA had Canton in front. OA got a kill from Wagner, but Connor came through again with two good swings. For the final two points, Canton senior setter Erin Bigham took over. She froze the OA defense with a perfect dump on the second touch to get within a point, and as a front row player, she went up and swung at the second ball for a kill to close it out and force a fourth.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way the kids rallied after that second set,” said Canton head coach Pat Cawley. “I mean, I think we came in confident that we could do better than we had done against them during the regular season. We’re a lot better team than we were, but the nerves showed for us in the first two sets. And it would have been easy just to lie down and get out of here. But they fought tooth and nail the whole time in the third and fourth set. We were right there with them in that fourth set and it could have gone either way. And then you go into five and you never know. But I’m really proud of them. They really worked hard out there.

“[Oliver Ames] is an amazing team and their hitters hit the ball hard. All of the kudos to them. They’re a great team. The same kids pretty much went to the finals last year and they got another year [next year]. But I’m really proud of my kids who, everybody except for Soley and Erin, are pretty new at what they were doing. And I think that’s why we had such a slow start. I think the nerves set in and the confidence wasn’t there. But I really couldn’t be prouder and that’s all I can say to them. It hurts in the moment, but at least we know that we went home swinging.”

Rodriguez Martinez anchored Canton’s defensive effort with another stellar performance in the back row with 27 digs to go along with three kills. Bigham — one of the best players in Canton history, and arguably the more versatile setter the Hockomock League has seen in two decades — closed out her career with 30 assists, 17 digs, and four kills.

“I can’t say enough about Erin…a four-year starter, she has barely come off the court in four years,” Cawley said. “A six position player, she’s a leader, she’s calm. I think that’s one of her biggest attributes is her calmness on the court. She tries to keep those around her calm.

Every skill set she’s very good at. She’s not only a great setter, she’s a good blocker, she’s an excellent defensive player. She has some offense to her game. She’s a very good server. I’ve never had a setter younger than a junior pretty much. I’ve never had a setter that is so strong in all skill sets and such a hard worker. Kids come and they go, but we’re going to feel the sting of Erin leaving for sure.”

OA set the tone early in the match, winning seven of the first nine points. Canton clawed its way into it, including a perfectly placed tip from Brynn Connor, to pull within 11-7. But the Tigers took control from there — Kenny denied the Dogs twice with blocks, Donohue and Wagner had back-to-back kills, and then Kenny came back with two more blocks and a kill to close out the first set, 25-10.

The second set played out similarly. The Tigers used a 6-0 run early, highlighted by a kill from Yurrita and two aces from Kenny, to create some separation. Canton got back into it with some key plays from Brooke Connor and another timely play from Bigham as the Bulldogs pulled within 15-11. But it was another 6-0 run from OA — a block and kill from Kenny after strong defense from libero Molly Milliken, an ace from Donohue, and a block from Romeiro — that sent the Tigers to a 25-15 win in the second set.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I said it’s a feat in itself to play the same team three times,” Cunningham said. “We know the opponent, we know what to expect, but it doesn’t matter. [Canton] is still gonna try their best, they’re still gonna give their best game to us. And having to come here again for them, that must have been ten times as hard. So I give them all the credit to show up and play because they really did.”

“I said to my team, this is it guys, this is your last home game. How do you want to remember it? And then they took over from there.”

Oliver Ames (23-0) will face a familiar foe in the Division 2 state semifinals in King Philip (16-7). The date, time, and location has yet to be announced.

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