Tiverton kept its unbeaten streak alive with a commanding 3-0 sweep of Providence Country Day on Monday night, while North Providence continued its playoff surprise by dispatching Villa Nova by the same score. The two teams will meet Sunday at Rhode Island College’s Murray Center for the Division III girls volleyball championship.
Tiverton’s victory, secured by set scores of 25-23, 25-10, 25-18, pushed the Tigers to 19-0 on the season. The top-ranked team has compiled a 54-13 record over the past four years and will be chasing its fifth statewide title and first since 2017. The Tigers’ senior leader Olivia Pereira contributed nine kills, 13 digs, and five aces, including a critical service run in the closing stages of the tight first set.
“We just had to get out of our heads and get our nerves out,” Pereira said after the match. “We needed to work together, come together and just talk it out.”
Tiverton’s rally in the opening set erased an early 7-1 deficit for Providence Country Day, with the Tigers scoring six of the final seven points. The team’s depth showed throughout the match, with seniors Olivia Rodrigues, Sayler Ouellette, Carlie Martin, and Adysson Amaral adding significant contributions. Ouellette, the team’s setter, recorded 32 assists and 15 digs, orchestrating the offense with precision.
“We all trust each other on the court, which is the main factor. We're all big pieces to a pie,” Pereira said.
Later Monday, No. 10 North Providence eliminated third-seeded Villa Nova 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-16) in the nightcap at West Warwick High School. The Cougars, who finished the regular season with an 8-12 record, advanced to their first Division III title game in just the fifth year of the program’s existence. They previously stunned No. 2 Central in the quarterfinals.
“It was great,” North Providence’s Danae Bruckner said. “I did not expect that from us, 3-0. I'm surprised. I'm shocked, I can't believe it.”
Bruckner led the team with seven kills and nine digs, while Mariana Xavier added 10 kills. The Cougars credited their turnaround to improved communication and team chemistry that developed over the season.
“I think our energy and us being positive,” Bruckner said. “Before, earlier in the season, we had a bad attitude and we didn't really have the connection between the players. Now that we actually have a chemistry, we're playing so well.”
The middle set against Villa Nova was a back-and-forth battle, but North Providence’s composure in the final points pushed them through to the title match.
Tiverton’s path to this championship showdown began after last year’s loss to Ponaganset, which swept them on the final day. This season, the Tigers have swept 15 regular-season matches and maintained their dominance through the playoffs.
The championship will pit an established powerhouse against a rising program. Tiverton’s five-title history dates back to a run that included three straight Class B championships in the late 1990s, while North Providence seeks its first crown.
Meanwhile, in Division II, East Greenwich advanced to the semifinals by overcoming Toll Gate in a suspended match that resumed Monday night. East Greenwich won 3-1 (25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 25-13), securing a spot in the Division II finals against Lincoln at St. Raphael Academy on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Anna McCoombs led East Greenwich with 21 digs, while Julia Martin contributed six blocks and six kills. Toll Gate’s Bella Hathaway notched 12 kills in her team’s final match of the season.
Tiverton and North Providence will face off at 5:30 p.m. Sunday for the Division III championship at Rhode Island College’s Murray Center.
According to Yahoo Sports.