Volleyball championship game set for Nov. 20

Nov 18, 2021

The OR Volleyball team will face off against Dennis-Yarmouth for the title of Division 3 State Champions on Saturday, Nov. 20.

The game — which will be played on neutral territory at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School (located at 415 Center St. in Bridgewater) — will start at 11 a.m.

The Bulldogs advanced to the final championship matchup on Tuesday, Nov. 16, after beating top-seeded Tewksbury 3-2.

The OR team finished the regular season with an impressive 18-2 record and has since won three playoff games for an overall record of 21-2, said Athletic Director Bill Tilden. 

“Wever never made it all the way to the championship,” Tilden said. “I think we made to what used to be called a sectional before,” but he said he thought that was back in 1989. 

It wasn’t entirely surprising to see the team’s repeated success this season, he said. 

“I think these girls have been planning on [heading to the championships] since their freshman year,” Tilden said. 

Because of the covid-19 pandemic, Tilden said the team didn’t play any games outside of its conference last season. 

“We knew how we measured up in our conference,” he said, noting that the team was a standout amongst its peers. 

But outside of the conference, standings were unknown — at least until playoffs began this year. 

“Obviously, we measure up very well statewide,” he said, reflecting on the team’s playoff wins. 

Tilden also pointed out that the Bulldogs (4) have faced off against Dennis-Yarmouth (2) before.

“We played Dennis-Yarmouth in the regular season and split with them,” he said. “They beat us, and we beat them. They are one of our two losses.”

He recalled that even when OR emerged victorious, the game against Dennis-Yarmouth “came down to the final set,” for a 3-2 victory.  

The state final is sure to be a close game, he said, adding: “Go Bulldogs!”