The Cranston West girls volleyball team edged North Smithfield in the Division II preliminary round on Monday in five sets.

The Falcons jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after taking the first two sets, but North Smithfield would roar back to tie things up and force the fifth game.

The two teams continued to battle, but the Falcons would piece together a 15-13 win to advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday against top-seeded East Providence.

Olivia Venagro led West with 25 assists, 8 digs, 6 kills and went a perfect 15-for-15 serving. Brooke Menna finished with 10 kills and 4 blocks, while libero Francesca Coppa racked up 15 digs, 4 aces and went 19-for-19 serving. Sarah Crowley also finished with 8 kills on offense, while underclassmen Sydney Reuter and Ciana Catelli also made an impact.

The Falcons saw a two-set lead disappear when the two clubs met in the regular season as North Smithfield cruised to three straight to get the epic comeback win.

West remembered that defeat heading into the rematch which helped them get back into rhythm in the fifth set.

“(North Smithfield is) a very, very good defensive team and they found some resolve. They wore us down a little bit. After the second game I went into the huddle and said, ‘do you remember what happened last time? They’re not going to give up.’ And they didn’t,” said West coach Tom Ferri. “Our middles were big factors for us matchup wise. We set things up in the middle and although North Smithfield adjusted and played a little better, that matchup is what put us over the top.”

Next up are the Townies, who finished the season with a perfect 16-0 record and outscored opponents 48-4 without seeing a fifth set. West was shut out 3-0 in their regular season meeting and although the Falcons are aware of their status as the underdog, they believe that they have the tools to pull off the upset.

“We have to bring our A game. Avoid unforced errors, serve tough, can’t give them free balls since they have perhaps the best hitter in the state. They’re well rounded, they do everything well. We need to find some weaknesses but we also have to accomplish our goals to have a chance. I think they’re beatable,” said Ferri. “They went undefeated to their credit, they are the favorite, but it’s hard to go undefeated throughout the entire season. There’s more pressure on them than us.”