By ALEX SPONSELLER

The top-seeded North Kingstown boys volleyball team beat visiting Cranston East 3-0 in the Division I Semifinals last week to advance to the state championship, where the Skippers went on to win their second straight title.

East battled hard in each set and held a 22-18 lead in the final game, but the Skippers would rally for seven straight points to clinch the victory.

“They got us by experience. These boys have been through a lot this entire year and I don’t think going into the season that we thought we would make it this far. I was happy that we were able to compete, but I think that the inexperience grabbed a hold of us because for most of these guys it was their first time playing in the playoffs,” said East coach Jhamal Diggs.

Vincent Yin racked up 27 assists for East while Jordan Bou recorded 16 kills in the loss.

Despite the defeat, the Bolts enjoyed a successful campaign, finishing 11-9 and getting a playoff win over Bishop Hendricken in the quarterfinals.

East’s core of Yin, Alex Handy and Bou emerged as one of the top groups in Division I, and Bou was named to the All-Division First team while Yin made the second group. Diggs was also named Coach of the Year.

“We knew that he was going to be one of the best athletes in the state, but we didn’t really have any expectations for him. We just wanted him to go out there and compete night in and night out,” said Diggs of Bou’s breakout campaign.

The Bolts also had to overcome some adversity after the passing of longtime coach Meg McGonagle shortly before the start of the season. The players wanted to have a big season for her, according to Diggs.

“We never really set any expectations going into the season. With the passing of Coach Meg the kids really wanted to do it for her and that really motivated them to play hard. We knew that we just wanted to improve each game,” said Diggs.

The Bolts are set to graduate six seniors, but Diggs is confident that the young players will be able to hit the ground running thanks to this year’s experience.

“They created a strong bond and they learned that when these older kids leave, they’ll have to be the ones to step up,” said Diggs. “I think they learned that from Coach Meg as well. I think they’ll be fine and be able to fill those shoes right away.”