**BELLINGHAM** – Break out any cliché you can think of, but for Bellingham, the Blackhawks will gladly take them — along with the gold trophy that goes to the Division 3 volleyball champion.

Playing in its third straight championship match, the top-seeded Blackhawks found a way to get over the hump in a 3-1 win over No. 3 Joseph Case.

“These kids have played so hard for the last three years, and this was a great match. We couldn’t have asked for a better opponent to play. It was one of the most even 3-1 matches you will ever see,” Bellingham coach Steve Montegani said.

Montegani wasn’t far off when he said it was as even a state final as you would ever see. Over four games, the teams played 195 points, with Bellingham finishing the night with a 101-94 advantage.

“Case never gave us an inch,” Montegani added.

Right from the outset, it was clear that it could be a long afternoon as neither team could get a foothold in the opening game. Case ran out to a 6-1 lead, but Bellingham rallied to take an 11-10 lead on a Val Nolan kill. After that, neither team would lead by more than a point as Case had a chance to serve for the set at 24-23, but Nolan responded with a kill and two aces to turn the tide and win it 27-25.

Set two brought more of the same drama as Case once again built a lead and was only three points from evening the match. The Blackhawks, however, flipped the script again. This time, it was Mia Miliani’s hustle that got the job done. Her diving save and Kayleigh Simpson’s put-away kept the set going at 24-23 in favor of Case. After fighting off two more game points, Miliani’s ace at 27-26 gave Bellingham a 2-0 lead.

“Those two just go so hard at the ball all the time,” Montegani said of Miliani and Simpson.

Bellingham ran out to a 9-4 lead in set three, but the Cardinals responded with a 10-6 run to take a lead they wouldn’t lose for the rest of the way.

Set four was again a seesaw affair with the teams tied at 15 and the total points tied at 92 apiece. An error at the net by Case gave Bellingham the lead, and the Blackhawks wouldn’t give it up from there, closing the match on a 10-3 spurt. Fittingly, it was Miliani who struck the championship-winning point.

“I told them when we were tied at 15, one team was gonna make the run and it would make the difference. They decided it was gonna be them,” Montegani said.

With that strong finish, Bellingham secured its spot as Division 3 state champions and proved once again their hard work and determination pay off in the biggest moments.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/15/bellingham-gets-job-done-with-state-title-win-over-case/