It wasn’t always easy, but Providence found a way.

After coming away disappointed and a bit angry Friday with a two-set loss to Nazareth in the Class 3A state tournament semifinals, the Celtics made program history Saturday.

Providence held off Prairie Ridge 25-21, 20-25, 25-19 at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena in Normal to bring home the team’s first state trophy since 1995. On top of that, the Celtics matched the team’s best state finish, when they also took third 37 years ago.

So what if there were a few rocky moments along the way?

“Everybody played a role on the court. Being a leader, being a quiet leader, it takes a special team to end on a win,” Providence coach Lee Rucinski said. “Only two in a class get to do that, and they never gave up.

“Families fight. We like

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