
Shrewsbury won the CMADA Class A championship on Oct. 24. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
WESTBOROUGH – The pressure inside the Westborough High School gymnasium was palpable: Shrewsbury won the first two sets, Algonquin had taken the next two, and during a three-minute intermission before the winner-take-all, championship-deciding fifth set, both teams tightly huddled around their coaches to strategize about the season-defining sequence ahead.
But the gameplanning among the Colonials was remarkably simple. Despite losing the last two sets to an Algonquin team that now had all the momentum, Shrewsbury came out loose and focused. In perhaps the season’s most dramatic moment for the team, Shrewsbury Head Coach Brett Crandall had one simple message.
“Have fun.”
“Honestly, I told them to just go out there and have fun. We put so much pressure on ourselves. Once [Algonquin] won two sets, it became real. All of a sudden we were playing tight, we weren’t playing with the same energy we were playing with earlier. So, I encouraged them to just play – have fun. And they did, we built from there. I’m really happy for them,” Crandall told the Community Advocate.

The moment Shrewsbury became back-to-back CMADA champion. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
The fun-forward strategy had instant returns as the top-seeded Colonials took down the second-seeded Algonquin Titans 3-2 to become back-to-back CMADA Class A champions. Last year’s championship was another narrow, five-set thriller between the two Central Mass. rivals.
“It feels great. I knew it was going to be a battle – Algonquin’s always tough. Regardless of who has got what for talent, it’s always a battle. They showed it. It was a phenomenal match by both teams. We had a little better of a match in the fifth, and that’s what it came down to,” said Crandall.
And speaking of fun? Shrewsbury players handed around the tournament plaque after the hard-earned win, taking pictures with teammates, friends, and family. The hardware was certainly well-earned for the Colonials, who went 14-6 over regular-season action, going 3-0 against Algonquin in that span.

Shrewsbury won the CMADA Class A championship on Oct. 24. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
“It feels really good. This is who we played last year, and we’ve worked so hard this season. Our hard work is paying off. I’m so proud of everyone on our team. We all really came together and fought, and I’m just so proud of everyone,” said junior Gracie Hester, one of the “Three G’s” that captain the team.
“I’m just so proud of our team. It’s such a rewarding feeling to win such a big game like this. Obviously, it was a nail-biter, and we definitely had a lot of nerves, so to win it in the end – it was a great feeling,” said fellow captain Gianna Boyers, who registered 12 kills in the match.
It looked to be a blowout early, with Shrewsbury taking an immediate two-set lead. The first set – a 25-14 Colonial win – featured six straight Shrewsbury points on the serve of senior Ava Lynch. Strong serving from Anna Marderosian and captain Grace Garbarino led the Colonials to a 25-15 second-set victory.
Looking to close out the win, Shrewsbury fought through the third set, but four consecutive crucial points on Julianna Zimmer’s serve made a 12-12 tie an Algonquin 16-12 lead. The Titans held onto the third set, 25-19, and took the fourth more convincingly, winning 25-16 and forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.

Fresh off winning set four, Algonquin smiles while crossing the court. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
But the Colonials – just “having fun” – jumped out to an early 11-4 lead and survived a late Algonquin rally to win the decider 15-11. Two excellent serves from Hester helped Shrewsbury open the set strong, while the Colonials’ Lauren Albertson served for three crucial points to help build the lead.
“I think we were really just able to get our energy back up and get back to where we were in those first two sets. We got a little down on ourselves, in our heads, but I think it shows that we can turn it around within the few minutes we have between sets,” said Garbarino.
The Titans (placed at No. 10 in the MIAA Division 2 rankings) and the Colonials (No. 10 in the MIAA Division 1 rankings) both have plans to make it deep into the state playoffs. After the match, Crandall mentioned how Shrewsbury hopes to use the “W” to build momentum going into the next week.

Algonquin teammates support one another between points. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
“This is our first five-set win of the year. Knowing you can win that fifth set – it’s something you don’t know if you have until you’ve done it. That’s big for us going forward,” he said. “From there, it’s knowing that we can face adversity … We know what our potential is, and now we know we can reach that.”
It took five very ~very~ stressful sets, but @ColonialsVB has become back-to-back @CMADA23 Class A tournament champion! 🏆
Here are the team’s captains — this time with the tournament plaque — talking about the W after the championship match. 😎@ColonialsAD @CommunityAdNews pic.twitter.com/immQvhdzPY
— Evan Walsh (@evanjrwalsh) October 25, 2024