It was the latter. The third set saw Kennedy rally from an early 13-8 deficit to pull out another tight battle. Seniors Ron Gutman and Matt Migdal took care of the middle while Anderson, senior Steven Gassert and junior Justin Fiegeles had three kills apiece to spark a comeback that was complete when a Rams block attempt landed out of bounds.

The fourth set featured 10 deadlocks, the last of which, at 18, was broken by an Anderson kill following a clutch dig by Adam Lowell. Anderson, a junior southpaw who had 18 kills and 27 assists, provided two more crucial points with cross-court kills, and soon the celebration was on.

“A lot of times we go with matchups,” Ringel said. “Gary had a nice matchup today, and we rode him.”