If you came to Pinkerton expecting a clean sweep, you didn’t get it — you got something way better. Dover and Londonderry went five on Wednesday night in a match that had a little bit of everything: momentum swings, defensive grit, and a whole lot of heart from both sides.

Londonderry came in with all the firepower you’d expect from a No. 2 seed — four of the state’s best hitters in one lineup, Riley Campo looking every bit like a Player of the Year candidate, and Maddy Normand setting the tempo with that calm, steady presence she’s known for. They looked sharp early. Confident. But Dover wasn’t intimidated. Not even close.

The Green Wave clearly did their homework. Their defensive positioning was some of the best I’ve seen all year — they read hitters, filled seams, and made first-ball contact look easy against one of the most dangerous offenses in the state. They took the first set 25–23, then ran away with the second in commanding fashion. At that point, it almost felt like an early night.

But Londonderry’s a senior-heavy group that’s built for moments like that. They stormed back, taking sets three and four with big swings and even bigger emotion, forcing a fifth that had everyone in the gym leaning forward.

Set five was chaos — the good kind. Long rallies and neither team giving an inch. Dover just stayed steady a little longer, closing it out to keep their “revenge tour” alive and book a trip to Saturday’s final.

Londonderry’s season ends sooner than expected, but that doesn’t take away from how good they’ve been. For Dover, the story keeps going — and now it runs through top-seeded Pinkerton on their home floor at noon on Saturday.

Kennidy Asche brings you all the play-by-play, while Jen Chick-Ruth brings you all the highlights and the post-game interview/celebration with the entire team.

Our coverage is brought to you by our partners at Seacoast Dental Implant & Oral Surgery, Lawns of Southern New Hampshire, and the Dover High School Girls Volleyball Booster Club.