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 to fight a lot sometimes, and we came through on the other side stronger for it.”

Senior outside hitter Cali Tierney said Friday’s loss really stung. The team huddled and vowed to end on a win.

“After last night, we definitely did some reflecting in a positive way,” said Tierney, who will play next year at Canisius University in Buffalo, New York. “We knew that we had to flip our mindset.

“We all just said that we’re here and we’re not ending on a loss. We’re all going to play for each other.”

Prairie Ridge (32-9), back at state for the second year in a row after taking third in 2024, did not make things easy on Providence (35-7) after the Celtics won the opening set on the strength of five aces from junior libero Maddie Johnson (seven digs).

Wolves junior outside hitter Adeline Grider (team-high 14 kills, seven digs) turned things on in the second set as her team climbed out of a 9-5 deficit. Grider had consecutive points on a kill and block to tie the set at 15-15. A second block by Grider gave Prairie Ridge a 19-15 lead.

Sophomore Lauren Bruce’s kill at the net ended the set to force a third.

Grider, who ended the season with a team-high 327 kills, has been a threat offensively all year long. Her skillful attacks shined brightest in the postseason.

“She’s just somebody who is so happy for her teammates when they’re successful,” Prairie Ridge first-year coach Leah Groat said. “She loves everyone so sincerely, and she steps up in big moments – and we’re so lucky to have her in our program.”

The Wolves looked to keep their momentum going in the third set and took a 10-6 lead on a kill by Bruce (eight kills, 12 digs). An ace by junior libero Tegan Vrbancic (13 digs, two aces) gave the Wolves a 14-11 lead, and a kill by junior Sonora Bekere (three kills) put them up 15-12.

But the Celtics fought back, getting three kills in a span of four points from senior outside hitter Abbey Knight, who finished with a match-high 20 kills, a season-high. Senior Delaney Purtill (eight assists) set up Knight for the match winner.

Senior setter/right-side hitter Demi Carbone, a Colby College commit, had a team-high 15 assists, also adding eight kills, 14 digs and two aces.

“It feels really good,” said Knight, a Wright State commit. “They [coaches] really push us hard to practice our shots, and that’s definitely what helps me get a kill.

“I couldn’t do it without my setters.”

Providence’s block, in the end, proved too tough for Prairie Ridge, as senior middle blocker Grace Lustig teamed up with Carbone and Knight to turn away three kill attempts late in the third. The final one block gave the Celtics a 20-16 lead as they closed in on the win.

Rucinski was proud of his team’s resilience.

“For these girls to mentally come back and deal with the adversity of losing a state semifinal and coming out how they played today, it just shows the mental fortitude they have and how special a team this is,” he said. “Blending the personalities and talent we had ... I think that was the most special part.”

For Prairie Ridge, senior setter Addi Smith had 28 assists, three kills, an ace and seven digs; senior outside hitter Abby Smith – Addi’s twin sister – tallied six kills; and senior defensive specialist Kaelin Bacak added seven digs.

“Some things don’t go your way, and that’s OK, because honestly we did give 100% effort, and I’m not upset about how we played,” said Addi Smith, one of the Wolves’ captains who will play next year at Purdue Northwest University in Hammond, Indiana. “We gave it our all ... unfortunately it didn’t work out.”

Groat, in her first year, reflected on her team’s accomplishments. The Wolves’ 32 wins were the most since 2005.

“It’s a big deal to be back here two years in a row, especially with so many athletes who were here last year,” Groat said. “Only 16 teams get to come here this weekend ... and these girls have a lot to be proud of for the season and for everything they’ve done.”

The Wolves relished the opportunity of big matches.

“Postseason, you know, you lose and you’re done,” Vrbancic said. “I think going into postseason, we knew our goal was to come back to state. It clicked in more that we don’t want to be done. We want to keep going. That’s what got us here.”