Seven straight wins brought Cumberland into Barrington Thursday night. Five sets later, the Clippers finally had to leave one behind.

The Eagles edged Cumberland 3–2 on October 8, ending the winning run and moving the Clippers to 9–4.

The Clippers dropped the opener 8–25, then answered with a 25–22 win in the second. Barrington took the third 25–22, but Cumberland came back again, winning the fourth 25–21 to force the decider.

Even at 8–8 in the fifth, there was still an evening’s worth of volleyball to settle. Barrington found a little daylight, pulled ahead 13–10, and finished the job, 15–10.

That is how small the window gets. Four sets of work, and the match comes down to who can put together the next handful of points.

Darryl Ashilaka contributed 16 kills and 10 digs. Alexa DiTomasso added 10 kills, while Lyla Parmentier supplied 31 assists to help keep the Cumberland attack moving.

Bowie Legend collected 13 digs, and Gulianna Hasenfus added eight digs and four service aces. At the net, Jolee Farquharson finished with five total blocks, one solo and four assisted. The contributions came from across the lineup as the Clippers twice answered a one-set deficit.

Give Barrington its due. The Eagles improved to 7–5 overall and 7–4 in league play, winning four of their last five. Cumberland swept the September meeting, but the return trip brought a team gaining momentum of its own. This time, Barrington earned the split. (maxpreps.com)

For Cumberland, the disappointment belongs beside what this group accomplished getting here. After a 2–3 start, the Clippers strung together seven wins and took 21 of 27 sets along the way. Three consecutive sweeps against Barrington, South Kingstown and Coventry showed their ability to take control. Five-set wins over Portsmouth and Westerly showed they could stay with the work when the night got long. That is a substantial stretch of volleyball. (maxpreps.com)

It also put Cumberland in good company. The latest MaxPreps ratings, published before Thursday’s loss, placed the Clippers fifth in Rhode Island and second among Division 1 teams. Their updated league standing is fifth at 9–4. The winning run gave them a strong position heading into the final weeks; now they get to defend and build on it. (maxpreps.com, maxpreps.com)

November is getting closer. The regular season closes October 30, with preliminary playoff matches scheduled for November 2–3. RIIL’s top 12 Division 1 teams qualify for the state tournament through league-game RPI, which also determines seeding. Cumberland has an encouraging postseason outlook, with its official berth and place in the bracket still to be settled. There is meaningful volleyball left before that bracket takes shape. (riil.org)

And next week will keep them busy. Chariho comes to Cumberland Tuesday, October 13, before the Clippers head to Classical Wednesday and Cranston West Thursday. All three matches are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Three nights in a row means a quick reset, contributions across the lineup, and another chance to finish each evening together. (maxpreps.com)

Thursday was a tough finish. Seven straight wins are still seven straight wins, and a fifth set tied midway through is a reminder of how close Cumberland was to making it eight.

If this recent stretch is any indication of what the Clippers can bring into the season’s final weeks, we could be in for an exciting run. First comes Tuesday—and a chance to get rolling again.

Set scores and player statistics: MaxPreps box score.

JV recap

The JV Clippers took a set off Barrington but came up short, 2–1, in Thursday’s match. (RIIL)