ALBANY – Two consecutive trips to Albany’s Capital Center in 2022 and 2023 had concluded with back-to-back New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II championships for the Jamesville-DeWitt boys volleyball team. Even more history beckoned when the Red Rams returned last Saturday to try and make it three titles in a row – but the duo of Eastport-South Manor and Clarence had no intention of contributing to that historic quest. Instead, the Long Island and Western New York regional champions combined, in three straight sets of round robin play, to defeat J-D and settle the championship among themselves, leaving the Rams to go home without the crown. Entering this particular state tournament, J-D carried a 51-match win streak. It had included a 21-0 tear through this season despite plenty of new starters following huge graduation losses from the 2023 side. But even if the Rams’ veterans and most of the roster knew what to expect in Albany, it found that Eastport-South Manor, in particular, had the quality on hand to equal whatever J-D threw at them. In the two sets they played, the Sharks grabbed leads on the Rams and never let go of them, winning those sets by 25-18 and 25-19 margins. It was the first time someone had beat J-D since the combined Syracuse City team did so in a four-set decision on Oct. 17, 2022. Now the Rams had to sweep Clarence to stay alive, but the Red Devils dashed those hopes winning the first set 25-16, though J-D was able to recover and claim the second set 25-22. Later that day, the state final belonged to Eastport-South Manor as the Sharks swept Clarence 25-21, 25-22, 25-16 to reclaim the championship it last earned in 2021 before J-D’s remarkable run at the top began. Whether the Rams can make another push in 2025 will depend on how it pushes forward after the graduation of Avery Kielbasinski, who led the team in kills with 333 and blocks with 55, along with Nevin Cosbey and Kian Sarmast. However, main setter Carsen Kaelin (779 assists) will return, as will Owen Dougherty and Chine Okereke, who combined for 308 kills, and Zach Hildreth, whose 115 digs was just one behind the 116 put up by Dougherty and Sarmast.