New London — It hadn’t happened since Sept. 22: East Lyme losing a set to an opponent from the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

And then it happened again Friday night in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I tournament championship game to blood rival Waterford. The Vikings, 25-23 losers in the second set, found themselves tied at a game apiece on the season’s biggest stage to date.

The response? One befitting champions. The Vikings went 25-9 and 25-20 to win the title at Conway Gym.

“That set was on us,” East Lyme coach Jack Biggs said. “We just had to make a couple of adjustments. That’s all we did. We didn’t change much.”

Tournament Most Valuable Player Skylar Bell led the Vikings with 22 digs, throwing her body to the floor several times to the delight of the crowd. Bella Diep had 42 assists and Abby Parulis 18 kills and 18 digs for the Vikings (20-2).

“That’s a great team,” Biggs said of Waterford. “It’s a confidence builder for us to beat a team like that on the big stage. They are very well coached.”

Waterford (19-4) has lost to East Lyme, the No. 1 seed in Class L, three times and to Joel Barlow, the No. 1 seed in Class M. The Lancers are 19-0 against everyone else. And they could see East Lyme again in the Class L tournament.

“We have some unfinished business,” Bell said. “The state championship.”

Biggs: “We have six great senior leaders. Sometimes you forget that they were freshmen during COVID. This means a lot to them.”

Danica Agsalud had 26 assists for Waterford and Emerson Lane had five blocks, six aces, 11 kills and five digs.

Montville won the Division II title earlier in the night, defeating Plainfield 25-20, 25-22, 25-9.

The Wolves made program history, winning the Division II title for the first time.

“It was a shot in the dark,” Montville coach Harold Branstrom said. “I knew we’d be good at some positions this year. But we didn’t have a setter. Mackenzie (Payne, a junior) worked her butt off all summer and turned herself into one. That changed our team.”

Payne had 15 assists and Zoie Farrar 12 kills for the Wolves (20-3).

“The kids were a little nervous,” Branstrom said. “But more so (Wednesday) in the semifinals. We had never got past that point as a program.”

The Wolves’ victory in the second set came after trailing 16-7.

“When coach called a timeout,” Farrar said, “I told the team, ‘one mistake doesn’t define you,’” Farrar said.

Montville also trailed 21-18 in the set.

“Huge,” Branstrom said. “The kids were able to persevere and make the plays when they needed to. That will bode well in the states for us.”

m.dimauro@theday.com