“Resurrection”: Woonsocket Volleyball Team Rallies Around Coach for Comeback in Division IV Championship

The Woonsocket girls’ volleyball team was staring the end of its season in the face.

Trailing 2-0 against Providence Country Day, the top ranked team in Division IV, the Villa Novans needed a miracle.

A miracle like their head coach Wayne Poitras got four years ago, when he was staring his own end in the face.

Poitras was dying of kidney failure.

He found a donor in his wife, and, in his words, went through his “resurrection”. It was clear Saturday what part of the reason for that second chance at life was.

“My wife saved my life four years ago so I could be here to coach these kids.”

Inspired by a joke made by Poitras during a time out to loosen the team up, the Villanovans rallied to win the third set after trailing 13-10 to win 25-22.

There was no stopping them after that.

Woonsocket won the next two sets handedly and took match point in the fifth set to win its first ever volleyball championship.

Their championship hopes resurrected, just like their head coach’s life.