BILLERICA – Thanks to a couple of timely runs, Ipswich, led by first-year head coach Brian Reed, did more than enough to earn its fourth straight Div. 4 state title.

An 8-1 run to end the third set and a 13-5 run to win the fourth set lifted No. 2 Ipswich to a perfect season as they took down top-seeded Bellingham 3-1 at Bellingham Memorial High School Saturday afternoon.

“That’s typically how we played most of the season,” said Reed. “Huge accomplishment for these girls. These seven seniors to win four titles is impressive.”

Ipswich (23-0) and Bellingham (20-4) played back-and-forth in the third set with the Blackhawks cutting the deficit down to 17-15. The Tigers then went on an 8-1 run that included a kill and one of two aces for senior captain Claire Buletza to take the 2-1 advantage with a 25-16 victory in the third set.

“I feel like I tried to work on my volleyball IQ (in that third set),” Buletza said. “Knowing that my serves were going in in the first two sets, but not getting down and I wasn’t putting enough pressure on (Bellingham). So, I adjusted where I was standing and it made all the difference in that third and going into the fourth. We just didn’t give up and I’m so proud of this team.”

Buletza finished with 16 kills on the day, including five in the fourth set.

Senior captain Addison Pillis notched 17 kills with nine of those coming in the first set which the Tigers won 25-19.

“It’s just amazing,” said Pillis about playing with six other seniors. “We know each other so well and we know how each other plays. We just wanted this together. We’ve been through it these past four years and we just love making each other good.”

Bellingham won the second set 25-22 as sophomore Mia Milani collected five of her team-high 12 kills, including the final point.

“I want to congratulate Bellingham on an unbelievable season,” Reed said. “They were the first-ranked team for pretty much the entire season and we were No. 2. Two top teams coming together and it’s unbelievable to watch.”