All season long, making the playoffs was far from a guarantee for the Warwick Vets boys’ volleyball team. It was a grind over the final two weeks, with the ’Canes playing four matches that went to five games.

By the time the playoffs started on Tuesday, Vets was a little worn down. Playing on the road against a North Smithfield team that was five matches better than Vets during the regular season, the ’Canes had to play perfect, and couldn’t quite hang with the Northmen.

Vets was swept 3-0 in the preliminary round of the Division II playoffs. The ’Canes lost the first game 25-7, but bounced back to make the second two games competitive in defeats of 25-18 and 25-16.

After winning three of its final four matches just to get into the playoffs, though – including its final two – 10th-seeded Vets wasn’t disappointed with how it ended.

The ’Canes did all they could.

“Overall, we played tough,” Friel said. “We did everything we could just to get into this position. I couldn’t ask anything more than what I got from the guys all season long and tonight.”

Even after expending so much energy over the tail end of the regular season, the writing was on the wall that matching up with North Smithfield would be tough.

Vets was 7-11 during the regular season, while the seventh-seeded Northmen were 12-6. In a meeting between the two on May 9, North Smithfield won 3-1, and the ’Canes played one of their best matches of the season.

If that effort wasn’t quite good enough, Friel knew it would take a monumental effort to get the win on Tuesday.

“We went toe-to-toe with these guys at our home court,” Friel said. “We played them really, really well. We almost played them perfect and we still came up short. I knew coming into tonight they were going to be motivated, with how close we played them last time.”

With a big a crowd in a small gym, North Smithfield dominated game one. Front-line players Anders Viera Dones and John O’Donnell led the way, as Viera Dones finished the game with 11 kills and 12 blocks and O’Donnell finished with eight kills. The Northmen took a huge lead early on and Vets never could stop the momentum.

In game two, North Smithfield looked like it was going to cruise again, taking a 21-11 lead before Vets finally found its footing.

A service error gave Vets the ball, and the ’Canes went on the offensive. Tyler Oliveira had a big hit, Mike Riccitelli had a pair of kills and Davin Lourenco added another. That made the score 21-16.

Pepe Phanhsena added a kill later in the game, but the lead was just too much to overcome. North Smithfield got a push to an open spot by O’Donnell and a block by Adam Carey to close the door and take a 2-0 lead.

“Halfway through the second game we started to match their energy a little bit, but at that point it was too late with the amount of points that they already had to mount a comeback,” Friel said.

Vets hung tough in game three, getting within two points at 13-11 after an early 10-4 deficit, yet the Northmen were simply too good. At 13-11, they ripped off nine of the next 10 points to eliminate any drama. Lourenco ended up with a block late in the game and Phanhsena added a kill, but an ace by Mark Keenan ended the game and the match.

“We knew with the big guys they have up front there, mistakes had to be limited in order for us to get there,” Friel said. “Unfortunately we made a lot of them the first game. Too much for a team that has as many weapons as North Smithfield does.”

North Smithfield will advance to take on Cranston West on Thursday in the D-II quarterfinals.

For Vets, its best season since 2011 came to a close. The ’Canes made the playoffs for the first time since that year, and their seven wins matched their total from that season.

Throw in the fact that they won three close matches to end the season and tied for the D-II-West crown – with five of their six regular starters playing as first-year senior – and there was nothing but pride following the loss.

Vets will say goodbye to seniors Justin Batista, Oliveira, Phanhsena, Mike Riccitelli and Kyle Veyera.

“Maybe we left it all in the regular season and we kind of came in with a little happy-that-we-got-here attitude and not that drive,” Friel said. “But after the beginning of the season, looking at the roster with what I had, I couldn’t ask for anything more than what these guys were able to give me all year.”