After defeating No. 1 Williamstown in the Group 4 semifinal on Thursday, it seemed like destiny that Old Bridge, No. 3 in the NJ.com Top 20, would hold the state title crown for the first time in program history.

However, Old Bridge learned that nothing worth having comes easy.

Old Bridge (32-1) took a commanding 14-6 lead in the fifth and final set, when Weronika Malinowski struck a kill off the shoulder of the defender from the left side of the net, helping Old Bridge get its revenge from a disappointing 2022 Group 4 finals defeat at the hands of Westfield.

“I might have scored the last point, but by any means it was not all me,” Malinowski said. “The entire team worked together, and if we weren’t so locked in as a team throughout the course of the match, that final point wouldn’t hav

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