PROVIDENCE — Nobody had to tell East Providence boys volleyball coach Keith Martinous that offense may get headlines, but defense wins championships.

“Defense has been our strong suit. That’s one of the things we have been preaching all along,” said Martinous after his team posted a stunning 3-1 upset of previously undefeated Toll Gate in the title game of the Interscholastic League Division I state tournament at R.I. College’s Murray Center yesterday.

It was East Providence’s ability to continually keep the balls from the heavy-hitting Titans off the floor that enabled it to post 25-18, 25-22 and 25-13 triumphs in the final three games after it had dropped a 26-24 decision in the first game. Click here to see a gallery of game photos.

The victory gave East Providence its first boys state volleyball title since 2001 and its third overall boys volleyball crown.

Toll Gate had rolled to the regular season Division I title with a 14-0 record, including two victories over East Providence which finished the regular season with a 10-4 mark.

But yesterday the Townies were a different team than the squad that dropped a 3-0 decision to Toll Gate in their last regular season meeting on May 5.

They continued frustrated the Toll Gall hitters by digging out balls that seemed like certain Toll Gate points.

“Since we started with these guys [the Townies] three years ago we said we’re not a big team, we’re not very tall so we have to be a backboard,” said Martinous. “We have to keep every ball up and give ourselves second and third opportunities to be successful. They did a nice job of that tonight.”

“When you’re a big hitter and you crush a ball and think it’s down and the next thing you know it’s back up again that kind of takes the wind out of you.”

That what the Townies seemed to do to the Titans in the final three games.

After dropping the two-point decision in the first game, the Townies jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the second game and never relinquished the advantage en route to the 25-18 decision.

The third game was a seesaw battle with eight ties. But a kill by Aaron Spivey followed by a block and kill by James Boyce enabled the Townies to break away from a 19-19 tie and never give up the lead before clinching the 25-22 decision.

The Townies never gave the Titans a chance to mount a comeback in the fourth game. Sparked by the play of offensive production of Spivey and Boyce and John Caruolo the Townies jumped out to a 13-3 lead then never gave up more than two points of that 10-point advantage en route to the title-clinching 25-13 decision.

All season a key member of the East Providence defensive scheme was Boyce, the Townies 5-10 senior outside hitter. Yesterday Boyce delivered another outstanding defensive effort, but he also made a big contribution to the East Providence attack with 15 kills.

“Tonight, offensively we came out to play,” said Martinous. “James Boyce put on a display of hitting. They had two, three blocks on him, it didn’t seem to matter. Not only offensively, but he’s the key to our defense. He will run through every wall for you. He makes sure the ball is not going to get to the ground.”

“I just came out and hit hard, that’s all I did,” said Boyce. “But I couldn’t do it without the guys around me. I couldn’t do it without any people passing balls and setting balls. We have a complete team. That’s what got us through.”

jgillool@projo.com