State Champs Semifinal Recap

What a day at the state semifinals! Twelve talented squads are moving on to play for a championship. Let’s find out which teams stepped up in Friday’s action. With the split format of the quarterfinal round done, we got to see every class featured at the Pinnacle Bank Arena for the semifinals. Here’s the full breakdown!   Class D2 (1) Falls City Sacred Heart vs. (5) Wynot Falls City Sacred Heart has looked undaunted, unflappable, and all the other un- superlatives you can think of. Their dominance continued Friday morning. A 25-18, 25-5, 25-15 sweep over Wynot launched the Irish into the Class D2 title match. It’s a stage that this program knows well. Erison Vonderschmidt keeps elevating her level of play at every match, and fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id="58809" first="Rachel" last="Magdanz"] is running the show with great finesse. The Irish won’t need luck to win it all this year. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We’ve got our first championship-bound team of the day! Falls City Sacred Heart leaves no doubt about their frontrunner status as they sweep Wynot to advance to the D2 title match. <a href="https://t.co/t7AV7f3ZQ6">pic.x.com/t7AV7f3ZQ6</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456637131254870023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   (2) Humphrey St. Francis vs. (3) Maywood-Hayes Center Another fascinating 2-3 matchup was on deck in Class D2 as Humphrey St. Francis battled Maywood-Hayes Center. The three seed jumped out to an early lead and claimed a 25-19 win in the first. Stevie Handsaker was a constant threat on offense for the Wolves, and Aniah Seiler built on her great performance in the quarterfinals. Then, the two seed suddenly found their groove after dropping the opening set. Senior Kaylee Stricklin had some nice moments along the net, and [player_tooltip player_id="152092" first="Kylee" last="Wessel"] was lethal once again from the left. St. Francis tied things up with a 25-21 triumph. The Flyers hit the gas from there. They soared ahead to a 25-13 win in the third and displayed similar dominance in the following stanza. A 1-2 title matchup awaits in Class D2. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Humphrey St. Francis will play for a title! The Flyers will face Falls City Sacred Heart for the D2 championship after a 3-1 win over Maywood-Hayes Center. <a href="https://t.co/K8S8abm2T5">pic.x.com/K8S8abm2T5</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456675260909170695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Class D1 (1) Howells-Dodge vs. (4) Nebraska Christian This one was about as thrilling of a semifinal match as you can get. The underdogs absolutely brought it on Friday. Nebraska Christian’s usual suspects came out firing early in the match, as Reghan Flynn really started to heat up from the outside. [player_tooltip player_id="152907" first="Ali" last="Bruning"] kept everyone in rhythm, and the top-seeded Jaguars were thrown off their game. Nebraska Christian won the first two sets 25-23 and 25-22. It looked like this match was heading toward an upset sweep. The Eagles kept firing away and had two match points at 24-22 in the third set. The #1 Jaguars would not go away that easily. Facing elimination, Howells-Dodge mustered a huge 4-0 run to steal the third set 26-24 and keep the match alive. The adrenaline from this clutch save carried into the fourth set as the Jaguars ran away to a 25-14 win. Ellie and [player_tooltip player_id="59193" first="Grace" last="Baumert"] were working their magic, and the entire lineup rallied together and started making plays. In the tiebreaker, it was all Howells-Dodge. Senior captain Brooklyn Macholan keyed up a spectacular serving run to give the Jaguars an insurmountable advantage. The reverse sweep was complete. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> REVERSE SWEEP for the championship bid! D1 #1 Howells-Dodge comes back from 0-2 and 22-24 and wins in five! <a href="https://t.co/gf3Kar7N39">pic.x.com/gf3Kar7N39</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456646771791339526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   (3) Archbishop Bergan vs. (7) Elmwood-Murdock Class D1’s seventh seed has already proven its worthiness, but another tough opponent awaited Elmwood-Murdock. At the start of the semifinal match, it was Bergan that hit its stride. [player_tooltip player_id="152901" first="Paige" last="Frickenstein"] went through her normal routine of teeing off all around the net. [player_tooltip player_id="152097" first="Kaitlyn" last="Mlnarik"]’s valuable six-rotation contributions continued. The Knights of Fremont leaned on their leaders as they won the first 25-22. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> [player_tooltip player_id="152901" first="Paige" last="Frickenstein"] bombs away to give Bergan a 25-22 victory in the first! <a href="https://t.co/tpNu6YARkX">pic.x.com/tpNu6YARkX</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456659984830316556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Afterwards, the upset-minded Elmwood-Murdock team went to work. [player_tooltip player_id="58784" first="Brenna" last="Schmidt"] was crushing high balls again. Sophomore setter Delaney Frahm dished out accurate sets. The second and third sets went to the seventh-seeded Knights, 25-22 and 25-19. These two teams were nearly inseparable in the fourth set. Eventually, Bergan broke through with their season in the balance and forced a deciding fifth. Serving was a big story in the tiebreaker. Bergan dished out some tough, flat drives to build an early lead. They were able to hang on to this advantage throughout the set and win a five-set thriller against the gritty, talented team from Elmwood-Murdock.   Class C2 (1) Oakland-Craig vs. (4) Superior With a ton of firepower on both sides, this was sure to be an enticing 1-4 matchup to start off C2 play. Oakland-Craig imposed their will for much of the first two sets. The Helzer duo of Bailey and Brandi was terminal again on the left pin. Freshman setter Adi Rennerfeldt showed poise well beyond her years. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Brandi Helzer pounds it down the line to give Oakland-Craig a 2-0 lead! <a href="https://t.co/rLLw9Bzh3E">pic.x.com/rLLw9Bzh3E</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456702169277739017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> The Knights took the first two sets by scores of 25-13 and 25-19. It looked like Oakland-Craig was going to run away with a sweep in the third set, but Superior fought back and forced some Knight errors to tighten things up at the end. Cailyn Barry and Madison Heusinkvelt were major blocking forces, and they helped keep the Wildcats alive and earn a 25-22 win in the third. However, the top seed used this as motivation to rebound. Oakland-Craig seized another early lead and didn’t let go this time despite squandering several match points. The Knights, behind their big contingent of supporters, advanced to the C2 title match with a 3-1 victory.   (2) Wisner-Pilger vs. (6) Sutton Sutton certainly wasn’t content with one upset this week, so they tried to pull off another one. The Fillies held an early advantage in this one behind the stellar play of setter Kate Griess and middle blocker Alivia Huxoll. These two are so steady for Sutton. The Gators mounted a comeback, though, and Lindsey Kneifl again showed her power in the middle. Maggie Schweers also had another good showing Friday night. It was a 25-21 win in the first set for the Gators, but Sutton rallied back to tie the match with a 25-17 win in the second. This 25-17 score line became trendy. Wisner-Pilger went up 2-1 with a 25-17 win, but Sutton forced five after winning the fourth 25-17. All aboard the rollercoaster. [caption id="attachment_164551" align="alignright" width="365"]<img class="wp-image-164551" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/11/FDduB1GX0AAFqPg-crop-1639x1076-1636152418-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="365" height="240" /> The Sutton huddle celebrates during the Class C2 semifinals.[/caption] That made back-to-back nights of five-set contests for Sutton. You’d think they’d run out of gas, but the Fillies quickly built a lead in the tiebreaker. Wisner-Pilger exerted plenty of pressure as they tied the set at 10, but the underdog Fillies did not break. Another kill out of the middle gave the #6 seed a 3-2 win and a shot at a C2 title.   Class C1 (1) Kearney Catholic vs. (4) Columbus Lakeview Kearney Catholic put together a lot of dominant performance en route to earning the #1 seed in Class C1. However, at the start of this match, it was Columbus Lakeview that took control. Several different Vikings had special performances in this one. Junior setter [player_tooltip player_id="103082" first="Autumn" last="Gibbs"] dished out smooth sets throughout the match. [player_tooltip player_id="103084" first="Josie" last="Bentz"], [player_tooltip player_id="103001" first="Lilly" last="Rowe"], and Maddi Vogt took turns crushing the ball in the frontcourt. The upset bid got off to an excellent start as the Vikings won the first two sets. It’s no surprise, though, that Kearney Catholic fought back. Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id="37552" first="Sydney" last="Conner"] played with some extra energy out of intermission, and she put her hitters in great spots. [player_tooltip player_id="37577" first="Ashley" last="Keck"] was effective with her finesse shots, and Callie Squiers anchored the middle. Behind a lot of heart and improved play, the #1 seed came all the way back to force a fifth. The Stars aligned and they took care of business. Margaret Haarberg put down the final ball to secure the second reverse sweep of the day for a #1 seed. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Another reverse sweep for a #1 seed! Kearney Catholic mounts the huge rally to defeat Columbus Lakeview in five. The C1 title match beckons. <a href="https://t.co/XUEcBQCcYb">pic.x.com/XUEcBQCcYb</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456718375997083658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   (2) Grand Island Central Catholic vs. (3) Lincoln Lutheran It’s clear that this was a matchup of two championship-caliber programs, but it just ended up taking place in the semifinal round. Lincoln Lutheran did not hesitate to swipe a big early lead. [player_tooltip player_id="59212" first="Abby" last="Wachal"] tooled the block efficiently from the left side, and Katelynn Oxley put down some huge blocks to put the advantage firmly in the Warriors’ grasp. The three seed rolled to a 25-15 win in the first set. In the second set, though, it was GICC that found early success. [player_tooltip player_id="59214" first="Gracie" last="Woods"] had her share of blocks on the outside, and [player_tooltip player_id="104674" first="Carolyn" last="Maser"] kept the ball alive with her solid right back defense. Soon, though, the lead evaporated as Lincoln Lutheran made a charge. Backcourt defenders began to step up. The Warriors rallied all the way back to take a 25-17 win and a 2-0 lead. The sweep came shortly afterward. Lincoln Lutheran was in system for much of the match and did a great job capitalizing on those opportunities. A 25-10 third set sealed it to send the Warriors into the C2 title match. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Sweep!<a href="https://x.com/LL_Warriors_VB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LL_Warriors_VB</a> puts their championship potential on full display with a 3-0 win over GICC. They’ll face Kearney Catholic for the title! <a href="https://t.co/Z5DjRueIjI">pic.x.com/Z5DjRueIjI</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456741682100252676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Class B (1) Norris vs. (5) Elkhorn North Elkhorn North proved in the regular season that they could hang with Class B’s top team. They did it again Friday night. Things didn’t start out the way the Wolves had hoped, though, as Norris used some aggressive serving and stingy floor defense to run away with a 25-15 win in the opener. That’s when the young Elkhorn North squad made their push. Freshman outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="155043" first="Shay" last="Heaney"] proved the stage wasn’t too big for her. Her older sister [player_tooltip player_id="59201" first="Grace" last="Heaney"] followed suit with some big kills on the right side. Meanwhile, Rose Booth tied it all together at the setter spot. With their electric pin hitters and quick offense, the Wolves put everyone in the PBA on notice by winning the second and third sets to go up 2-1. You’d expect the top seed to respond, and they did just that. The fourth set mirrored the opener, as Norris piled up the aces and served Elkhorn North out of their rhythm. We were heading to five again on the south court. With gigantic, enthusiastic crowds rallying behind both teams, the veteran Norris squad landed the final punch. A 15-12 thriller wrapped up the first Class B semifinal and sent Norris back to the title match. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://x.com/NorrisTitanVB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NorrisTitanVB</a> HAS DONE IT! The Titans are going back to the Class B title match! <a href="https://t.co/vHJs6R2wYs">pic.x.com/vHJs6R2wYs</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456789747360227328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   (2) Omaha Skutt Catholic vs. (3) Waverly These two teams expected to be here. Only one can compete for a title this year. Eyebrows were raised when Waverly started to take it to the six-time defending state champs. Cornhusker commit [player_tooltip player_id="37528" first="Bekka" last="Allick"] consistently hit over the block at indefensible angles. It was a hitting performance unlike anything we’ve seen at this year’s state championships, and it quickly propelled the Vikings to a 25-15 win in the opener. This exceptional play carried into the second set. Jaelyn Dicke had some solid swings on the pin and connected well with senior setter [player_tooltip player_id="58796" first="Hannah" last="Allick"]. Behind some great support from the back row, Waverly forced Skutt into an 0-2 hole. Of course, the dominant volleyball program of the decade was not going to go down without a fight. Skutt was in a tight third set after dropping the first two and began to lean on leaders like [player_tooltip player_id="59194" first="Morgan" last="Burke"] and [player_tooltip player_id="37531" first="Abby" last="Schomers"]. This new crop of talent willed the SkyHawks to a 25-22 win in the third to stay alive. Skutt kept making plays in the fourth set. Getting touches to slow down the heavy heat of [player_tooltip player_id="37528" first="Bekka" last="Allick"] was a top priority. The backcourt carried a lot of the burden to make that happen, and [player_tooltip player_id="109597" first="Paisley" last="Douglas"] came up with some massive digs in key moments. As the story goes for many of these semifinals, we went to five. Waverly showed some nice resiliency by jumping ahead in the tiebreaker. Kara Kassebaum took some crucial swings in the frontcourt. With an 11-8 lead, things looked good for the Vikings. The SkyHawks were not going to give up, though. A big serving run got them back in the set and suddenly they had the lead. One final surge put the SkyHawks at match point, and Skutt finally triumphed. The postseason winning streak is still alive. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The heart of a six-time defending champion! Down 0-2 in set count and then down 11-8 in the fifth, Omaha Skutt fights all the way back to keep the postseason winning streak alive! <a href="https://t.co/DEjer3K89r">pic.x.com/DEjer3K89r</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456829085297020929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Class A (1) Papillion-La Vista South vs. (4) Elkhorn South A rematch of last year’s Class A title match in this year’s semifinal round. This one drew a lot of eyes. Spectacular ball control took centerstage right away. It’s not just fabulous backcourt specialists like [player_tooltip player_id="82412" first="Harlei" last="Cole"], [player_tooltip player_id="58775" first="Estella" last="Zatechka"], and [player_tooltip player_id="58811" first="Katie" last="Galligan"] that are doing all the heavy lifting. [player_tooltip player_id="109585" first="Lauren" last="Medeck"] plays great middle back defense for Papio South as an outside hitter, and [player_tooltip player_id="58786" first="Kylie" last="Weeks"] does the same for Elkhorn South. Much of the opening set was deadlocked until the top-seeded and undefeated Titans broke through. [player_tooltip player_id="59192" first="Stella" last="Adeyemi"] had a bunch of success tooling off high hands and turning the ball down the line. Her range helps make this offense thrive, and it helped Papio South to a 25-20 win in the first set. Once again, these teams were evenly matched in the second set. [player_tooltip player_id="143576" first="Mia" last="Mroczek"] had some big blocks in the middle to give the Storm a spark. But, like the first set, the Titans were too good down the stretch. [player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Ava" last="LeGrand"] made some stout plays in floor defense and directed her team to another win in set two. Elkhorn South would not go away quietly. Weeks was sharp in the front row and got a lot of volume on the pipe. The Storm battled their way to another lead before Papio South reclaimed control. In the final moments, the Titan left sides won the day and sealed a 3-0 sweep. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> One match away from perfection!<a href="https://x.com/PLSouthTitanVb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PLSouthTitanVb</a> gets it done in the semifinals with a sweep over Elkhorn South! <a href="https://t.co/RE6BWk6ldI">pic.x.com/RE6BWk6ldI</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456781607201918989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   (2) Millard West vs. (6) Omaha Westside With high-flying hitters featured on both sides of the net, this was bound to be a fine display of the talent in Class A. Millard West quickly seized control of the opening set. [player_tooltip player_id="58798" first="Sadie" last="Millard"] made some big blocking moves at the net and was accompanied by big contributions from [player_tooltip player_id="37555" first="Maddie" last="MacTaggart"] and [player_tooltip player_id="103095" first="Alanna" last="Bankston"]. With this furious net play, the Wildcats won 25-15 in the opener. Westside seemed totally undeterred by the setback. The Warriors came out firing after the break and claimed their own sizable lead. [player_tooltip player_id="58799" first="Madilyn" last="Siebler"] left it all on the court Friday night, as the seasoned senior took rips from anywhere along the net. [player_tooltip player_id="59208" first="Destiny" last="Ndam-Simpson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="103097" first="Samantha" last="Laird"] followed suit, and the Warriors got on the board with a 25-16. The momentum kept shifting. After a tight opening to the third set, the Wildcats pulled away to win 25-20. Naturally, control went back to the Warriors in the fourth set, and we would see another tiebreaker at the end of the night. It was a physical battle to the end. Pin hitters were fearlessly slugging the ball into the block. Second-seeded Millard West held the lead for most of the fifth set, and they grasped it until the end. Millard West’s breakthrough appearance in the championship match has arrived. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://x.com/mw_volleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mw_volleyball</a> WINS! The Wildcats win an absolute thriller in the fifth set, and the emotion is incredible. Wow. <a href="https://t.co/jZjPsztAF0">pic.x.com/jZjPsztAF0</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1456826395078836224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>