After losing twice to the Dimond Lynx at last week’s conference tournament, the South Wolverines struck back Friday night.
South clinched a spot in the championship match at the Class 4A state volleyball tournament by sweeping the Lynx in Friday night’s winners-bracket match at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Wolverines won 27-25, 25-20, 25-20 to move into Saturday’s 5 p.m. championship match. There, they will play the winner of a noon match between Dimond and Bartlett. Bartlett stayed alive by sweeping Wasilla in a losers-bracket match late Friday night.
In the Class 3A tournament, the Kenai Kardinals defeated defending state champion Nikiski in four sets to grab a spot in the championship match.
The Kards took down Nikiski 25-9, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19 to advance to Saturday’s 2 p.m. title match. Nikiski will play Homer in a 10 a.m. elimination match that will determine who plays Kenai Central for the championship.
ASAA/First National Bank state volleyball tournament
Alaska Airlines Center
Class 4A
Thursday’s results
First round
South def. Juneau-Douglas 3-0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-7)
Bartlett def. Palmer 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-17)
Wasilla def. North Pole 3-0 (25-8, 25-11, 25-16)
Dimond def. Soldotna 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-16)
Winners bracket
South def. Bartlett 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 25-20)
Dimond def. Wasilla 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-15)
Friday’s results
Winners bracket
South def. Dimond 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-20)
Losers bracket
Palmer def. Juneau-Douglas 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-11, 25-17) (loser out)
Soldotna def. North Pole 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-21) (loser out)
Wasilla def. Palmer 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-21) (loser out)
Bartlett def. Soldotna 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-17 (loser out)
Bartlett def. Wasilla 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-18) (loser out)
Saturday’s matches
Noon – Dimond vs. Bartlett (loser out)
5 p.m. – South vs. Dimond-Bartlett winner (championship)
Class 3A
Thursday’s results
First round
Kenai Central def. Barrow 3-1 (25-12, 16-25, 25-23, 25-14)
Sitka def. Valdez 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-23)
Nikiski def. Monroe 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-20)
Homer def. Kotzebue 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-7)
Winners bracket
Kenai def. Sitka 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 26-24)
Nikiski def. Homer 3-1 (25-21, 14-25, 26-24, 25-20)
Friday’s results
Winners bracket
Kenai def. Nikiski 3-1 (25-9, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19)
Losers bracket
Barrow def. Valdez 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 27-25) (loser out)
Monroe def. Kotzebue 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 27-25) (loser out)
Homer def. Barrow 3-0 (25-6, 26-24, 25-6 (loser out)
Sitka def. Monroe 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-20) (loser out)
Homer def. Sitka 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-23) (loser out)
Saturday’s matches
10 a.m. – Nikiski vs. Homer (loser out)
2 p.m. – Kenai vs. Nikiski-Homer winner (championship)