LINCOLN – The Amherst Broncos punched their ticket to their first state championship match appearance in school history with an upset sweep of GACC in the Class D1 semifinals.
The Broncos pulled off the sweep, taking down the #1 Bluejays 31-29, 25-21, and 25-21.
Amherst entered Friday’s match with a 24-8 overall mark, claiming the D1-5 District Championship with a four set win over Diller-Odell on Oct. 28. Amherst had taken down BDS in four sets Thursday afternoon.
It was the second consecutive season that the Broncos entered into the semifinals – this year in Class D1.
GACC had swept fellow Sandhills team Burwell in the early afternoon match Thursday, coming in at 26-5.
Amherst v. GACC // Austin Jacobsen
SET 1: Amherst would not back down easily, as the early stretch had trading points by both sides. GACC’s elite block stuffed a few early chances – led by Julianne Ridder and Charlie Dinslage. The Broncos, however, would force the Bluejays out of system for a 6-3 lead early.
GACC would tie it up with Ridder’s early kill, but the Broncos continued to fight to hold their advantage. Amherst took two of the next three, but the Bluejays proved their top-seed ranking with a ferocious effort to keep up.
Amherst’s Hannah Herrick and Grace John paired up for a block to take an 11-8 lead. Several long rallies were won by Amherst, as the Broncos blocks – led by Herrick – created the largest lead of the set going up 13-9 forcing a GACC timeout.
The Broncos high energy continued to roll, scoring three in a row after GACC brought the contest within two. Amherst led 18-12 when the Bluejays were called into the net. The repeated side-outs for the Broncos held the D1-5 Champs in the drivers seat, bringing on another GACC timeout.
The Bluejays response came after the break, as a tip shot would be rejected by Ridder followed up with a kill by Dinslage. Amhert’s John used a long push to get the Broncos to twenty first.
Up 20-15, Amherst had back-to-back miscues from a service error and a missed hit. Head coach Jonie Fader used her first timeout to settle the nerves, leading 20-17.
GACC would make it three in a row, firing a kill by Dinslage. Amherst would avoid a tie, taking a 21-19 lead on a tip. The Bluejays had other plans, continuing their 6-1 run to tie the contest at 21. The Bluejays would take a lead – their first in the later stage of the set on a Kelsy Steffen kill. Amherst would use their second timeout, trailing 22-21.
The Broncos would tie the contest back at 22, but Steffen’s kills kept coming, giving GACC a 24-23 lead. Following a service error – the first of the set for the Bluejays – Amherst would respond with a late hit, but GACC would respond to tie again at 25.
The Broncos and GACC once again traded points, but the Bluejays took their first advantage since the first set point up 27-26. After another tie, GACC took the lead again with a roll shot off the top of the net. Amherst once again responded off a kill by Syd Mouw. The Broncos would take their lead 29-28 with a service ace by Key Hagan.
GACC followed up with a thunderous shot by Skoda, tying up again at 29. Without a chance to rest, GACC misplayed a ball in the back corner for a service ace by Tezzi Tesmer to close out the first set in an Amherst win 31-29.
SET 2: The Broncos were off to a quick start in the opening of the set, going up 6-2 then pushed to 7-3 after a kill by Key Hagan and an assist by Mouw. Amherst’s Mouw entered the season with 66 blocks on the year, and earned her fourth block of the match followed by a kill to extend the Bronco lead 11-4.
GACC used a timeout to settle down, and the stop worked to score four in a row including a block by Skoda. The Bluejays went on a 6-0 run forcing Amherst into their first timeout.
Amherst held an 11-10 lead out of the timeout, and punched in a left side attack by Saryn Prickett to go up two. A service ace by the Bluejays’ Jayden Ehrisman, followed by a kill from Steffen, gave GACC their first lead in the second up 13-12. Another ace and kill pushed GACC’s lead 15-12.
Amherst’s Herrick stopped the run with back-to-back solo blocks. The Bluejays would keep Amherst behind, scoring two in a row and keeping their lead at 17-15. GACC was called into the net, followed by a miscommunication on a missed pass to tie the set at 17.
The Broncos regained the lead briefly, as both teams would trade ties and one point advantages. A timeout by GACC gave a breather to the action, with Amherst leading 21-20.
Out of the timeout, the Bluejays’ Ridder tied the contest with her kill at 21. A dump shot by GACC went wide, giving Amherst the 24-21 lead with a kill following. On set point, Mouw ended with a block to complete the second set 25-21.
Amherst v. GACC // Austin Jacobsen
SET 3: Leading two sets to none, Amherst hoped to keep up with a last gasp by top-seeded GACC. The prior two sets had gone thirty minutes each, testing both sides’ endurance.
Amherst was in the net on back-to-back points to open the third, giving GACC an early lead. The Bluejays built their lead up further, scoring four of the first five points.
The Broncos responded with three straight on their own, scoring to tie at four all with an ace by Prickett. Herrick would tie it up again at five with a thunderous kill. Herrick would add her second kill of the set to go up 6-5.
GACC would start a run, scoring on a 3-1 advantage regaining their lead 10-8. Mouw would block another attempt by Ridder, tying the contest at ten. An assist from John gave Prickett a kill to lead Amherst up 12-10.
Keeping their lead 14-12, Amherst hoped to begin to pull further away. A tpi by Prickett to go up three brought on a GACC timeout for the first stop of the third set. Out of the stop, Prickett fired through a block to earn another going up 16-12.
GACC prevented further damage, stopping the Amherst run with a shot by Steffen. The Bluejays then scored four in a row to tie the contest at sixteen. A misfire by GACC pushed Amherst in the lead up 21-18. A long rally ended on a GACC miscommunication despite several diving attempts to keep the Bluejays in the contest. Amherst pushed their lead to 22-18, as GACC took their final timeout.
Sydney Mouw used her fourth kill to give the Broncos a 23-19 lead, followed by a service error against Amherst. The Broncos were only two points away from an upset sweep of the top seed, winning 25-21.
A misplayed hit went out of play, giving GACC the serve in a two point deficit. Prickett made up for the miscue for a kill, setting match point. The final point – a service ace by Key Hagan – punched Amherst into the State Championship for the first time in school history.
Amherst v. GACC // Austin Jacobsen
Amherst faces the winner of #6 SEM and #7 Elgin Public/Pope John for Saturday’s championship match at the Bob Devaney Sports Center at 11 AM.
GACC will face the loser of the second semifinal match at 1 PM at Lincoln Northeast High School Saturday.
