Mt. Edgecumbe captures 3A volleyball crown

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Mt. Edgecumbe High came from the losers bracket to defeat Nikiski High to claim the Class 3A state volleyball championship at the UAA Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday, November 12, 2016. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News)

At Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, the start of every school year ushers in a new group of students who come from all across Alaska to attend the boarding school.

With them, the new students bring the unknown. Is there a math whiz in the bunch? Someone who can dunk a basketball? A talented artist?

Or maybe a budding volleyball star?

"We call our tryouts Volleyball Christmas, because you never know what you're gonna get. It's a big surprise," Mt. Edgecumbe volleyball coach Michael Mahoney said.

A season that began with Volleyball Christmas ended Saturday with Volleyball New Year's Eve — a hug-filled, happy-tears celebration set off when the Braves captured the Class 3A state championship at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Amy Bioff, a sophomore from Nome in her second year at Mt. Edgecumbe, served two straight aces for the final two points in the Braves' title-match victory over Nikiski.

The aces put an end to a long day for the Braves, who woke up around 5:30 a.m. to prepare for an 8 a.m. loser-out match against Grace Christian.

Mt. Edgecumbe overcame a slow start to beat the Grizzlies 18-25, 25-11, 27-25, 25-16. That put the Braves in the championship match against Nikiski, the team that beat Mt. Edgecumbe in five sets Friday to send the Braves to the loser's bracket.

Given a second shot at the Bulldogs, Mt. Edgecumbe delivered.

The Braves swept Nikiski 25-13, 25-12, 25-10 to force the if-necessary set to 30 points. There, the Braves withstood a late rally by Nikiski to seal their championship with a 30-22 victory.

Rachelle Persson, a senior from Kalskag, served three aces in a 6-0 run that gave Mt. Edgecumbe a 12-4 lead. A little later the Braves used a 5-0 run to stretch their lead to 19-8 and were leading 25-14 before Nikiski mounted a comeback.

The Bulldogs outscored Mt. Edgecumbe 8-2 to draw within five points, 27-22, a stretch that included two kills and a block by senior Ayla Pitt.

A hitting error by Pitt put Bioff at the service line with a 28-22 lead. Two jump serves later, the Braves were the state champions for the fourth time in six years.

While the Braves are accustomed to the pressure of playing in the championship match, the Bulldogs aren't. Nikiski was in the title match for the first time since its championship season in 2000.

"We struggled on defense and offense, and that's definitely not something we do," Nikiski coach Stacey Segura said. "They wanted it so bad, and when you want it so bad, sometimes you seize up with nerves."

Bioff said the Braves played better the second time they went up against Nikiski.

"We limited our mistakes and played smarter," she said.

Bioff said she when she arrived in Sitka from Nome, she wasn't confident that she'd make the volleyball team.

But she turned out to be one of the surprise packages at last year's Volleyball Christmas, just as Persson was when she showed up at Mt. Edgecumbe for her freshman year.

"I wasn't expecting to make varsity," said Persson, a libero who denied Nikiski attackers on several occasions Saturday. "I tried out for junior varsity and the coach told me to go to the varsity tryouts."

Persson is one of seven Mt. Edgecumbe seniors, a group that includes a solid middle blocker in Hannah Alowa of Nome, a steady setter in Zhane White of Hoonah and an opportunistic hitter in Roselyn Lowe of Anchorage.

Among those expected to come back for the Braves are Bioff, an outside hitter whose production Saturday included a couple of well-placed tips, and Haylee Steffes, another good middle blocker.

Nikiski will lose a huge contributor in Pitt, a middle blocker who racked up 19 kills and five blocks Saturday.

But the Bulldogs should return a lot of top talent, including sophomore middle blocker Bethany Carstens (13 kills), junior outside hitters Melanie Sexton (8 kills, 25 digs) and Jamie Yerkes (3 aces, 7 kills), sophomore libero Kelsey Clark (35 digs) and a pair of young setters in Emma Wik and Kaitlin Johnson.

Saturday's loss prompted plenty of tears, Segura said, but solace comes from knowing the program is moving in the right direction.

In five seasons as coach, Segura — a 2006 Nikiski graduate who was a member of the 2005 team that placed third at the state tournament — has guided the Bulldogs to three state tournaments.

"The first time we were 2-and-out, but we made it to state. The second time we were fourth, and now we're in the final game," she said.

"… I know they're not gonna forget this. We know we can be that team that has the experience the next time."

ASAA/First National Bank Class 3A volleyball championships

All-tournament team

Kaitlyn Cowell, Grace Christian

Haylee Steffes, Mt. Edgecumbe

Savannah Mapp, Monroe

Ayla Pitt, Nikiski

Annie VanderWiede, Grace Christian

Bobbi Mott, Valdez

Melanie Sexton, Nikiski

Milya Wright, Barrow

Cassidy Kramer, Kotzebue

Rachelle Persson, Mt. Edgecumbe

Kelsey Clark, Nikiski

Zhane White, Mt. Edgecumbe

Saturday's results

Loser-out — Mt. Edgecumbe def. Grace Christian, 3-1 (18-25, 25-11, 27-25, 25-16)

Championship — Mt. Edgecumbe def. Nikiski, 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-10)

If-necessary — Mt. Edgecumbe 30, Nikiski 22