High School Sports

Dimond’s roar for four begins with sweeps at state volleyball tournament

The Dimond Lynx began their roar for four with, well, a roar Thursday.

The Lynx, who are chasing a fourth straight state championship, established themselves as the class of the Class 4A state volleyball tournament by sweeping past two opponents in dominant fashion.

Dimond dusted Colony in the first round at the Alaska Airlines Center 25-16, 25-3, 25-6. Then it dumped South in a winners-bracket match 25-12, 25-23, 25-15 to remain undefeated against Alaska teams.

Those victories put the Lynx in a Friday night semifinal match against West, which breezed past Thunder Mountain with a first-round sweep and turned back Soldotna in four sets in the winners bracket.

The winner of the Dimond-West match, scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Friday, will advance to Saturday's 5 p.m. championship match.

Friday's semifinal in the Class 3A tournament will be replay of last week's Southcentral Conference championship match between Nikiski and Grace Christian.

Nikiski came from behind to knock off defending state champion Valdez in a four-set winners-bracket match Thursday. The Bulldogs, who swept Barrow in the first round, stopped Valdez 22-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-13.

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Grace Christian advanced by sweeping Mt. Edgecumbe and Monroe. On Friday, the Grizzlies face a Nikiski team that beat them in five sets in the Southcentral Conference title game Saturday.

ASAA/First National Bank state volleyball championships

Class 4A

Thursday's results

First round

South def. Wasilla, 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 21-25, 26-24)

Dimond def. Colony, 3-0 (25-16, 25-3, 25-6

Soldotna def. West Valley, 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 19-25, 15-8)

West def. Thunder Mountain, 3-0 (25-18, 25-6, 25-11)

Winners bracket

Dimond def. South, 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-15

West def. Soldotna, 3-1 (25-9, 25-12, 26-28, 25-21)

Friday's matches

Losers bracket

10 a.m. — Wasilla vs. Colony

11:45 a.m. — West Valley vs. Thunder Mountain

1:30 p.m. — Soldotna vs. Wasilla-Colony winner

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3:15 p.m. — South vs. West Valley-Thunder Mountain winner

Winners bracket

5:15 p.m. — Dimond vs. West

Class 3A

Thursday's results

First round

Grace Christian def. Mt. Edgecumbe, 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-16)

Monroe Catholic def. Nome, 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 26-24)

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Valdez def. Homer, 3-1 (25-10, 14-25, 28-26, 25-23)

Nikiski vs. Barrow, 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-18)

Winners bracket

Grace def. Monroe, 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-17)

Nikiski def.  Valdez, 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-13)

Friday's matches

Losers bracket

10 a.m. — Mt. Edgecumbe vs. Nome

11:45 a.m. — Homer vs. Barrow

1:30 p.m. — Valdez vs. Mt. Edgecumbe-Nome winner

3:15 p.m. — Monroe vs. Homer-Barrow winner

Winners bracket

5:15 p.m. — Grace vs. Valdez-Nikiski winner

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