When Blue Valley High School and Blue Valley Northwest High School stepped onto the floor to face each other in the sixth game of the state tournament, it was not an unfamiliar situation. The two teams had played each other twice previously in the season, and both times the Tigers had come away with a victory. However, after three sets of intense back and forth play, it was the Huskies turn to come out on top.

“Holy cow,” BVNW head coach Molly Haggerty said at the conclusion of the game. “Probably my most favorite win all season. That was a team that has beaten us twice this season, and to be able to go out there and tell the girls the game plan and to have them execute it, I’m just very impressed with how they played.”

The Huskies started out the first set strong, gaining five points before the Tigers could even score one. However, once BVHS found their groove, the rest of the game was very close. Both teams had opportunities to gain a more dominant lead, but good defense on both ends kept the score within a few points. Despite trading the lead at various stages in the set, BVNW ended up with the dub, 25-19.

However, the Tigers made a comeback in the second set. While the Huskies got off to another quick start, they were unable to keep up with the Tiger’s offense and consistent defense. As a result, BVNW fell into a hole they were unable to dig themselves out of, and BVHS took the victory with a score of 25-17.

“I think when we were coming from behind in that wet, we lost our composure and had some moments where we had some bummed attitudes,” Haggerty said. “That made it hard to get out of the funk.”

BVNW junior outside hitter Adeline Ellis agrees, the team fell into a steep slump during the second set that they were unable to get out of.

“We need to work on staying mentally focused and positive,” Ellis said. “In that second match, we definitely let it get to our heads and we had a let down.”

Despite a slow second set, the Huskies were not ready to give up yet. Once again, BVNW took an early lead that the Tigers quickly caught up to. The remainder of the set was a constant battle in which the lead changed constantly and points were swapped every play. However, as the end of the match drew closer, the Huskies were able to lengthen their lead enough to give them a 25-21 victory.

“I thought we earned that game,” Ellis said. “We worked so hard for the past few weeks. We played out of our minds today. I don’t think we ever expected to get this far into the tournament. So that’s awesome for us. We’ve been preparing for this game for a really long time. It’s our third time trying to play them and our first time beating them so it was very exciting.”

BVHS head coach Dave Johnson said though his team passed and served well, their passing was what killed them in the game, and he assures that it will not happen tomorrow.

“That was a great match,” Johnson said. “We’ve already beaten them a few times in the season and it’s hard to beat a good team more than twice. So tomorrow’s about redemption, and we will be waiting for them.”

Haggerty attributes her team’s success to their flexibility and ability to adjust with the game plan. The Husky defense stayed strong against the Tiger’s scrappy hitters, which kept them in the game.

“Highlight of the game is seeing the girls in that third set when we started gaining some momentum and them actually believing that we were going to do this,” Haggerty said. “And then those last couple plays where we had some really strong blocks and swings against a good defensive team. So that was a really incredible feeling to witness that. “

Gallery • 17 Photos

Nicole Tenold