You could call it a comeback.

Moments after getting swept by the South Wolverines to force the if-necessary set, the Dimond Lynx battled back to win the Cook Inlet Conference volleyball championship by winning a 30-23 winner-take-all bonus set Saturday night to cap their undefeated 14-0 conference regular season with hardware from the postseason.

Between a diving roll from junior setter Grace Petru to save a rally and booming spikes from sophomore outside hitter ​​Ailafo Fautanu, the
highlight-reel plays had Lynx fans cheering so hard they rocked the bleachers in the Service High School gym.

The energy of the crowd was matched by the enthusiasm of the players.

“I’d say, if you get a point, just celebrate,” said Fautanu, whose pumped-up celebrations have an uncanny way of invigorating her team. “It brings everyone up. If you’re up, everyone else is up.”

After getting swept by South in the first match, which forced the pivotal if-match, Dimond locked in despite a situation that would have rattled many teams.

“We really just flipped the switch and we had more energy,” said setter Anayah Sila, the only freshman on the Lynx roster, who had herself a game with six kills in the if-match. “We were keeping a fast pace even though we were kind of down. We just pushed to push up to the points.”

The eager crowd was ready and waiting to burst into cheers at every point, and the Lynx squad delivered. Alongside Sila’s six kills, senior outside hitter Mecca Goldsberry mashed five kills and Fautanu added three kills and two blocks. Senior middle/outside hitter Sarah Dittman contributed two kills.

“You’ve gotta have that mindset to just push forward,” said Fautanu on rallying back from the first loss. “As long as you push forward, it’ll go well. And it went well.”

South’s keen offense made the if-match a battle, led by six kills courtesy junior middle Indy Kmet and four from senior middle Litia Momoisea before she exited with an ankle injury.

The Wolverines are a formidable opponent, which showed in their quick dispatch of the Lynx in the first match. South advanced to the championship match after Friday’s semifinal loss to Dimond by sweeping Chugiak 3-0.

In Saturday’s first match against Dimond, South stuffed the top-ranked Lynx 25-13, 25-9 in the first two sets. Efforts by Kmet and junior middle Ellie Birch highlighted the first set. Kmet, Momoisea, and junior outside hitter Rachael White lit up the second set, which included a five-point run near the end of the set. Kicked off by an impressive backwards dump by junior setter/opposite Ellie Kleven, Kmet and White secured back-to-back kills, locked in by a Kleven ace that prompted a Dimond timeout.

Next week brings the ASAA Class 4A state tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center, which kicks off on Thursday and culminates with Saturday’s 3 p.m. championship match. The volleyball action continues on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. when UAA takes on UAF in the Seawolves’ bid to retake the NCAA Division II regular-season attendance record. UAA broke the previous record in 2022 with 3,888 fans only to see Nebraska-Kearney come back last year to take the crown with 4,003 fans.

CIC Coach of the Year
Kim Lauwers, Dimond High School
CIC Academic Award
Eagle River (3.87 GPA)
First Team All-CIC
Natalie Armerding – Eagle River
Keira Burrell – Chugiak
Sarah Dittman – Dimond
Dakota Evans – Service
Kiara Iloilo – Service
Elise Kelley – Chugiak
Ellie Kleven – South
Litia Momoisea – South
Eleasha Sapon – Dimond
Ava Warren – West
Evelyn Whitson – East
Sofia Zaccanti – East
Second Team All-CIC
Ellie Birch – South
Alyssa Cabesas – East
Ailafo Fautanu – Dimond
Jessica Gieser – South
Talise Gionson – Bartlett
Indy Kmet – South
Lagitafa “Lala” Alo – East
Maryann Maugaotega – Bartlett
Riley Montalbo – West
Grace Petru – Dimond
Oliviya Rodriguez – Chugiak
Anayah Sila – Dimond
Honorable Mention All-CIC
Mecca Goldsberry – Dimond
Meadow Carr – South
Denise Pinota – Bettye Davis East
Lily Ruiz – Service
Sa’ora Tonu – Chugiak
Ashley Clayton – West
Ava Egeline – Eagle River
Nisilia Faavale – Bartlett