JUST SHORT

ANCHORAGE —Colony took a magnificent leap into volleyball elite, but ultimately the Knights fell just short of the highest feat.

The Dimond Lynx blocked the Knights’ quest for their first state title since 1998 with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-22) win over Colony during the final match of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at West Anchorage High School on Saturday.

Dimond used a late push in each of the three set to grab the deceptive sweep.

“It was close,” Colony head coach Amy Carter said. “I’m proud of my girls.”

Massive middle hitter Taylor Adams posted 18 kills and 12 total blocks to lead Dimond to its second straight state title.

Adams rocketed consecutive shots across the net to break a 25-25 tie and lead the Lynx to a two-point win during the first set. Adams again powered Dimond to the final two points in a 25-22 win in the second set.

And the 6-foot-1 senior slipped the ball into an open space in the right corner of the Knights’ side of the court to record Dimond’s final point in the decisive game three.

“Dimond played very well,” Carter said. “They had just a little bit more.”

Carter was thrilled with the way her team battled against a Dimond squad that featured four players 5-10 or taller. Colony held significant leads at points during each of the first two sets and never trailed by more than five points in the match.

Senior Sierra Hodgson led the Knights with 12 kills in the game. Hodgson and fellow senior Katie Gonski led Colony’s always-resilient 17 digs each.

Senior Brittany Brown added seven kills for the Knights. Colony used a six-point run midway through the first game to break a 10-10 tie and build a 16-10 lead.

Brown knocked a shot off the Dimond block to cap the run for the Knights.

But thanks in part to the Dimond serve — the Lynx collected five aces in the first game — the Anchorage squad was able to claw its way back into the game.

After a Colony net violation call netted the score at 19, the teams found themselves tied at five more points during the first game.

After a Colony attack error, Dimond served for game point, but an error tied the game at 25. But Adams broke the tie with her heroics.

Colony again built a lead during the second game. Hodgson tucked a shot just inside the back line to give the Knights the 8-4 advantage. Junior Tess Forstner pushed the ball over the net to keep play alive, but the ball found a hole in the Knights defense, and Colony held the 12-8 advantage.

Dimond used a small run to tie the score at 12.

And once again, the teams traded the lead back and fourth. The score was tied four more times after it was locked at 12-12. Forstner put up a big block to tie the score at 22, but Adams carried the Lynx with consecutive kills to end the game.

Dimond held its match-best five point lead, midway through the third. A Colony attack error gave the Lynx the 12-7 advantage. But this time, it was the Knights who marched back.

After Dimond made a pair of point-saving digs, Brown, from her spot on the left side, batted a hard shot down on the far side of the court to tie the score at 14.

The Knights tied the score again at 16, but following back-to-back Dimond kills, the Lynx were able to hold at least a two-point advantage for the remainder of the match.

Colony, the Northern Lights Conference runner-up, bolted into its third state title match since 2003 with wins over Juneau-Douglas and Chugiak.

The Knights posted a convincing sweep of the Southeast Conference champion Crimson Bears during the quarterfinals on Thursday, and topped Cook Inlet Conference champion Chugiak in a fabulous four-game effort in the semifinals on Friday.

Colony managed all that despite graduating seven seniors from a squad that won the NLC crown last season and recovering from regular-season losses to conference foes Wasilla, Palmer and Soldotna.

“I’m very proud of my team for how far we’ve come,” Carter said.

Senior Siobhan Johansen, the NLC North Division Player of the Year, was named the 4A outstanding setter following the tournament. Johansen and junior Shellina Irwin were each named to the all-tourney team.

Colony also earned the 4A academic award, thanks to its 3.71 grade point average.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

2009 ASAA All-Tournament team:

Casey Kavanaugh, Chugiak; Nicole Cherrier, Palmer; Taylor Adams, Dimond;

Shawna Powell, Soldotna; Sarah Johnson, South Anchorage; Shellina Irwin,

Colony; Julie Mackey, West Valley; Robin Burton, Chugiak; Emily Rohloff,

Soldotna; Siobhan Johansen, Colony; Amanda Howard, Dimond.