The Branford volleyball team is back in the state championship game for the second consecutive year.
On Monday at Polk State College’s Health Center in Winter Haven, the Bucs edged defending state champion Baker 25-18, 19-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8 in the FHSAA Rural state semifinals.
The top-seeded Bucs (27-3) will play No. 2 seed Liberty County (Bristol), which defeated No. 3 seed Moore Haven, 3-1, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday for the Rural state title.
The win avenged a four-set loss to the Gators (11-13) in last year’s Class 1A state title game.
It was also the 25th straight win for Branford, which defeated Union County (Lake Butler) in five sets last Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the region final.
In the opening set, Branford used a pair of 4-0 runs to turn a 13-13 game into a 21-14 lead.
Junior Kayley Johnson and senior Addison Folsom each had a kill, and senior Erika Rioux had an ace, as part of the 8-1 run.
The Bucs finished off the first game with a kill by seventh-grader Lalyn Sikes for a 25-18 win and a 1-0 lead.
In the second set, following a kill by Branford sophomore Anabella Dicks for an 18-17 lead, the Gators responded with a 4-0 run to take a 21-18 lead before pulling away.
The Gators got an ace from senior Addison Cadenhead and a kill by senior Kaleigh Moss to tie the match at 1-1.
Branford seized the momentum quickly after Baker jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third set.
A kill by Sikes started a 6-0 run and a 6-2 lead.
However, the Gators would eventually tie it at 11-11 on a kill by senior Brooke Brunson and eventually took a 13-11 lead.
They extended it to an 18-14 lead before Branford coach Mendy Sikes called timeout.
The Bucs responded with two key runs, a 4-0 run highlighted by a pair of kills by Dicks, and following a 19-18 lead on a kill by the Baker senior Kaleigh Moss, Branford went on a 7-0 run.
Senior Madison Ward, who was on crutches during the Union County game, had a kill to start the run, followed by kills by Ward and a pair from Sikes for the final three points to take a 2-1 lead.
Despite a 25-20 loss in the fourth set, Branford built a 4-0 lead in the decisive fifth set on kills by Ward and Johnson.
Baker never led in the final set, and an attack error gave the Bucs a 15-8 win sending them on to Wednesday’s title game.
2024 FHSAA Volleyball State Championships
Monday, Nov. 4
Rural State Semifinals
1 Branford d. 4 Baker 25-18, 19-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8^
Wednesday, Nov. 6
Rural State Championship game
1 Branford vs. 2 Liberty County (Bristol), 10 a.m.^
^Polk State College – Winter Haven Health Center (Winter Haven)