Bedlam, complete and utter bedlam reigned at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Sami Mauch had just driven one home, and the Lady Dawgs, in 4 sets, punched their ticket to the title game of the State tournament for the first time in 35 years. The Boneyard would be entering the Devaney Center for the first time in its existence. “We’re making history, and we’re not done yet,” senior Allison Kuenle said.

Fellow senior Olivia Nicholson was the recipient of intense heckling in the third and fourth sets. The Papillion-LaVista students, stole the Boneyard’s praise phrase for her, and with reckless abandon, chanted “C-S-U!” whenever Nicholson made a miscue. Needless to say, they didn’t chant it many times, as Nicholson was rock-solid as usual.

The Monarch student section had a burning question for the Boneyard. In the first set, when the Dawg side declared that Kuenle was a Loper, referring to her commitment to the University of Nebraska-Kearney, Papillion-LaVista asked “What’s a Loper?” They surely found out, as Kuenle scored 7 of 8 NP points during an 8-0 run in the 3rd. The opposition also ranted about how they did not care that she was a Loper, but deep down, they had to have, as Kuenle wound up tied with Nicholson for the game high in kills with 21.

Back in the lineup tonight after missing a match with an ankle sprain, was Mauch. She wound up with 8 kills, including the game-winner, and her heads-up playmaking created several opportunities for the Dawgs. In the first set, the Dawgs endured a marathon point, where Mauch wound up getting the kill to put NP up 20-14.

All night, it was match of momentum shifts. North Platte sustained a five point run in the first, and won the set. In the second, the Monarchs put together a 5-0 of their own. North Platte tried to get things rolling, but an iffy lift call insured that the Monarchs would take set two. In three, the Dawgs put their foot down. They were none too pleased with dropping their first set in 16 games. Kuenle led the Dawgs on the aforementioned 8-0 run and the Dawgs wound up taking it all, 25-19. In the fourth and final set, the Dawgs put together both 6-1, and 5-1 runs, finishing off Papillion-LaVista.

Throughout the game, the Monarch section often tried telling the Boneyard    “We’re number one!” To which the Dawgs would respond by quietly holding three fingers in the air, referencing the opposition’s #3 seed. The Dawgs came in thought to be the better team, and they proved it.

As Kuenle said postgame, the Dawgs aren’t finished yet. They will play, likely, the most anticipated match of the season tomorrow night against the Omaha-Marian Crusaders. In three meetings, the Dawgs have won one, but are in prime position to topple the #1 team in the state. The game begins at 7 p.m. at the Devaney Center. If you cannot attend in person, be sure to watch it live on NET.