The Athens volleyball team knocked off Lansing Christian in three sets in the Division 4 state semifinals on Thursday to advance to the state championship game.
The Indians jumped out to a big lead in each of the three sets.
"It really does help us set the tone," Athens senior outside hitter Kylie Quist said. "It helps us get a good start and we always talk about that. We always say that we can't take advantage of them after the first set and that we have to continue going hard in the second and third."
Quist had a game-high 11 kills, Alain Brubaker added 29 assists and 14 digs.
"We know what pressure feels like," Athens head coach Jacy Cole said. "We've been in some spots already this season and that has helped us get here and deal with that pressure. I think you could see that they handled the pressure very well, even when we were down by several points and we just chip away at it, and I think that is what helped set us apart."
Athens will take on Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in the state title game on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Kellogg Arena.
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