JDHS to open state volleyball championships against Dimond
- Klas Stolpe
- Nov 11, 2025
- 5 min read
Crimson Bears will face Lynx to survive Alaska’s harsh winter
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
There will be no rest for the weary as the Southeast Region V volleyball champions Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé — who weathered the Ketchikan courts last weekend — head to Anchorage on Wednesday to prepare for the ASAA Volleyball State Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center.
“Well, our first game is against Dimond,” senior middle blocker Neela Thomas said. “They are the second seed so it is going to be a tough game. I think we just need to put our best effort in and keep our energy up and just try our best. Hopefully we will get past them, and then we play Lathrop or Colony. So we will hope for the best.”
JDHS (25-18-7) opens play at 1:30 p.m. Thursday against the Cook Inlet Conference champions Dimond Lynx (33-13-1).
“Dimond has some big front row players that will hit hard and put up big blocks,” JDHS coach Jody Levernier said. “They are scrappy and play well in system and out of system.”
Seven of last season’s state tournament teams return. Only 2024 state champ Wasilla failed to rebuild. The double-elimination tournament matches are the best three-of-five sets. Games are to 25 points except the fifth, which stops at 15.
“I think that we need to be really scrappy and aggressive,” JDHS senior libero Cambry Lockhart said. Lockhart was a state player-of-the-game last season. “Especially when we start to play a lot of smart teams. They are going to pick apart our weaknesses and just make it a lot tougher to make great plays, like pass, set, hit and all that. So we need to be scrappy and run our offense as much as we can.”
Other 4A returning players that received All-State or game recognitions include South seniors Indy Kmet and Ellie Kleven, Dimond sophomore Anayah Sila, Chugiak senior Elise Kelley, Service senior Dakota Evans, Lathrop senior Annebelle Foster, Soldotna senior Sarah Brown, and JDHS senior outside hitter Lavinia Ma’ake.
“I feel like our bond goes further than just volleyball,” Ma’ake said of her team. “Really we have grown to be friends outside of this sport, and we love to talk and hang out. I think that plays a big part in how we play. That chemistry is very important. I am excited. We need to play with no regrets. It is our last big tournament, probably the biggest tournament we have played, and so we need to go out there with a winning mindset.”
JDHS faced Dimond on Oct. 24 at the Dimond/Service Invitational. The Lynx won 2-0 (25-16, 25-20), but the Crimson Bears were without senior middle blocker Gwen Nizich, who is considered a college prospect. That tiny snippet of the season shows JDHS has strength through the roster.
“This is actually my first time going to state for volleyball so I am super excited,” Nizich said. “And for all of us, this is the last time we will be playing in a high school tournament. It is just really important for us to work our hardest and leave it all out on the court. The Anchorage teams are always bigger and very good, so we are just going to work for it.”
Some common opponents this season include Barrow (DMD 2-0 in sets, JDHS 1-7), Bettye Davis East Anchorage (DMD 9-1, JDHS 0-7), Grace Christian (DMD 2-0, JDHS 1-2), Kenai (DMD 1-1, JDHS 0-2), Lathrop (DMD 2-0, JDHS 4-0), Mountain City Christian Academy (DMD 2-0, JDHS 1-1) and South Anchorage (DMD 6-12, JDHS 0-2).
“I think this whole season we have been working on confidence and not letting bigger teams scare us,” JDHS senior outside hitter Braith Dihle said. “At least that is something I personally have been working on. So I think heading into state we just need to be open minded and take every challenge as it comes and not psych ourselves out. Just be ready for anything. Don’t be intimidated and don’t think that any team is too big or too small for us. I am really excited for that.”
In other opening play Thursday on JDHS’ side of the bracket, the Mid Alaska Conference champions Lathrop Malemutes (21-25-10) face the Northern Lights Conference runner-up Colony Knights (33-18-2) at 3:15 p.m. Winners of those games play at 7 p.m. Thursday to advance to the 5:15 p.m. Friday semifinal. The losers of the opening round games begin elimination play at 11:45 a.m. Friday. Elimination games continue 3:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, with another at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“Expect a lot of competition and everyone playing their hardest,” JDHS senior outside hitter Natalia Harris said. “Because everyone wants to win. We just have to play at their level and play higher than we have always played.”
The other side of the bracket features the NLC number one Soldotna Stars (26-17) facing the CIC number three seed Service Cougars (24-14-3) at 10 a.m., and the CIC number one South Anchorage Wolverines (40-3-1) facing the CIC at-large selection Chugiak Mustangs (31-15-1) at 11:45 a.m. Winners of those games play again at 5:15 p.m. Thursday to advance to the 5:15 semifinal Friday. Losers play in elimination matches beginning at 10 a.m. Friday and can advance in elimination games at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and another at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The winner of Friday’s 5:15 p.m. semifinal advances to the 4 p.m. championship Saturday to await the winner of the 11 a.m. Saturday consolation rounds survivor. An if-needed game (one set to 30 points) will be played immediately following the championship if it is the loser’s first loss.
The 3A state tournament begins Thursday at the same location and with the same double-elimination format. Seven of last season’s eight tournament schools return, with only Seward absent. The Southeast Conference champion Sitka Wolves (20-21-9) open against the Southcentral Conference number two Kenai Kardinals (36-16-5) at 10 a.m., and the Aurora Conference number one Valdez Buccaneers (43-11-1) play the Western Conference number two Nome Nanooks (21-18-2). The other side of the 3A bracket opens with the Western Conference number one Barrow Whalers (36-13-4) facing the Aurora Conference number two Monroe Rams (17-9-2), and the Southcentral Conference number one Nikiski Bulldogs (39-12-6) facing the Western Conference at-large selection Kotzebue Huskies (8-15-2).
The 3A state tournament honored players returning include Barrow seniors Aiga Unutoa and Zadah Unutoa, Kenai senior Brynnen Hanson and Sophie Tapley, Kotzebue senior Mylie McConnell, Monroe juniors Kenleigh Newton, Rory Morgan and Leila Church, Nikiski junior Mandee Roofe and sophomore Blakeley Jorgensen, Seward senior McKinley Williams, and Valdez seniors Destiny Day and Lola Compehos.
Aside from the aforementioned common opponents, JDHS has been competitive against other teams in this year’s 4A and 3A state tournaments, including Colony, Kotzebue, Nikiski and Sitka.
“We have been able to play in tournaments with many of the teams at state,” coach Levernier said. “It’s always nice to have played them or seen them play. We are used to traveling - this is the seventh time this season. So that will be nothing new. It will be nice this time to be up a day early, so the team can get a good night’s sleep. We get to practice at the Alaska Airlines Center at UAA, and that always helps calm the nerves being on the court ahead of time.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
