Madison shows ‘dawg mentality’ in state semis comeback win
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IDAHO FALLS — No. 2 Madison took the first set from top-ranked Skyview to open the 6A Volleyball State Championships semifinal Saturday at the Mountain America Center. From there, though, they seemed to be swimming upstream the rest of the match.
The Hawks won the second and third sets, and had a 24-22 match point in the fourth.
But the Bobcats showed the grit and toughness head coach Keanu Pukahi said after the game has been its focus all year.
The Bobcats rallied back for a 27-25 set-four victory, scoring the deciding point on a Jonnie Folsom block.
It appeared Madison would be pushed again in the fifth set when, after winning the coin toss and choosing to serve first, the Bobcats fell behind immediately on a pair of errors.
From a 4-1 hole, Madison outscored Skyview 14-5 to earn the 15-6 set-five victory and 3-2 match win.
Pukahi said he and his team discussed all season what the “epitome of a dawg” is and how to personify that mentality. That discussion leaked into break huddles Saturday.
“Honestly, I feel like that’s the theme of our year, this year, for our girls — is having that dawg mentality,” the coach said standing beside his celebrating team. … “This is something we’ve practiced the whole year for, these moments right here.”
Pukahi could not have imagined things going better for his team in the first set. The Bobcats never trailed by more than one — when they fell behind 3-2 early. Facing the division’s top-ranked team though, they never held a significant advantage either and battled their way to a 25-23 set win.
The second set could not have been more stark in contrast.
Skyview took the early advantage, and never trailed. Instead, the put together several extended runs, unchecked by the Bobcats, en route to an impressive 25-14 set win.
The key to the Hawks’ dominance was the awakening of junior Bellamie Beus, who has already committed to play for the University of Kentucky in two years.
She recorded four kills and a block in the second set alone, and quickly attracted the attention of the Madison defense freeing up teammates on the other side of the court.
For stretches, the flow of the third set was similar to that of the second, with Skyview putting together overwhelming runs.
The Hawks had two separate stretches scoring five consecutive points.
But Madison began to show that fight which would eventually undo Skyview.
With several runs of their own, the Bobcats matched Skyview at 23. But the Hawks grabbed the 2-1 advantage behind a Beus kill to clinch a 26-24 set victory.
Pukahi used his full assortment of timeouts in the fourth set, in hopes of stemming the tides of a match that appeared to be slipping away from Madison.
Madison big-swinger Mia Walsh began to assert herself in the fourth set, but Beus and the Hawks still pulled to advantages of 9-5, then 13-9.
The Bobcats though, fought back over and over, and facing match point, down 24-23, got a block from Torey Parker. Then, Parker again kept her squad alive, stuffing another spike to give Madison a 26-25 set point. chance.
Like premonition, Folsom slammed the door on the fourth set with a block.
In a fifth and final set — a race to 15 — Skyview claimed an immediate 4-1 lead. But the lead was short-lived.
This time, Pukahi let his girls play through the adversity — rather than taking time — and Walsh made it the right decision.
A pair of Hawk errors wrapped around two Walsh blocks were quickly followed by a thunderous Walsh kill. And suddenly it was Skyview calling for timeout as their 4-1 lead had become a 6-4 deficit.
Skyview got a kill from Jillian Deatherage to momentarily stunt the Madison run. But it was only momentarily.
Another Walsh kill made it 7-5, which quickly became 14-6. And Folsom ended any thought of a Skyview comeback.
Madison beats Skyview in the state semis. Torey Parker ends it with a block. #idprep pic.twitter.com/NILStgKtpf
— Kalama Hines (@HINESight_2020) November 2, 2024
Of the come-from-behind win, Pukahi said:
“It’s great feeling, I don’t even know how else to explain it. … I wish it was done a little bit sooner.”
Walsh was Madison’s top attacker, tallying 16 kills, three blocks and two service aces. Nora Waddoups added nine kills, two blocks and an ace.
Beus dominated the court for Skyview, contributing 18 kills, four blocks and one ace.
With the win, Madison advanced to the finals, at 4 p.m.
Skyview, by losing, was forced to stay on the court and play Owyhee for the right to another crack at the Bobcats. As of 3 p.m., that match is tied, one set apiece, with the Storm leading the third, 8-2.
Pukahi said that the “mental break” after an emotional win will benefit his team when they hit the court with a banner on the line.
“It’s huge. It’s huge, for the fact that I know Skyview is going to be hungry,” he said. “I know they’re a great team. I think they’re mentally strong as well, just as much as we try to be.”
Because they are undefeated in the double-elimination tournament, whichever team earns the right to face Madison would have to beat them twice to claim the title.
As for the key to taking advantage of that break without losing all the momentum, Pukahi let his brother and assistant coach Wailea Pukahi answer.
“This team, it worked real hard and they deserve this time,” Wailea said. “But after a game like that, where they are coming off a huge high — they overcame some pressure and it’s great. But this isn’t over, it’s halftime. In that mentality of ‘halftime,’ you know there’s a lot more game to play, a lot of adjustments to make.”
