HOLYOKE — Jen Joy tracked teammate Megan Rice’s twisting shot over the net to Minnechaug’s side.
The Amherst Regional girls volleyball team held match point Saturday in the Western Massachusetts Division 2 final at Holyoke Community College.
Minnechaug’s Zoe Tatro dug Rice’s attempt near the midcourt line and attempted a pass to the Falcons’ setter at the net. It floated too far, right to Joy’s waiting hands. She calmly flicked both wrists at the net, dropping the ball into Kara Catherine White’s lap.
White couldn’t push the ball back up, and Amherst won the third set 25-16 to sweep Minnechaug 25-18, 25-17, 25-16 and win its first sectional title since 2006.
The Hurricanes will face Central Mass champion Hopkinton at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Holyoke Community College.
Joy’s title-clinching block was one of four she made in the game.
“It’s definitely one of the more exciting plays to get,” Joy said. “It really amps us up.”
Amherst (23-0) stayed unbeaten largely with its defense. The Hurricanes had 59 digs led by 17 from Claire Basler-Chang, who also had nine kills. Rice also had a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs, while libero Periya Yath chipped in 10 digs.
“They come in every game, and they just do what they do no matter the situation,” Amherst coach Kacey Schmitt said. “That is to just play their hearts out every point.”
The Hurricanes trailed 7-6 in the first set and 10-9 in the second set. Minnechaug (16-6) led 3-0 in the third set before Amherst battled back to take a 6-5 lead on one of Joy’s three aces.
“We played with them early, then we kind of let it go,” Minnechaug coach Mark Taylor said. “They (the Hurricanes) don’t make mistakes.”
Amherst only committed 16 hitting errors compared to 35 team kills, and had nine serving errors against 14 aces.
“You never see them with any kind of negative body language. This team has faced losing their home gym, losing their home-gym advantage in playoffs despite being the undefeated number one seed. They took everything in stride,” Schmitt said. “They’re one of the most resilient, tenacious groups I’ve ever coached.”
Amherst led 19-15 in the third set when its student section began to chant “undefeated” followed by three claps.
Rice ripped her 10th kill of the match to the floor on the next point as an exclamation mark to go up 20-15.
The Hurricanes have won 39 consecutive sets. Minnechaug was the last team to win a set against them, 27-25 on Oct. 7. Amherst has only lost two sets all season in running the table in western Mass.
“We were trying really hard to not take it for granted,” Amherst’s Amy-Mei Lynch said. “It was such a good feeling to finally make it.”