Lincoln, Neb. – The Falcons came to Lincoln on Thursday reaching new heights as a team. Their first state tournament appearance got off to an excellent start, but Mullen settled in to win in four sets 22-25, 26-24, 25-14, and 25-20.
Wilcox-Hildreth looked sharp from the beginning as they continued their aggressive play from last week’s district final win. Freshman Elsie Donley led with five kills as she found every available opening. Meanwhile, junior Camryn Bunger had four kills as the Falcons raced to a 15-4 lead. Mullen found their way and pushed the score to 22-21. The Falcons regained their composure and won three of the next four points to take the first set.
In the second, Wilcox-Hildreth scored 10-consecutive points and built a 20-8 lead with a two-set advantage on the horizon. However, Mullen put together several smaller runs to slowly chip away at the deficit. The Broncos tied the set at 23 and overcame a 24-23 set point to even the match at one set each. The 12-point comeback win gave Mullen all the confidence they would need.
The Broncos came out in the third set ready to take control of the match. Scoring in chunks, Mullen took little time in grabbing a sizeable advantage. As the Wilcox-Hildreth front row cooled down, the Broncos heated up and won the set easily to go up two sets to one.
Facing elimination, Wilcox-Hildreth ramped up their offensive attacks again. After trading points early in the fourth, Mullen was able to get ahead once again. The Broncos took a 17-10 lead midway through before the Falcons battled back. Donley and Bunger found their groove again, combining for seven kills. It was not enough, however, and Mullen won the fourth set to advance to Friday’s D2 semifinals.
The win boosted the No. 2 Seeded Broncos to 31-2. They’ll play at 11 am on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Wilcox-Hildreth saw their season come to an end. In 2026, the Falcons set a new school record for most wins in a season as they played, hosted, and won their first district final match in program history. Their state tournament appearance capped off a memorable and Wilcox-Hildreth-best season.
Camryn Bunger had 12 kills and two blocks, Elsie Donley had 10 kills and four blocks, and freshman Ellie Blank finished with nine kills and four aces. The Falcons end their season at 21-12.
