Milford volleyball players celebrate their dramatic 3-2 win over Coe-Brown in Wednesday's Division II semifinals in Derry. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

DERRY – They poked the Bears and almost paid for it, but there was a sense of resilience for the Milford High School girls volleyball team in the Division II semifinals on Wednesday at Pinkerton Academy’s Hackler Gymnasium.

And that resulted in a 3-2 win for the No. 3 Spartans over No. 2 Coe-Brown Northwood and a spot in Saturday’s Division II finals vs. No. 1 Somersworth at 2 p.m. here at the Hackler. Milford was last in the finals in 2021.

“It’s all about energy, it’s all about believing in yourselves,” Milford coach Haley Patch said. “Before we set foot on this court, we knew that nobody really believed in us outside of the 20 individuals that are on our roster. It was all about … reminding them that they needed to have confidence.”

Especially after they were seven points away in the third set, up 18-11, from a sweep of the 17-2 Bears, who have been to three straight finals and beat the Spartans in the 2021 title match. Milford (17-2) had taken the first two sets over the slow starting Bears 25-15, 25-22, before Coe-Brown awoke from its slumber, led by kill machine Emma Zeblisky (21 kills), and took the next two, rallying in that third set for a 25-23 win and taking set four, 26-24 to even things up at 2.

“I never doubted our team, but I thought we would get it done in three,” Patch said. “But Coe-Brown has the experience over us, and that alone, it sits with you. They had the experience on their side. You can never count out Coe-Brown and what they’re capable of.”

The Bears were without their senior middle hitter, Stella Vachon, who suffered an ankle injury in the quarterfinals.

“They started believing,” Bears coach Renee Zobel said. “They’ve done this all year. The second that everyone counts them out, they dig deep and make magic happen. I don’t think another team could lose a key player like that right before the semifinals and do what they did tonight.”

Thus the teams went to a dramatic deciding fifth set that was like four sets in one: a 5-0 start by the Spartans, followed after a CB timeout a 9-0 Bears run, followed by a Spartan rally to knot things at 10 before the see saw to the final points that produced a 15-12 Milford win.

The Bears were up, 12-11, before a bad hit tied it at 12. Milford’s Emma Desrochers then served out the match, getting an ace, a CB hit out of bounds, and an ace to put Milford in the finals for the first time since

“Oh my gosh I was just thinking to myself this could be it, we could just finish it off right here,” Desrochers, who had four aces in all, said what was on her mind as she was serving. “And sure enough we did, I was just so proud of all of us and we put so much into it.”

“Emma has been lights out,” Patch said. “She’s been a leader for us emotionally and it was so awesome for her to get that last point as a senior, and somebody we called upon from the bench and execute for us and she did just that.”

Besides Zeblisky, Coe-Brown was paced by libero Haile Comeau’s 25 digs, and nine kills by Kelli Daniel.

Milford’s Savannah Watson dives for a dig as teammates Piper Greenhalgh (4) and Paige Davis look on during Wednesday’s Division II semifinals vs. Coe-Brown at Pinkerton Academy. (Courtesy photo)

Patch was pleased with how resilient the Spartans, who were led on offense by Abigail Krulis and Savannah Watson, were. Piper Greenhalgh (27 digs, four aces, a kill), Beth Brooks (nine kills, a block), and Kassie Cupin (31 assists, eight digs, one kill) also contributed.

“I think we got a little nervous at times, a little rattled and stopped doing the things we know how to do,” Patch said. “Again, just settling down, staying grounded, and fixing those things.”

In that final set, Zobel felt something was just a little off despite a nine-point run.

“We just couldn’t get in a rhythm,” she said. “Our passing started to break down a little bit. We were making some aggressive plays, just too many errors.”

And now it’s on to the finals vs. 21-0 Somersworth, which swept No. 4 Oyster River in the nightcap. Milford did not face the Hilltoppers during the regular season.

“We haven’t seen them all season but I know it’s going to be a good one,” Patch said.

It will have to go a ways to match last night, though.