The Amador Valley boys volleyball team defeated the Foothill Falcons 3-1 to win the NCS Championship on May 11 at Foothill High School.

“It was a great feeling to win this game. It was extra special winning against our cross-town rival for an NCS championship,” said Parker Brookhart (‘24).

Amador lost the first set 22-25,  which gave Foothill momentum and forced the Dons to build up their energy to get back into the game.

“It was hard to keep high energy throughout the entire game. Some of my teammates would make a mistake and get down on themselves. We had to emphasize picking each other up instead of getting mad and letting our emotions take over,” said Brookhart.

Amador went on to win the next three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-23, and 25-20 to ultimately win the match in four sets.

“We had several mistakes in the second set and we also were not communicating as well as we could. We called a timeout and locked in for the next one. We made a few substitutions that matched up against Foothill better,” said Aiden Husjenovic (‘25).

The stands were filled with Amador and Foothill students, along with parents and administration members from both high schools. The fans created a rousing atmosphere that not every player was familiar with.

“It was different from other games we played this year because of the noise from fans from both sides. There were times where it was actually hard to focus on the game,” said Brookhart.

Senior captain Nate Clinton helped lead the Dons to victory on Thursday night, setting up his teammates and earning kill shots to score points for the team.

“Nate played super well last night and the whole season to be honest. He is a great volleyball player and a great friend,” said Brookhart.

Amador has now won the NCS championship three out of the last five years and they hope to continue their winning streak as they take on Saint Francis High School tomorrow night in the CIF NorCal State championships.