BUCHANAN — A pair of long-time rivals and two teams from the same conference square off in the first of two Division 2 district semifinals at Buchanan Wednesday night.

When the smoke cleared, Edwardsburg and the host Bucks advanced to Saturday’s district championship game after sweeping Niles and Berrien Springs respectively.

The Eddies swept the Vikings 25-18, 25-13 and 25-16, while Buchanan swept the Shamrocks 25-15, 25-19, 25-22.

Edwardsburg vs. Niles

The Eddies and Vikings have faced each other each of the last three years in either a district or regional.

Niles defeated Edwardsburg 3-2 in the Class B regional semifinal at Allegan in 2017, while the Eddies blanked the Vikings 3-0 on their home court in the Division 2 district title game.

Wednesday night’s matchup was intense from the start.

Edwardsburg, which had not played a match in over a week, came out like a caged animal and took it to Niles behind the play of senior standout Jocelyn Hack, who finished the night with a team-high 17 kills and five blocks.

The Vikings met the Eddies’ intensity early on, but could not maintain that level as Edwardsburg pulled away in the opening set. Edwardsburg dominated the second and third sets to advance to the finals.

“It is her senior season, so she knows you have to be ready to perform or your season is over,” said first-year Edwardsburg coach Nikki Bush of Hack’s performance. “She was ready to perform.”

Bush said she gave her team multiple days off after it had won the I-8 Showcase on Oct. 26. She said they needed time to rest nagging injuries and get recharged for the tournament.

“They were ready,” Bush said. “Niles and Edwardsburg have been a really big rivalry, so they were fired up. It is friends playing against friends, but then again, nobody wants to go home.”

Besides Hack, the Eddies also had Skyelar Burlingham with eight kills and 11 digs and Emma Strefling with 10 digs and 30 assists.

Niles coach Jenny Nate was happy that her team came out ready to compete. She said she will also miss her seniors.

“I was proud of their heart,” she said. “They never gave up on the match or each other, and that is exactly how I wanted them to play despite the outcome. We love, appreciate and will miss our seniors. This entire team’s work ethic, dedication and drive to win was amazing the entire season, and it was my honor to be their coach. I loved watching them play. I know the seniors will carry the passion and skills that they have acquired on the court throughout the years into all aspects of their lives.”

Senior Bianca Pickens finished the match with five points and 10 digs, while senior Zoie Appleberry added five points, two kills and three digs. Senior Nikki Nate and Taylor Bailey combined for six kills, three blocks and eight digs. Senior Grace Florkowski finished her career with a kill, four digs and seven assists.

Buchanan vs. Berrien Springs

A pair of BCS Athletic Conference teams met in the second semifinal with the Bucks winning in straight sets.

Veteran Buchanan coach Shelly Bender said that her team played one of its best matches from the beginning until the end.

“We were very consistent, and that has been our goal since day one,” she said. “We let some balls go, but we did not let strings of points go on and that has been our weakness all year,”

Bender is hoping that on Saturday her blockers can slow down the Edwardsburg hitters and make the match about something more than power at the net.

“We have been working all season on using our height to our advantage,” she said. “I feel like now we have the right people together and we have the timing down better. We have adjusted our defense to our blocking. So, I am hoping we can touch the ball and then get it up and we can get into our offense.”

Josie West had 12 kills to lead the Bucks against the Shamrocks. Faith Carson had eight kills and three solo blocks, while Katie Schau finished with four kills, four digs and a pair of aces. Claire Shelton finished the match with 28 assists.

Saturday’s championship match is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.