CUMBERLAND – The Greely High volleyball team is heading back to familiar territory.

After a one-year hiatus, the top-ranked Rangers advanced to the Class A final with a 26-24, 25-16, 25-12 victory Saturday night against fifth-seeded Falmouth.

Greely (15-0) will face third-seeded Scarborough in the state final next Saturday at Windham High. The Red Storm beat Gorham in the other semifinal.

Greely’s seven-year run as state champion ended last year with a semifinal loss to Biddeford, the eventual champ. A return to the state final has been a focal point all season, as evidenced by their perfect record.

The Yachtsmen (10-6) gave Greely all it could handle in the first game but didn’t seem to have much left after that.

The first game featured eight ties and a pesky performance by Falmouth. Although the Yachtsmen only led once, thanks to an eight-point run that made it 11-7, they hung tough and forced ties at 22 and 24 before the Rangers closed them out.

“The first game was a little bit of a struggle,” said Emily Sampson of Greely. “We had a hard time getting into it. We were a little bit off from where we normally start. Once we got our passing down, our hitting is always strong and our setters do a great job getting the ball up.

“Usually once you get that first game, the other team wants the next one that much more. So you definitely have to focus, make sure you pick up the talking to get that intensity.”

Sampson played a large role in the Game 1 victory. She had two kills and enjoyed an eight-point run on the service line to turn a 13-7 deficit into a 15-13 lead.

“I knew the first one was going to be close. It’s always close,” said Greely Coach Kelvin Hasch. “Both teams played tight and we were a little nervous, but we’re very good when it gets close. When it was tied 22-22 it was like, who’s going to make a mistake? I knew we would probably come out on top and get control of the game.”

Greely ran its home winning streak to 16 games. The Rangers, who lost only four games all season, never trailed in the second game. The third was even more dominating.

“Everyone was a little bit nervous coming into this game because it was the last one before states and we knew we had to win to get there,” said Maggie Bradley of the Rangers. “I thought that winning that first game kind of tight like that not only gave us a boost, but it also elevated us a little bit so we could continue with our wins the other two games.”