Last year, the Branford volleyball team made a run all the way to the FHSAA Rural State Championship Game under then head coach Mendy Sikes.

Her daughter, Lachelle, was an assistant coach on that state runner-up team.

One year later, Lachelle is in her first year as the head coach of the Buccaneers, who are back in the state semifinals, and her mom, Mendy, is an assistant coach.

“It’s crazy because on the court we’re able to separate it so much, but then when you start talking about it, you get so emotional because it is crazy that I have my mom there that’s always looking at the little things that I’m not,” said Lachelle Sikes. “She’s been in this position for so much longer than me, so I’m able to have such a role model there helping me with all the little things.”

Mendy’s daughter, Lalyn, who is Lachelle’s sister, is making her third state appearance as an eighth grader.

“It’s been a blast,” said Mendy Sikes, who stepped down as head coach after eight seasons following last year’s state runner-up finish. “It’s been memories that I will cherish forever. There have been ups and downs because there’s got to be a lot of coaching, and you have to be harder on your own kid, and in this case, your older sister, and she is that, but Lalyn takes it well and she carries the pressure well.”

Branford (22-4) will play Williston (11-10) at 1 p.m. on Tuesday in the FHSAA Rural State Semifinals at Polk State College in Winter Haven.

Last Tuesday, the No. 1-ranked Bucs defeated No. 3 seed Union County (Lake Butler) in four sets to advance to their third straight state semifinal.

Things were a little different for Mendy this year in the team huddles compared to last year.

“Honestly, I think it may be a little bit more stressful because I am not able to always interrupt and say exactly what I’m thinking,” Mendy Sikes said. “But she (Lachelle) has done a fantastic job, and the first couple of huddles she said exactly what I wanted her to say, and so it was like, ‘okay, alright.’ Just stepping back, watching the reigns, and actually truly getting to enjoy watching my kid play a little bit more. As a coach, you don’t even really pay attention as much to one player as you can as an assistant coach a little bit.”

Mendy said the combination of Lachelle playing collegiately at the University of North Florida and being an assistant on last year’s team has helped her daughter.

“I think a lot of it started last year,” Mendy Sikes said. “Her experience as a college player brought a lot to the net and quick sets of being able to help, especially our middles, and so she helped us a lot last year, and then that carried over this year, and the girls just came ready to play.”

Branford enters Tuesday’s state semifinals riding a 7-game win streak. They have won three straight district and regional titles.

Class of 2030 outside hitter Lalyn Sikes, who had a team-high 18 kills, along with 3 aces, 17 digs and 9 service points in the region final, is making her third state appearance.

Last year, as a seventh grader, Sikes had 16 kills, 26 digs and 5 aces, including the match-winning service ace against Union County in the Rural-Region 3 final, to help send the Bucs back to the final four.

Sikes is second on the team in kills (255) behind senior Adriauna Combs (270 kills) and she leads the Bucs with 52 aces. She’s also second with 262 digs.

“My sister is my best friend, which is really crazy because there is a 10-year age difference, but I think we both do a really good job,” said Lachelle Sikes, who is a 2020 Branford alum and was the school’s salutatorian. “On the court, she’s the player and I’m the coach, but then right after, we’re able to be best friends again. But I could not be prouder of the support system I have and to watch my sister play the way she’s playing right now, it’s unreal.”

Senior Mylie Fernandez, who is committed to Warner University, is on the verge of 2,000 career assists. She leads the team with 721 assists, is second with 49 aces, third with 47 blocks, fourth with 174 digs, and fifth in kills (124).

Fernandez had 6 aces, 13 digs, 40 assists and 14 service points in last week’s regional final.

“Mylie’s energy is infectious,” Lachelle Sikes said. “As our setter, we put so much on her. We put a really big role on her to be the person who holds our teammates accountable. So, if serve receive or defense has not given us what we need, we put that on her to stay on top of them.”

The Lady Red Devils, who defeated Moore Haven in four sets to win the Rural Region 4 title, have won five in a row.

They are senior-laden with seven Class of 2026 players on the roster.

Senior Berkley Brooks leads with 170 kills, followed by Kai Gowland with 160. Brooks leads Williston with 46 aces and Gowland is second with 39 aces.

Gowland paces the Lady Red Devils with 51 blocks, while senior Amelia Smith has a team-leading 327 digs. Senior Kailey Davis leads with 238 assists.

This will be the first meeting this season between Branford and Williston, which is in its first final four since falling to eventual state champion Liberty County (Bristol) in the 2022 Class 1A state semifinals.

Two years ago, Branford defeated Newberry in the state semifinals to advance to its first state title game in program history.

After state runner-up finishes the last two seasons, Lachelle Sikes is just two wins away from another first for Branford, which has five seniors.

“Obviously, following in her (mom’s) footsteps is difficult as well as amazing,” Lachelle Sikes said. “You want to be as good as her, but then also, not to one-up her, but we want to take it all the way this year. We have a great foundation. This team wasn’t built just this season. It has taken many, many years to build up the program the way it is now. So, I think, like her, we’re leaving that legacy behind and carrying it on. It’s unreal.”