That is “Dots,” VolleyballMag.com’s weekly take a look at 10 issues in highschool volleyball, previous or current, that curiosity me and hopefully will curiosity you. Search for Dots each Tuesday till the final highschool state championship this month:
• Fifteen states held championship occasions since our final Dots article one week in the past: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah (massive faculties), Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Because the Dots column contemplates solely 10 gadgets, quite than try to recap EVERYTHING, listed below are the outcomes I discovered most attention-grabbing from the week that was.
• Probably the most attention-grabbing story in every week when greater than 65 groups gained state titles was a loss.
An unusual loss.
For 21 years, Bayside Academy of Daphne, Alabama, had gained its final match of the season. The Admirals, coached by Ann Schilling, began this unprecedented streak of state titles in 2A in 2002. They gained six at that classification earlier than being elevated to 3A, the place they gained 10 straight. In 2018, the Alabama Excessive Faculty Athletic Affiliation made Bayside a 4A college. The Admirals gained that 12 months and once more the subsequent, after they have been elevated, because of success, to 5A. Bayside gained that classification in 2020 and in 2021, when the AHSAA instructed the Admirals they have been going to 6A. They gained that final 12 months! For 21 years, wherever the AHSAA positioned Bayside, the Admirals gained! Twenty-one years!! That’s loopy!
This 12 months, women who weren’t even born when the streak started, have been tasked with persevering with it. The strain will need to have been intense!
Bayside gained its option to the 6A semifinals, and located itself dealing with powerhouse Mountain Brook, a crew it eradicated from rivalry a 12 months in the past. The Admirals (46-10) dropped the primary set however gained the subsequent two. They wanted to win only one extra to advance and have been shut in Video games 4 and 5, however Mountain Brook acquired the higher of them, 25-23, 15-13, earlier than occurring to win the state title the subsequent day over Saraland, behind event MVP Hannah Parant, who had 35 assists, 10 kills, 10 digs and two aces.
“They fought, they by no means, stop, they only battled and I can’t ever get mad once we lose like that or upset as a result of we laid all of it on the road and I instructed them that,” Schilling instructed veteran volleyball author Dennis Victory. “I’m simply happy with our program and what we’ve been in a position to accomplish. I imply, 21 in a row over six divisions is fairly dang unimaginable and it needed to finish at some point and I’ve been saying that and never simply this 12 months.”
Schilling, who remains to be teaching nearly six years after a prognosis of stage IV breast most cancers, took to social media to pay tribute to her gamers.
“So many feelings. I can truthfully say undoubtedly I’m really blessed. God has positioned me at a spot that I like to work and coach. He has additionally given me many nice younger ladies to mentor and coach for the previous 36 years. The Bayside volleyball neighborhood is a TRUE household. There may be love throughout. We hugged, shed many tears, shared recollections and ate our final meal of the season at camp Bayside. We got here up brief within the match however we didn’t come up brief within the recreation of life. This group of ladies fought, battled and confirmed true grit below a number of the most excessive and hectic conditions. Now we have overcome unimaginable odds. Our program is larger than anyone individual. And we honor God in all that we do. We acquired knocked down however we’ll get again up. I inform my youngsters I realized far more within the valley (my most cancers setback) than I ever have in my whole life. We are going to bounce again. We are going to rise up! We’re robust! We’re Bayside volleyball. Let’s go in ‘24!”
• With Bayside’s streak now over, it seems that Skutt Catholic of Omaha has now gained essentially the most consecutive state titles. On Saturday, the SkyHawks swept a tricky Norris crew to win the Nebraska Class B title for the ninth consecutive season.
Kiera Hyperlink had 10 kills and 9 blocks to paved the way. Abbie Hagedorn added 10 kills, 18 digs and three aces. Addison West, Avery White, Sydney Schram and Ellie Ortmeier teamed for twenty-four extra kills. Brooke Banker and Meghan Anderson each had double digit assists.
Right here’s the kicker: ALL are underclassmen! Hyperlink, Hagedorn, Banker and Anderson are all juniors. West, White, Schram and Ortmeier are simply sophomores.
Skutt might want to change libero Paisley Douglas. She is the one senior on the crew and one. The USC-bound defender had 22 digs within the championship match. However with a coach like Renee Saunders and expertise overflowing, the Skutt streak might not finish anytime quickly.
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The opposite attention-grabbing improvement in Nebraska is that the Class A title didn’t go to nationally ranked Papillion-La Vista South. The defending champion Titans (35-2) have been upset within the quarterfinals by Papillion-La Vista, the one crew they misplaced to all season. Papio beat them the final two instances after dropping the primary 5 instances they performed in 2023.
The Class A title went to Lincoln Southwest, which defeated Papillion to win state for the primary time in 17 state event appearances. Setter Malayah Lengthy led the way in which for the Silver Hawks, who completed 33-4.
• Two different noteworthy state title streaks reached seven and 6 this previous week.
In Georgia, Tempo Academy gained its seventh straight title over three classifications by edging Lovett in 5 units. The Knights swept Lovett in final 12 months’s last however wanted to rally to win on Saturday after dropping the primary two units. The Knights, with standout seniors Ellie Siskin and Grace Agolli and proficient sophomore setter Olivia Siskin, completed the season 37-3 and on an 18-match successful streak.
In Utah, Lone Peak gained the 6A title in 4 units over Skyridge to increase its domination of the state’s largest class to 6 years. The Knights gained by rallying after a Recreation 1 loss to a Skyridge crew that had misplaced simply as soon as on the 12 months earlier than Saturday, because of robust play from Cami Christiansen, Ava Burgess and Zoey Burgess.
• There have been two noteworthy occasions in Indiana this weekend.
Muncie Burris gained the Class 2A title in a sweep over Brownstown Central. The Owls have been led by senior Aubrey Miller, who had 16 kills and 7 digs; junior Lilly Howell, who contributed 13 kills, three aces and three blocks; and sophomore Mya Trammell, who recorded 12 kills and eight digs.
The title was the state-record twenty third for Burris, however first since its report streak of 14 straight was snapped in 2010.
Burris gained the 2004 nationwide championship below legendary coach Steve Shondell.
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In Class 4A, Hamilton Southeastern continued its statewide domination with a four-set win over Fort to repeat as state champs. The Royals, who have been 33-0 this season, have gained 67 consecutive matches courting again to final 12 months’s season-opening loss to McCutcheon.
HSE grew to become solely the fourth crew in Class 4A historical past to finish an unbeaten season.
HSE had 4 gamers report 13 or extra kills: Lindsey Mangelson, Tiffany Snook, Breonna Goss and Lauren Harden, a Florida recruit who has been the state’s finest participant the previous two seasons. Senior setter Macy Hinshaw had 38 assists and 16 digs and Ava Hunter added 20 assists for the victors, who had seven Div. I recruits on the roster.
• Guess who gained the Kentucky single-class state title this 12 months? In previous years, the reply would have been apparent: Louisville Assumption. However the Rockets had not gained state since 2019 earlier than Saturday, after they took down defending champion Notre Dame Academy in 4 units.
The title was No. 23 for Assumption, which gained eight in a row between 1995 and 2002 and gained 22 titles over a 27-year span ending in 1999.
Charlotte Moriarity led the way in which for Assumption with 18 kills and 15 digs. Three different Rockets, Emma Barnett, Bailey Blair and Chloe Smith, had no less than 9 kills. Kristen Simon, the state’s Defensive POY, had 16 digs. Setter Emilee Fuller contributed 43 assists.
All of Assumption’s state titles have include legendary coach Ron Kordes on the bench. How did “The Godfather” have fun this 12 months’s title? Backbone surgical procedure. Get properly quickly, coach!
• 5 faculties added to their spectacular state championship totals.
In Alabama, the Soiled Dozen of McGill-Toolen gained their second straight 7A title and twenty third state championship of all time. Paris McQuirter had 20 kills and Chelsea Daffin added 16 to steer M-T previous favored Bob Jones in 4 units. Juliet Galla had a team-high 26 digs.
In Iowa, Dike-New Hartford gained its sixteenth title all time and third in 4 years with a sweep of Hinton in Class 2A.
The Wolverines for led by senior Payton Petersen, who had 20 kills. She was voted 2A MVP for the third time in her profession.
Petersen has a twin, Jaydn Petersen, who additionally had match and was a four-year contributor. They’re the second set of Petersen twins – their mom is Bobbi Petersen, the top coach at Northern Iowa for the previous 24 seasons – to play for coach Diane Harms at Dike-New Hartford.
Additionally in Iowa, Western Christian captured the 3A title over Mount Vernon in 4 units. The Wolfpack gained state for the nineteenth time and 14th below longtime coach Tammi Veerbeek. Shayna Van Dyken led the way in which for the college, which is situated in Hull within the northwest nook of the state, with 20 kills.
In South Carolina, Dorman gained the large-class championship for the fifteenth time below coach Paula Kirkland. The Cavaliers defeated Wando in 4 units behind an amazing effort from senior OH Carly O’Brien, who recorded 27 kills, 18 digs, two blocks and an ace.
Staying in South Carolina, Bishop England gained the 2A title for the twenty ninth time, however first time since 2017. There was a time when the Battling Bishops had a consecutive title streak that rivaled Bayside’s, with 18 in a row from 1999 by 2017.
• In Missouri, Lafayette gained its second consecutive Class 5 title in a sweep of Francis Howell. Maya Witherspoon led the way in which with 20 kills for the Lancers, who gained six in a row between 2011 and 2016 and have now gained eight titles.
Lafayette completed with a 36-2 report.
Staying in Missouri, Incarnate Phrase Academy gained its twelfth title all time, successful Class 4 over St. Pius X (Festus) behind 17 kills from Tara Greenberry.
Hermann’s bid for a sixteenth Missouri state title was foiled in Class 2 by Honest Grove, which gained its first behind Shea Skouby’s 16 kills.
• Two applications from robust volleyball states gained preliminary state titles.
In Utah, Maple Mountain overcame 30 kills from Bountiful’s Taylor Harvey to seize 5A in 4 units. Marley Pratt led the Golden Eagles with 17 kills.
In North Carolina, Center Creek upended perennial energy Cox Mill to win the 4A title. Senior Avery Scoggins and freshman Graceyn Shepard keyed a robust defensive efforts for the Mustangs, who completed the season 25-1.
• In Wisconsin, the rematch of final 12 months’s thriller between Divine Savior Holy Angels and Oconomowoc for the Division 1 title was simply as compelling. DSHA (47-1) gained in 5 for the second straight 12 months to repeat as champions, behind 26 kills from Madison Quest and 22 extra from Sophia Wendlick. Anna Bjork terminated 18 instances for Oconomowoc.
One attention-grabbing word: the Dashers’ 47 wins are essentially the most for a Division1 champion since 2001 when their head coach Caitie Ratkowski, then often known as “Caitie O’Brien,” was a participant on DSHA’s first title crew. She had 18 kills in DSHA’s 51st win of the season.
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In Division 3, Howards Grove’s quest for a fifth straight title was denied by St. Croix Falls, which gained in 5 units, 15-13 within the fifth.
“Historical past is meant to be laborious,” coach Brett Damrow instructed native media. “We have been making an attempt to make historical past right this moment and got here up brief. I don’t assume we misplaced it; I feel they beat us. We nearly made historical past. It was fairly cool.”
• That’s 10 Dots however I’ll add yet one more, as a result of I attended the Oregon state championships over the weekend and might write this Dot from reminiscence.
Three of the six titles within the Beaver State went the complete 5 units. There was just one repeat champion. It was a memorable run.
Jesuit, the 6A runner the previous two seasons, rallied from two units right down to knock off first-time finalist Oregon Metropolis. The Crusaders acquired a two kills and a block late within the fifth to construct a lead and cling on.
Crescent Valley repeated in 5A behind 21 digs from Dani Road, 33 assists from Kam Mitchell and 14 kills every from Vivian Buford, Taelyn Bentley and Bella Jacobson.
Marist Catholic gained a thriller in 4A over defending champion Marshfield because of extraordinary work from OH Giana Elgarico and a late block from senior Avia Tuguldur.
Sisters gained 3A one night time after “dropping” to defending champion Valley Catholic in three. The Outlaws acquired a reprieve when no contact was known as on a match level swing from the Valiants’ Addie Emerson when even Sisters coach Rory Rush stated the contact was “blatant.” Sisters rallied to win that match in 5, then was on its recreation within the championship match versus Nice Hill and gained in 4, led by Gracie Vohs’ 20 kills and 18 digs.
Portland Christian foiled Salem Acacdemy’s huge for a 2A threepeat by successful, 16-14, within the fifth set on the thirtieth kill of the match from Finley Marine and her title-clinching ace.
Lastly, Crane gained its first state title, downing St. Paul in 4 units behind 37 kills from senior Kortney Doman, a 5-9 outdoors with a leap contact over 10-0.
Till subsequent time …
