Patriot Volleyball Qualifies for State for 3rd Time in 5 Years!
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBy: Leigh High School Journalism Staff
After a capstone season, the Patriot volleyball team’s season ended in Lincoln at the Class C-2 State Tournament on Thursday, November 4th.
The game in Lincoln was a disappointing end to a magical season, but it in no way takes away the special feeling this year of Patriot volleyball had.
The postseason road to Lincoln was a bumpy one that began in Wisner on Monday, November 25. The Patriots were the #3 team in their sub-district and ranked #5 in the state.
“Going into subs, no matter what seed we had, we knew it would be tough, since there were three top-ranked teams in the state,” Head Coach Becky Schneider said.
They had to match up with #2 seed Guardian Angels Central Catholic in the first round. Coming off a three-game losing streak to other top teams in the state, the Patriots were determined to come out firing.
“GACC was a well-rounded, solid team, but we knew we had a chance if we stuck to our game plan and stayed aggressive, we had a chance,” Schneider said.
Unfortunately, the Patriots had no such luck. The GACC libero put on an impressive performance, digging everything the Patriots had, which frustrated the Patriots. After failing to break 20 points in the first two sets, the Patriots did edge out a 26-24 win in the third set to force a fourth, but the fourth set was much like the first two.
“We had to work harder to find ways to score,” Schneider said,” and in the end, we couldn’t capitalize and finish.”
Despite the loss to GACC, the Patriots’ high regular season ranking earned them a wildcard into the District Final round, as well as a #6 seed. This matched them up with #11 seed Thayer Central in Clarkson on Saturday, October 30.
“We really liked the Thayer Central draw,” Schneider said. “It was somebody we haven’t seen, so going into that match, we had no preconceived notions one way or the other. We just went in with a clear mindset and played our game. We executed our game plan and never looked back! It was awesome to see these girls come together and play the way they did, especially coming off a 0-4 run. We knew they had it in them, and it was awesome to see them put it all together in such an impressive win.”
In this game, the Patriots made quick work of the Titans. Defeating them 25-14, 25-22, and 25-16. Senior Makenna Held had 44 assists, setting up Chloe Hanel for 22 kills and fellow senior Kennedy Settje for 15 kills. Settje also contributed 22 digs, while her sister Brynn added another 19.
There was celebration in Patriot country after the win, as it meant the girls would travel to Lincoln for the Class C2 State Tournament on Thursday, November 4. With the Thayer Central win, they had moved up to the #3 seed, which paired them with the #6 seed Sutton, a team they had split sets with at the Nebraska Top 10 Tournament this past summer.
A large crowd was on hand in Lincoln’s Pinnacle Bank Arena to cheer on the Patriots. Their nerves were high in the first set, as they got down to a 0-10 start. But they eventually battled back, and only lost the first set by three, 22-25.
“There were a lot of nerves in that first set for sure,” Schneider said. “We made mistakes that were uncharacteristic of us. But once we got through it and scored a few, we were able to settle in and show everyone why we deserved to be there.
The second and third sets were all Patriots, as they won both 25-17. It seemed like the fourth set would go much the same way, but Sutton came out firing and went on several big runs against the Pats. The Pats lost 19-25.
This gave Sutton all the momentum heading into the fifth, and the Patriots failed to rise to the challenge, losing 6-15.
“Watching film after the game, we really aren’t sure what happened in those last two sets,” Schneider said. “We just couldn’t do anything to go on a run, and I have to give Sutton credit because they really stepped it up and could do no wrong. Volleyball is a game of momentum, and we were definitely caught on the wrong side of it at the wrong time in this match.”
Schneider continued, “Even though we fell short, we are beyond proud of this team and everything they have accomplished. Back-to-back state appearances is absolutely incredible, and it was the first time we have done that as Patriots. That is a huge accomplishment and speaks volumes about these girls and this team. They have so much to be proud of. They have certainly set the bar high for future seasons!”
Sutton went on to make it to the championship game and lost to the C-2 Champions Oakland-Craig. The Patriots finished their season 23-7.
Seniors Makenna Held, Kennedy Settje, Natalie Brabec, Melissa Bunner, and Bailie Graybill all played an important role in this year’s success and will be missed.
“This season was a lot of fun,” Settje said. “We had a lot of new faces on the court, and it was awesome to see everyone step up and take on their new roles. Although our state experience was cut short, we all worked hard this season and fought until the end. It was a great opportunity for us to go back to state this year after a great run last year, and I hope next year’s team can follow the trend!”
Natalie Brabec said, “I am so proud of our team this season. We worked hard throughout the whole season and never gave up! I am so glad I was able to be a part of such an amazing group, and I’m proud of what we achieved!”
Held said, “Even though the season didn’t go as we originally planned, I’m so proud of everything our team accomplished. We played our hearts out in Lincoln, and I’m proud to be part of Patriot history. It was a very successful season, and I will miss playing this sport so much. Best of luck to Patriot volleyball in the coming years!”
Stats vs. Guardian Angels Central Catholic (1st Round Subdistricts)
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4
C-L 19 17 26 17
GACC 25 25 24 25
(kills-attempts, blocks, digs, assists, aces)
Izzy Hollatz—0-0, 0, 16, 0, 0; Makenna Held—2-9, 3, 9, 38, 0; Chloe Hanel—19-49, 7, 15, 0, 1; Brynn Settje—0-0, 0, 19, 0, 0; Tanyn Larson—4-18, 1, 6, 0, 0; Gracie Eisenmann—2-7, 3, 7, 1, 4; Kennedy Settje—10-51, 2, 22, 0, 0; Korbee Wendt—4-11, 1, 3, 0, 0;
Stats vs. Thayer Central (Sub-State)
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
C-L 25 25 25
TC 14 22 16
(kills-attempts, blocks, digs, assists, aces)
Izzy Hollatz—0-0, 0, 8, 0, 1; Makenna Held—0-7, 3, 14, 44, 1; Chloe Hanel—22-47, 4, 15, 0, 0; Brynn Settje—1-1, 0, 17, 0, 1; Tanyn Larson—2-9, 1, 0, 1, 0; Gracie Eisenmann—5-18, 3, 4, 1, 1; Kennedy Settje—15-42, 0, 10, 0, 0; Korbee Wendt—5-10, 1, 6, 1, 0;
Stats vs. Sutton (State Tournament)
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
C-L 22 25 25 19 6
Sutton 25 17 17 25 15
(kills-attempts, blocks, digs, assists, aces)
Izzy Hollatz—0-0, 0, 15, 0, 0; Makenna Held—1-11, 3, 14, 45, 2; Chloe Hanel—23-60, 7, 21, 4, 1; Brynn Settje—1-2, 0, 18, 0, 1; Tanyn Larson—7-24, 5, 6, 1, 0; Gracie Eisenmann—5-25, 0, 10, 0, 0; Kennedy Settje—13-55, 1, 24, 1, 1; Korbee Wendt—4-11, 2, 8, 0, 0;