Not many experts anticipated seeing Nevis in the Class A state championship match, for while the Tigers were plenty talented, they were also young and didn't have a ton of state tournament experience. What they did have, though, was one of the best players in the state in Riley Hanson. Today, the Nevis junior outside hitter was recognized as the Breakdown's Overall Player of the Year for Minnesota high school volleyball.
Hanson was a terrific all-around player for the Tigers (26-10), who lost in the Class A final to powerhouse Bethlehem Academy. She racked up a school-record 681 kills (fourth highest in state history) to go along with 110 service aces and 68.5 blocks. Hanson also set school records with 15 service aces and 32 kills in a single match.
Hanson leads a very talented group of players honored in our annual "Minny" awards, designed to recognize the best of the best in Minnesota high school volleyball.
The Breakdown players of the year by class are:
- Class AAA - Sarah Wilhite, Eden Prairie
- Class AA - Kelsey Chambers, Jordan
- Class A - Riley Hanson, Nevis
Class AAA: Eden Prairie def. Lakeville North
As the Class AAA championship match between Eden Prairie and Lakeville North continued on into extra points in the fifth set, it was obvious it would come down to a final kill between close friends Sarah Wilhite and Alyssa Goehner. The two star outside hitters had traded punches back-and-forth all night long, combining for 67 kills.
Wilhite got the last word, blasting her 33rd kill to give Eden Prairie its first state championship, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, 22-20 over the defending state champion Panthers. It was the longest match since the league went to rally scoring in 2003 and the first championship match to go fivec sets since Chaska beat Marshall in 2005.
Eden Prairie (27-6) seemed in control in the fifth set but Lakeville North (27-6) came back to send it to extra points. The two teams then traded leads, as each had at least one match point. But neither could seal the victory until Wilhite's kill ended it.
Goehner finished with 34 kills and 38 digs for North, while Kelly Nizzari chipped in with 10 kills and 13 digs and Abby Monson had four service aces and 13 digs. Jessica Wolff notched 50 set assists. For Eden Prairie, Wilhite finished with 33 kills and 14 digs, while Jamie Cairncross had 29 digs and Ellen Piechowski and Michaela Sir both added 12 kills.
Class AAA All-Breakdown
| Pos | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| OH | Sarah Wilhite | Eden Prairie |
| OH | Alyssa Goehner | Lakeville North |
| OH | Taylr McNeil | Eagan |
| OH | Leigh Pudwill | Centennial |
| OH | Karlie Hauer | Andover |
| S | Julia Doyle | Wayzata |
| LI | Taylor Dordan | Blaine |
Class AA: Marshall def. Stewartville
In a cat fight between two teams nicknamed Tigers, top-ranked Marshall earned its fourth title in the past eight years with a 23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 victory over Stewartville in the Class AA final at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Tigers from Marshall (30-4) also won titles in 2004, 2007 and 2009 and have been in nine state championship matches in 23 years at state.
It was a balanced team effort for Marshall, which had four players with double-digit kills, four with double-digit digs and three with double-digit set assists. Morgan McKittrick (24 kills, 21 digs), Kenzie Beekman (22 kills, 18 digs), Jessica Baker (12 kills, 12 set assists), Sydney Griffin (10 kills, 37 set assists, 16 digs), Rachel Sanow (11 set assists) and Hannah Bennett (24 digs) paced the powerful Marshall squad under coach Dan Westby, who was inducted into the MVCA Hall of Fame this season.
Stewartville (26-7) was paced by the Tapp sisters, Hannah (15 kills) and Paige (22 kills, 16 digs). Danielle DeGeus had 40 set assists and 15 digs and Liz Waugh added 24 digs.
Class AA All-Breakdown
| Pos | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| OH | Whitney Burmeister | Jackson CC |
| OH | Kelsey Chambers | Jordan |
| OH | Morgan McKittrick | Marshall |
| OH | Brittney Noon | Wadena-DC |
| MH | Hannah Tapp | Stewartville |
| OH/S | Haley Fogarty | Belle Plaine |
| S | Emilee Gutzmer | Jordan |
Class A: Bethlehem Academy def. Nevis
Talk about consistency. Nine times in the past 10 years, Bethlehem Academy has played for a Class A state championship on the final day of the season. And in every odd-numbered year -- and only then -- have the Cardinals won a title. They kept that streak alive with their fifth championship in an overwhelming 25-9, 25-14, 25-8 victory over Nevis at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The Cardinals (27-9) never let up against unseeded Nevis, opening up big leads in each set and not letting the Tigers (25-8) rally. Jessie Mathews (13 kills, 12 digs) and Maddie Borwege (12 kills, six service aces) led the offensive attack for Bethlehem Academy. Payton Nutter (18 set assists) and Daisy Jo Robinson (12 set assists) shared setting duties, while Payton Schultz added 11 digs.
Nevis' attacking duo of Riley Hanson (eight kills) and Megan Norby (seven kills) never got on track against the Cardinals' tough defense. Olivia Toft finished with 13 set assists.
The scary part for Class A foes of Bethlehem Academy? The Cardinals started a seventh-grader (Nutter), two freshmen and only one senior.
Class A All-Breakdown
| Pos | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| OH | Riley Nordgaard | Canby |
| OH | Jessie Mathews | Bethlehem Acad |
| OH | Mackenzie Horkey | SW Christian |
| MH | Tiffany Strand | Ada-Borup |
| MH | Riley Hanson | Nevis |
| S | Erica Handley | Win-E-Mac |
| LI | Kelsey Hennen | Minneota |
Coach of the Year
All season long, Eden Prairie's Chad Becker knew he had a talented team, but one that was perhaps flying a bit under the radar. When the Eagles endured the gauntlet of Section 6AAA and advanced to the state tournament, he felt that his squad was one of at least a half dozen that had a shot at the title. And when the final point was played, it turned out he did. Becker and the Eagles overcame defending champion Lakeville North in a five-set thriller that went extra points -- and long into the evening at the Xcel Energy Center. For those accomplishments, Becker was recognized today as the Breakdown's Coach of the Year award winner.
Becker joins a distinguished group of coaches honored in each class, including:
- Class AAA - Chad Becker, Eden Prairie
- Class AA - Dan Westby, Marshall
- Class A - Franz Boelter, Bethlehem Academy
Best of the Best "Minny" awards
Team of the Year: Bethlehem Academy. Sure, the Cardinals were the top-ranked team in Class A entering the tournament, but anyone who thought they were a shoe-in for the title hadn't been paying attention. BA had to endure a five-set marathon against defending champion Wabasha-Kellogg just to get out of the Section 1A field, then had its hands full in a five-set victory over Win-E-Mac in the state quarterfinals and a four-set victory over Ada-Borup in the state semifinals. The Cardinals were a very talented, but very young team that grew into a champion under legendary coach Franz Boelter.
Honorable mention: Eden Prairie. The Eagles won their first state title, beating defending champion Lakeville North in an epic five-set marathon in the Class AAA final. Look for them to continue a great run, as superstar hitter Sarah Wilhite is just a junior.
Best state tournament mascot: Wadena-Deer Creek's Wolverine. A repeat winner from last year, the Wolverine was looking even more frayed than last year, but still had the same enthusiasm and support from the student section.
Honorable mention: Last year we mentioned Centennial's red spandex man. Apparently, the trend is growing as several teams featured a simliar-looking fan.
Best cheer: Bethlehem Academy's "We've got Jesus!" Not sure that one was approved by the school administration, but it was amusing to hear as the Cardinals cruised to a state title.
Best match: Eden Prairie in five over Lakeville North in the Class AAA final. No doubter here, as it is the longest match in state final history (at least since rally scoring was instituted in 2003) and featured at least one match point for each team. Great drama.
Hardest serve: Jordan's Kelsey Chambers. The windup was a bit unorthodox at times, as Chambers seemed to zig zag her way into the serve, but when the ball left her swing, it had plenty of heat on it.
Hardest kill: Lakeville North's Alyssa Goehner. She may have come up just shy in the state final, but for most of the tournament her kills were impossible to stop. Great elevation and a huge arm swing propelled the ball's trajectory nearly straight down.
Best unsung performance: Eden Prairie senior outside hitter Ellen Piechowski. While teammate Sarah Wilhite deservedly got plenty of press, Piechowski was quite effective as a second offensive option for the state champion Eagles. In Eden Prairie's three state victories, Piechowski recorded 39 kills with at least a dozen in each match. She was also strong defensively with 65 digs.