Like a well-oiled machine, a veteran Chaska club buzzed through the field to win the Gold Division championship of the 4^th annual Breakdown/Midwest Volleyball Warehouse Summer Elite volleyball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 3. The Hawks capped their impressive unbeaten run through the field with a 25-10, 25-13 sweep of Prior Lake.

The Hawks set the tone early, jumping out to a big lead in the first game and never letting up. While many other teams were working out the kinks in the preseason tournament, Chaska looked in midseason form.

“We’ve been playing together for six years now, so we know how each other plays and we play well together,” said libero Keena Seiffert.

Many of the Hawks were also coming off a victory in the 16 Club Division of the AAU Girls’ Volleyball Junior National Championships in Orlando in late June. Chaska’s powerful program went 14-0 in the tournament and beat host OVA of Orlando in the championship match. Two of Chaska’s All-Americans (setter Makayla Wenzel and outside hitter Erin Schindler) were on the court again Saturday to lead the way.

Seiffert covered huge swaths of the floor defensively, making accurate passes to Wenzel, who in turn fed a host of powerful hitters in Chaska’s arsenal. Wenzel finished with 25 set assists in the two games, eight leading directly to kills by Schindler.

“It’s a lot easier,” said Wenzel of the passes she gets from Seiffert. “I can find my hitters easier because I get more options.”

Schindler recorded the winning point in both games, the first on a thundering block and the second on an even more impressive kill. Liz Hoppe added seven kills and Lauren Nordvold racked up five kills for the Hawks.

“We tend to run a really quick offense so it’s hard for the defense and the blockers to keep up,” said Schindler, who is also one of many Hawks beginning her third year of varsity ball. That familiarity has the Hawks aiming high entering this fall. They certainly looked formidable on Saturday.

“We have goals and we are determined to get them before we leave high school,” said Schindler.

Prior Lake had made a great run through pool play and upset Blaine in the quarterfinals before outlasting Minneapolis Southwest in the semifinals, but ran into a buzz saw against Chaska. The Lakers were led by a quartet of players with three kills each: Lauren Miller, Jacque Luth, Anna Martin and Hannah Veldman.

In the other bracket championships, defending Class AA champion Marshall defeated Southwest Christian in the Silver Division (25-17, 25-18) and Fergus Falls downed New Prague in the Bronze Division (25-17, 25-22).

-- Tim Kolehmainen

Quarterfinals
Roseville def. Lakeville North 26-24, 26-24
Chaska def. Minnetonka 19-25, 25-18, 15-13
Prior Lake def. Blaine 25-23, 25-19
Mpls Southwest def. Bethlehem Academy 26-24, 19-25, 15-13

Semifinals
Chaska def. Roseville 25-20, 26-24
Prior Lake def. Mpls Southwest 25-21, 19-25, 15-8

Final
Chaska def. Prior Lake 25-10, 25-13

Quarterfinals
Hill-Murray def. St. Croix Lutheran 25-18, 25-19
Southwest Christian def. Wayzata Blue 29-27, 22-25, 15-12
Totino-Grace def. B-B-E 25-20, 14-25, 15-11
Marshall def. St. Michael-Albertville 25-21, 25-18

Semifinals
Southwest Christian def. Hill-Murray 25-21, 23-25, 15-11
Marshall def. Totino-Grace 25-10, 25-20

Final
Marshall def. Southwest Christian 25-17, 25-18

Quarterfinals
Thief River Falls def. Kenyon-Wanamingo 25-22, 27-25
New Prague def. New Life Academy 25-11, 25-15
Shakopee def. Mayer Lutheran 25-18, 17-25, 15-9
Fergus Falls def. Belle Plaine 25-17, 30-28

Semifinals
New Prague def. Thief River Falls 21-25, 25-23, 15-12
Fergus Falls def. Shakopee 25-16, 25-23

Final
Fergus Falls def. New Prague 25-17, 25-22

Moorhead def. Lakeville North 25-22, 27-25
St. Croix Lutheran def. Kenyon-Wanamingo 25-18, 25-20
Lakeville North def. Kenyon-Wanamingo 25-20, 25-21
St. Croix Lutheran def. Moorhead 25-16, 25-16
Kenyon-Wanamingo def. Moorhead 19-25, 25-22, 16-14
Lakeville North def. St. Croix Lutheran 27-25, 25-21

Marshall def. Win-E-Mac 25-14, 17-25, 15-7
Mpls Southwest def. Mayer Lutheran 25-20, 25-15
Marshall def. Mayer Lutheran 25-21, 25-11
Mpls Southwest def. Win-E-Mac 25-21, 25-16
Mayer Lutheran def. Win-E-Mac 25-23, 27-29, 15-11
Mpls Southwest def. Marshall 25-15, 25-23

Blaine def. B-B-E 25-18, 25-18
Belle Plaine def. Mabel-Canton 25-16, 21-25, 20-18
Blaine def. Mabel-Canton 20-25, 25-17, 15-8
B-B-E def. Belle Plaine 25-23, 23-25, 15-12
B-B-E def. Mabel-Canton 25-22, 25-23
Blaine def. Belle Plaine 28-30, 25-19, 16-14

Chaska def. Nevis 25-14, 25-9
Wayzata Blue def. New Life Academy 17-25, 25-12, 15-7
Chaska def. New Life Academy 25-14, 25-6
Wayzata Blue def. Nevis 25-18, 25-23
New Life Academy def. Nevis 28-26, 25-17, 15-7
Chaska def. Wayzata Blue 25-19, 25-16

Minnetonka def. Mora 25-23, 25-12
SW Christian def. New Prague 25-17, 24-26, 15-9
Minnetonka def. New Prague 25-18, 27-25
SW Christian def. Mora 25-15, 25-13
New Prague def. Mora 18-25, 25-14, 15-5
Minnetonka def. SW Christian 17-25, 25-18, 15-12

Prior Lake def. Fergus Falls 25-20, 25-13
Totino-Grace def. North St. Paul 25-14, 25-23
Totino-Grace def. Fergus Falls 25-22, 25-19
Prior Lake def. North St. Paul 25-14, 25-20
Prior Lake def. Totino-Grace 25-16, 25-20
Fergus Falls def. North St. Paul 25-20, 22-25, 15-10

Eden Prairie def. Bethlehem Academy 31-29, 25-16
STMA def. Shakopee 25-19, 24-26, 15-11
Bethlehem Academy def. STMA 22-25, 25-23, 15-12
Shakopee def. Eden Prairie 25-16, 17-25, 15-9
STMA def. Eden Prairie 18-25, 25-23, 15-7
Bethlehem Academy def. Shakopee 25-14, 25-18

Hill-Murray def. Thief River Falls 25-20, 25-23
Roseville def. Andover 25-5, 25-13
Thief River Falls def. Andover 25-15, 25-16
Roseville def. Hill-Murray 25-21, 25-14
Hill-Murray def. Andover 25-23, 25-17
Roseville def. Thief River Falls 25-19, 19-25, 15-8