STATE VOLLEYBALL: Minden goes back-to-back, wins C1 championship
LINCOLN— What's a Whippet? A back-to-back state champion.
Minden completed the rare feat on Saturday, winning its second state championship with a 25-22, 25-12, 21-25, 25-12 win over Wahoo.
"This group is so amazing, they've left a lasting legacy," Minden head coach Julie Ratka said. "They've meant everything. I quit in 2019, and I came back in 2020. I knew this group was coming, and they're super kids, they're the best and they'll never be replaced."
Despite reaching the mountaintop a year ago, Minden's second trip to the top was extra emotional for its seniors.
"This one's definitely a lot more emotional, knowing its my last time with this group," Minden senior Mattie Kamery said. "That was a big factor at the end, so many tears of joy. You can't top a state championship, but putting two of them makes it really special."
Kamery, who will be at Wayne State next year, went out in style. The senior leader had a triple-double, with 17 kills, 22 assists and 22 digs.
A special run deserves a special ending, and Minden got that in the fourth set, going on an incredible 14-0 run.
Makenna Anderson was at the service line for all 14, a much-needed boost for the junior middle.
"Earlier today we talked about maybe someone else serving, she struggled a little bit yesterday, and I'm glad we didn't change that," Ratka said. "To have that amazing amazing serving run, and she played some great balls on defense there as well, she believed in herself and that was awesome."
Defense was great all-around with seven team blocks, with Makenna Starkey, Makenna Betty, and Kinsie Land all making life tough up front.
"We all tried to put it out there and give it our all," Betty said.
Minden fell behind 12-6 early in the first set, but a 5-0 run with Rebecca Lempka at the line featured two blocks, helpinng Minden get in a groove.
The Whippets finished the first set in style, with Kamery and Myla Emery's emphatic kills carrying momentum to the second set.
In the second, just about everything went right for the Whippets, who increased their advantage every rally until the 13-point set victory.
Wahoo had an answer for that. An answer named Gretchen Seagren, who exploded for 11 kills in the third set, leading Wahoo to the set win.
It was no coincidence that Seagren was on the sideline during the 14-0 run, with Minden rising to the occasion facing Wahoo's weakest rotation.
"We to keep them out of system, we had to serve a bit tougher," Ratka said. "These guys executed, and that's why they're so easy to coach, because they know what to do."
Ratka and her players have a mantra 'embrace the race', inspired by the racehorse Secretariat.
Particularly, Secretariat's heart was thrice the size of a normal horse, inspiring Minden to heave more heart and compete harder than anyone else on the court.
"This team and the coaching staff we've had is just amazing," Kamery said. "It truly is a family, leaving that family is really hard, but this team and the community behind us is unmatched. After the game, you wanted to hug everyone,"
"Leaving it's so hard, but to go out like this is special."
