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LINCOLN — Wynot got off to a slow start in Friday’s Class D2 State Semifinal game.
It didn’t take coach Tristan Wieseler’s team long to regroup, though as the Lady Blue Devils topped Dundy County-Stratton 23-25, 25-20, 25-12, 25-23 in the Class D2 state tournament semifinals at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
A stout defense got Wynot back into the game and enabled the Lady Devils to claim the win.
Wieseler learned from his parents just how big a role defense plays in a team’s success.
“We work pretty heavily on our block and our defense. “We take a lot of pride in that. My dad (Steve) coaches (girls) basketball (at Wynot), and he’s big on defense. My mom (former Wynot head coach Tammy Wieseler) is big on blocking, he said. “We really focused heavily on that, and it keeps us in games.”
The Blue Devils (30-4) recorded 18 assisted blocks against the Tigers (27-7) while also amassing 91 digs, 25 more than DCS.
Having a setter who leads the team in blocks is a big asset for the Blue Devils. They got that when the 5-foot-9 former hitter moved positions for her senior season.
“I approached her at the beginning of the year to do that position — block in the middle and set,” Tristan Wieseler said. “It’s just opened up so many offensive weapons for us. We have two options every set regardless of where the pass goes.
“She’s been a rock star. She’s done everything we’ve asked her to do, and she’s excelled. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
In addition to Wynot’s stellar defensive play, great starts in each set also played a key role in the team advancing to its second state championship match, joining the Class D2 runner-up team from 2016.
The Blue Devils took leads of 4-0, 7-2, 8-1 and 7-2, respectively, over the four sets to force Dundy County-Stratton to play from behind.
The Tigers successfully came back in the first set, put pressure on in the second and recovered to take a late lead in the fourth before falling. But that took its toll.
Ten of Wynot’s assisted blocks came in the second set to help the team race out to a 24-15 advantage. DCS fought off set point five times before the Blue Devils finished the match.
Runs of 7-0 and 8-0 helped the Blue Devils cruise to a 2-1 lead after the third set. The Tigers had one major comeback left in the fourth set. Trailing 16-9, Dundy County-Stratton reeled off four straight points, then later added a 7-0 run to go up 21-18.
Wynot recovered with its own 5-0 run to take a 23-21 lead. DCS scored two of the next three points, but the match ended on a lengthy rally when a Tiger hit went long.
Kenna Oligmueller led the Blue Devils with 16 kills. Mya Pinkelman had 8-0-2, Kienna Oligmueller 16-0-1, Lane Heimes 0-0-0, Jordan Foxhoven 8-2-1, Jaylin Geisen 0-1-0, Taylin Pinkelman 2-2-0, and Kiersten Hansen 0-0-1. Totals 46-41-8.
Jaylin Geisen collected 22 digs while Oligmueller and Foxhoven both had 17. Wynot celebrated its accomplishment with the mindset that the ultimate goal remained to be achieved in Saturday’s 9 a.m. title match at the Devaney Sports Center against Cambridge.
“We spend a lot of time together, and it’s really awesome to see them succeed, embrace their teammates and play for one another,” Tristan Wieseler said. “It’s really awesome to see them have that success and push them to play for that championship tomorrow. I love every one of those girls, and I’m proud to be their coach.” The Lady Blue Devils jumped ahead in all four matches.
Tristan Wieseler said: “It’s a little easier to play from ahead than it is from behind. Obviously, we want to get out to a good start, and I’m proud of how we did.”
After dropping the first set 25-23, Wynot stormed out of the gate to win set two 25-20, set three 25-12 then finished off the match with a 25-23 win in set four.
Oligmueller had a double double with 16 kills and 17 digs and three Lady Blue Devils posted eight winners in the match.
Wieseler was one, Mya Pinkelman and Foxhoven also had eight.
Geisen had 22 digs and Foxhoven had a couple of ace serves.
Wynot vs Red Cloud
The Lady Blue Devils came into the match with the Lady Warriors with a record of 28-4 while Red Cloud was at 22-9 and Wynot used a relentless defensive attack in the back row and at the net for a huge morning in the opening round.
Wynot won the first set 25-23, the second race to 25, 25-12 and completed the sweep with a 25-19 win in set three.
The state tournament jitters were apparent in the early going as the Lady Blue Devils made a few uncharacteristic mistakes but the teams wound up even at 10-10 in the opening set after an Oligmueller slam.
She tied the score again at 12-12 with a swing off of the tape that fell to the floor.
Tiara Sudbeck hammered a winner to give Wynot its first lead of the match since opening the set 1-0.
Both teams rallied back and forth until the Lady Blue Devils opened up a 22-17 lead after kills from Foxhoven and Oligmueller causing Red Cloud coach Stacie Heldt to ask for a timeout.
Whatever was said during the break worked as the Lady Warriors came out swinging and with the help of Wynot evened the set again at 22-22.
It was tied one more time at 2323 but back-to-back errors by the Lady Warriors gave the set to the Lady Blue Devils.
“It took us a little bit longer than I would like, but we finally settled in and got things going,” said Coach Wieseler. “We are always talking about the next serve, or next ball mentality.”
The second set was more of the same, tied at 22-22 and 23-23 before an Oligmueller winner off of the Red cloud touch and an Oligmueller/Wieseler stuff at the net put Wynot in charge in the match, 2-0.
The Lady Blue Devils sprinted to a huge lead in the final set, going up 9-1 and kept the pedal pushed down until the score hit 25-19, sending Wynot to the semifinals.
Wynot 19 25 16 25 5 Cambridge 25 21 25 17 15 k=Kills, a=Ace Serves, b=Blocks, d=Digs, s=Set Assists. WYNOT: Kenna Oligmueller 25k, 1a, 1b, 9d, 1s; Mya Pinkelman 11k, 3b; Jordan Foxhoven 7k, 2b, 31d; Taylor Pinkelman 3k, 3b; Tiara Sudbeck 1k, 1a, 4b, 3d; Haley Wieseler 2a, 8b, 8d, 42s; Kiera Heimes 6d; Jaylin Geisen 1a, 2s, 26d. Wynot 23 25 25 25 Dundy Co.-Strattn 25 20 12 23
WYNOT: Oligmueller 16k, 1b, 17d, 1s; Wieseler 8k, 1a, 5b, 15d, 30s; M. Pinkelman 8k, 3b, 7d; Foxhoven 8k, 2a, 2b, 17d, 3s; Sudbeck 4k, 4b, 4d, 1s; T. Pinkelman 2k, 3b, 1d; Heimes 8d, 2s; Geisen 1a, 22d, 3s. Wynot 25 25 25 Red Cloud 23 13 19 WYNOT: Oligmueller 18k, 2b, 9d, 2s; M. Pinkelman 8k, 2d; Foxhoven 7k, 1a, 17d,
