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LINCOLN - Wynot is accustomed to taking state titles in the history of the little school, but good heavens they have come close in volleyball, and they are not little in stature, just in numbers.
The Lady Blue Devils broke through the volleyball championship barrier in their 10th appearance in Lincoln and the first appearance for head coach Tristan Wieseler in the big chair on the bench after being an assistant for the past few years.
If that Wieseler name doesn’t ring a bell in this little corner of the world, you’ve been sleeping under a rock, or at least off-grid.
The Lady Blue Devils used three solid wins in the D2 Nebraska Volleyball Championships to add another state tournament trophy to the trophy case and a bunch of gold medals to the players.
In all, the Blue Devils and Lady Blue Devils have brought home 10 state titles in other sports, but this is the first in volleyball with the next-highest finish as runner-up in 2016 when Tammy Wieseler, Tristan’s mom, was the coach.
Wynot vs. Cambridge
Cambridge was looking for its first state title since 1993 and the Lady Blue Devils were looking for their first, well, ever.
Kenna Oligmueller put her team on her back, especially in the race to 15 in the final set posting 25 kills in the match and nine in the final set.
“We knew that it was now or never, so we went out there in the fifth set and we said they are going to be firing at us,” said Oligmueller. “We just had to fire right back, and I knew that somebody had to pick it up for the team and get a few kills the way things were going in the fifth set.
“I think I did that. I told our setter to keep feeding me because they’re giving me the line.”
Jaylin Geisen served an 8-0 run including three kills by Oligmueller and an ace by Haley Wieseler and Wynot was sitting on a 13-5 advantage, just two points away from the big trophy.
Oligmueller finished the set and the match with two more winners and the dog-pile was set for the middle of the Wynot side of the court at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Mya Pinkelman finished in double digits in kills with 11 as the Lady Trojans out hit Wynot with 60 kills compared to just 47 for the Lady Blue Devils.
Wynot made hay in blocking and digs, finishing the night with 85 digs and a big advantage in blocks.
“It’s kind of been that way all year,” said Wieseler. “We try to be as efficient as we can in the front row , then we got a whole bunch of digs. That can keep us out of system, but our defense and our block really showed out here today. I was kind of surprised by the difference, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Haley Wieseler posted 42 set assists in the match while Jordan Foxhoven recorded 31 digs, Geisen finished with 26.
Wynot vs. Dundy County-Stratton The Wynot setter, Wieseler, paced the Lady Blue Devils in the semifinals against Dundy County-Stratton with eight kills, eight blocks, 15 digs and 30 set assists.
Her eight blocks were all assisted, but it is the way Wynot has played all season long.
“They are a good hitting team,” said Haley Wieseler. “We knew we had to get a huge block up if we wanted to stop them. We practiced it, we knew how to do it, and we did a good job.”
The match lasted four sets, but it seemed Wynot was in charge of the match all morning in the 9 a.m. match.
Lady Bears make the best out of their return to State
LINCOLN — After a prolonged absence from the State volleyball tournament, the LCC Lady Bears made a triumphant return to Lincoln last week.
The Lady Bears outlasted Norfolk Catholic in their opening-round game, swept Oakland-Craig in the semifinals, then fought to the final point of the Class C2 championship match, earning the state runner-up trophy and medals.
“It was a great experience,” LCC coach Julie Kvols said. “We had no idea what to expect, but it went above and beyond anything we could have imagined.”
Make no mistake — the team had a plan. The Lady Bears arrived in Lincoln determined and unfazed by the moment.
“It is the personality of these girls — they love a big game,” Kvols said. “They are so competitive in everything they do, on and off the court. They were ready.”
Quarterfinal: LCC def. Norfolk Catholic, 3–1 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge opened the tournament with a four-set win over Norfolk Catholic, 25-23, 17-25, 25-22, 25-22.
With the fourth set tied at 22, Kaida Eriksen made the play of the match, diving to rescue a ball headed toward the floor near the net. Her dig carried over the net and landed untouched on the Norfolk Catholic side, giving LCC a 23-22 lead.
“We stopped balls we weren’t supposed to during the entire match,” Kvols said.
Rasmussen put down the final two kills to close it out. Rasmussen set the tone in her state-tournament debut, pounding down 27 kills and finishing with 20 digs for one of three LCC double-doubles in the match.
Eriksen added 16 kills and 25 digs; Carlie Kvols contributed 47 assists and 17 digs; Tyler Recob tallied five kills and 13 digs; and Boston Brown finished with four kills and nine digs.
Semifinal: LCC def. Oakland-Craig, 3–0
The Lady Bears faced a red-hot Oakland-Craig squad in the semifinals. The Lady Knights entered fresh off their upset of No. 2 Guardian Angels Central Catholic.
The teams had split two previous meetings this season — a 2-0 Oakland-Craig sweep during LCC’s three-match mid-season skid, and an LCC five-set victory in the subdistrict final just over a week earlier.
This time, the Lady Bears needed just three sets, sweeping 25-23, 25-17, 25-23 — their first postseason sweep of the year.
“We have so much grit and so much talent,” Recob said. She posted 11 kills and 15 digs for a double-double. “The fact that we work together to use our talent is huge.”
After beating the Knights in subdistricts, Recob said they expected a rematch.
“We knew we had to focus on how we were going to beat them again,” she said.
Kvols credited the team’s schedule for preparing them for the moment.
“All of the tough games we’ve had made it possible for us,” she said. “We got challenged in so many different ways … that was a contributing factor.”
Rasmussen added 15 kills and 13 digs; Carlie Kvols had 33 assists and 11 digs. Eriksen led the team with 17 digs, just missing a double-double.
Final: Freeman def. LCC, 3–1
The Lady Bears gave Freeman all it wanted in the championship before falling 23-25, 25-16, 18-25, 27-29.
“We played a little tired in that finals match,” Kvols said. “We had played two tough opponents with all of the excitement and emotions that go along with that. I felt like we kind of ran out of gas — out of gas but not heart.”
LCC showed plenty of heart in the final set as it tried to force a winner-take-all fifth.
Freeman led 24-22, but a service error plus two Rasmussen kills gave LCC a 25-24 set point. Freeman regained the lead at 26-25. LCC tied it on a hitting error before Freeman eventually closed it out. The Lady Bears fought off two match points before the third ended their run.
Rasmussen, Eriksen and Kvols all finished with doubledoubles. Eriksen played the final two sets through a bloody nose.
“You never know about that kid — she’s so quirky,” Kvols said. “If anybody can handle a bloody nose, it’s her.”
Rasmussen totaled 17 kills and 15 digs; Eriksen posted 15 kills and 17 digs; and Kvols handed out 34 assists with 10 digs.
A Memorable Ride
“I know we lost the last match, but this has been such a magical ride,” Kvols said. “The work to get down here starts in June, and we’ll be ready to make another run when we get there.
“I am so proud of what we accomplished this season, and hopefully it has left us humble and hungry. Knowing these girls, I believe it will do just that.”
The team made sure the runner-up trophy got home safely.
“The girls made me put the trophy in a seat belt on the way home,” Kvols said.
Freeman (29-4) 25 16 25 29 LCC (33-4) 23 25 18 27 KILLS
LCC - Rena Rasmussen, 17; Kaida Eriksen, 15; Tyler Recob, 6; Boston Brown, 4; Carlie Kvols, 4. Freeman - Alicia Johansen, 19; Reagan Rinne, 13; BreckenAlbers Dorn, 10;Adison Otto, 6; Brenna Harms, 4; Aniston Bartunik, 2; ACES
LCC - Tyler Recob, 2; Kaida Eriksen, 2; Rena Rasmussen, 1; Freeman - Alicia Johansen, 3; Brecken Albers Dorn, 2; Reagan Rinne, 1; Adison Otto, 1; Aniston Bartunik, 1; Addison Kastanik, 1; Shiloh Wallman, 1.
DIGS
LCC - Boston Brown, 19; Kaida Eriksen, 17; Rena Rasmussen, 15; Carlie Kvols, 10; Taelynn Settje, 7; Tyler Recob, 1;Hattie Mc-Corkindale, 1. Freeman - Aniston Bartunik, 23; Addison Kastanik, 19; Alicia Johansen, 14; Reagan Rinne, 13; Shiloh Wallman, 7; Adison Otto, 6; Brenna Harms, 1.
BLOCKS
LCC - Rena Rasmussen, 2; Tyler Recob, 1; Freeman - Alicia Johansen, 1; Reagan Rinne, 1.
SET ASSISTS
LCC - Carlie Kvols, 34; Kaida Eriksen, 3; Tyler Recob, 2; Taelynn Settje, 2; Hattie McCorkindale, 1. Freeman - Aniston Bartunik, 42; Addison Kastanik, 5; Brenna Harms, 1. LCC (33-3) 25 25 25 Oakland-Craig (30-8) 23 17 23
KILLS
LCC - Rena Rasmussen, 15; Tyler Recob, 11; Kaida Eriksen, 8; Laney Folkers, 3; Boston Brown, 2; Carlie Kvols, 2. O-C - Briar Ray, 22; Hillary Ray, 11; Reagan Johnson, 4; Brinley Eriksen, 3; Lilly Kopietz, 2; Mia Thomsen, 1.
ACES
LCC - Tyler Recob, 2; Boston Brown, 1. O-C - Briar Ray, 2; Hillary Ray, 1; Madeline Pearson, 1.
DIGS
LCC - Kaida Eriksen, 17; Tyler Recob, 15; Rena Rasmussen, 13; Carlie Kvols, 11; Boston Brown, 4; Taelynn Settje, 3; Laney Folkers, 2. O-C - Mia Thomsen, 17; Briar Ray, 13; Hillary Ray, 11; Madeline Pearson, 11; Lilly Kopietz, 8; Reagan Johnson, 2; Brinley Eriksen, 1.
BLOCKS
LCC - Kaida Eeriksen, 1; Boston Brown, 1; Carlie Kvols, 1.
SET ASSISTS
LCC - Carlie Kvols, 33; Kaida Eriksen, 2; Tyler Recob, 1; Taelynn Settje, 2; Boston Brown, 1; Rena Rasmussen, 1. LCC (32-3) 25 17 25 25 Norfolk Catholic (27-6) 23 25 22 22 KILLS
LCC - Rena Rasmussen, 27; Kaida Eriksen, 16; Tyler Recob, 5; Boston Brown, 4; Carlie Kvols, 2; Laney Folkers, 1; Taelynn Settje, 1.
ACES
LCC - Rena Rasmussen, 1.
DIGS
LCC - Kaida Eriksen, 25; Rena Rasmussen, 20; Carlie Kvols, 17; Tyler Recob, 13; Taelynn Settje, 11; Boston Brown, 9; Justice Olson, 2; BLOCKS
LCC - Rena Rasmussen, 2; Carlie Kvols, 2; Kaida Eeriksen, 1; Boston Brown, 1.
SET ASSISTS
LCC - Carlie Kvols, 47; Rena Rasmussen, 2; Kaida Eriksen, 2; Tyler Recob, 1; Laney Folkers, 1.
