Experience match point with the Class D1 State Champs Diller-Odell
CLASS D1 CHAMPION DILLER-ODELL Class D1 Diller-Odell (36-1) beat Humboldt-Table Rock-Steiner, Hartington Cedar Catholic, and Fremont Bergan to win their first state championship under the leadership of coach Kandice Jurgens. Relive some of the sites and sounds of the season…
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Continue ReadingCLASS D1 CHAMPION DILLER-ODELL
Class D1 Diller-Odell (36-1) beat Humboldt-Table Rock-Steiner, Hartington Cedar Catholic, and Fremont Bergan to win their first state championship under the leadership of coach Kandice Jurgens.
Relive some of the sites and sounds of the season and the tournament from Coach Jurgens and some members of the championship team.
Congratulations on winning a state championship! What were your thoughts on match point and when the ball hit the floor for the final time?
Coach Kandice Jurgens
For me it was just a big sigh of relief, all the girls and coaches hard work had paid off. Coming in we felt like we could accomplish our final goal, but until that moment happens and that ball hits the floor on the final game point you can’t look ahead and get wrapped up in what could be. But when it happens it’s an amazing feeling.
Kayleigh Barnts, Senior
What went through my mind was “Wow, this can’t be happening, how is this real?” It was so hard to believe that I was ending my volleyball career with a state championship, but it was one of the greatest feelings I have ever had. It still hasn’t fully hit me yet that it has happened and that I’m done playing the sport I love most.
Emily Swanson, Senior
That all the hard work had paid off and we finally did it!
Mackenzie Vitosh, Senior
I thought “Oh my gosh! I cannot believe we actually won!” Us seniors have been working for this since our freshman year when we came up just short in Class C-2, so it feels amazing and unreal that we had finally done it.
Parents can be crazy sometimes. What did your parents do to support you before, during, and after the tournament?
Coach Kandice Jurgens
Our parents definitely fall into that, but their support is huge. They provide us with meals after every game, pregame meals before tournaments, and just the total amount of time and effort they put in getting the girls to and from volleyball all year long is very much appreciated.
Kayleigh Barnts
Almost as a ritual, my mom would text me good luck each and every game this year even though she would be there. Keeping that tradition up through the state tournament was an almost calming routine that helped get me through the emotions of it all. And after each game, my dad and I had a handshake we would do as a way of him telling me he was proud of all my hard work each game.
Emily Swanson
My parents have always pushed me to the best I can be but before the state tournament they told me to just give it my all and they were proud of me no matter the result. During the tournament, they supported us and cheered loud at every game. After the tournament, they were so proud of us and excited that all our hard work paid off.
Mackenzie Vitosh
They are so awesome! They make us posters to show their support and make us team meals before big tournaments. Before we left on Thursday, they made us Mexican food and made signs to hold during the games. When we got home, they lined Main Street of Odell and celebrated our homecoming from Lincoln.
Such great student sections and fans at all of the games! What kind of support did your team get from your community and school before, during, and after the tournament?
Coach Kandice Jurgens
Our communities of Diller and Odell are amazing! They support us all year by showing up at games, pep rallies, and cheering loud. After winning state they escorted us into town on the fire trucks, we road on them up to the high school where many fans were waiting along the streets and at the school to celebrate. We then had a championship walk through the halls on Tuesday of the elementary school, and a pep rally where elementary students were able to ask the girls questions about what it takes and how it feels to win state. And they capped it off with the pep rally on Tuesday night at the high school.
Kayleigh Barnts
My school and community have to be the best out there! Even if the student section wasn’t the strongest and each game prior to the state tournament, we still knew they were cheering us on from home. But at the tournament, every student that could be there was and they cheered their hearts out, in turn helping us girls on the court play our hearts out. The school’s staff constantly made efforts to make it to away games, continuing the school spirt. And finally, I think this year we have had the most amount of community members show up at every single game than we ever have before, which shows us girls on the team how much they truly believed in us.
Emily Swanson
Our community and school all supported us in this journey to stage. This year we were lucky enough that our school built a new gym that we were allowed to play in which helped. Our community and school had a send-off when we left for the tournament as well as many signs along the road cheering us on. As well as we had a very good turn out for state with many fans to cheer us on as well as our student section even won Sportsmanship Award. Finally, when we returned from state we were brought into town on fire trucks with our whole community cheering us on in our victory.
Mackenzie Vitosh
There were various pep rallies, posters, and chants all throughout the tournament. Our student section had theme days all three days at the tournament. It was really awesome to see all of the people from not only the Diller and Odell communities, but other surrounding ones as well come out to support us. The crowd’s awesome sportsmanship helped our school earn the Class D-1 Sportsmanship award
Being a part of a team means you spend a lot of time with your teammates! What are some of your favorite memories that really stand out from the season?
Coach Kandice Jurgens
I have way too many to pick one, just a great team to coach with a lot of memorable moments along the way.
Kayleigh Barnts
One day during a particularly tough practice, we couldn’t quite finish a certain drill, so each time we failed we had to run sets of lines… in total, we ran over 100 sets of lines that day in practice, but we took it as a team and it is quite a funny inside joke. Other fond memories I have from this year are when Addison Heidemann and Ava Lovitt would try to hide from our coaches at the beginning of practice and see how long it would take them to figure out they were missing, each time their giggles would give away their hiding spots and they would be playfully yelled at that they would have to run if they didn’t hurry out of their spots.
Emily Swanson
When our whole team had to run 100 plus sprints in practice we all still stuck together. Our team was especially close there was never a dull moment with this group of girls. Throughout summer camp we bonded and the bond between our team just grew stronger as the season went on and it showed on the court.
Mackenzie Vitosh
All of the fun road trips this summer to and from camps and bus rides to away games really helped us bond. We had a lot of karaoke sessions, played many road trip games, and created lots of lasting memories.
Your thoughts on the offseason. What do you want to work on? How are you going to accomplish your goals? If you are a senior, will volleyball be part of your future?
Coach Kandice Jurgens
We will continue to go to camps and work hard in the weight room to continue our success. Along with a lot of the girls play club volleyball so will now balance high school basketball and club volleyball. That’s what makes this team great they are disciplined and hard workers.
Kayleigh Barnts
As a senior that isn’t planning on playing volleyball in college, it saddens me knowing that I am finished playing the sport. But in each offseason I’ve had before, I really worked on mental toughness in sports, which is important in winning so many games.
Emily Swanson
During the offseason, a good chunk of our girls play club volleyball so a lot of us are getting those extra reps in the offseason. Also with being a small school a lot of us play multiple sports so we stay in shape all year long which really helps come volleyball season. We also all work hard in the offseason and set many goals in the weight room. I think leaving as a senior we ended on a good note and I am positive that next year’s team can be just as successful. I am a senior, and sadly volleyball will not be a part of my future.
Mackenzie Vitosh
I’m a senior, and I do plan on playing in the future.
Playing volleyball at the next level is a big decision! What are your thoughts on if you want to play and where?
Kayleigh Barnts
No matter how much I love the sport of volleyball, I am not planning on continuing my athletic career in college.
Emily Swanson
I plan on not playing collegiate volleyball but I do plan to run track in college unsure where though.
Mackenzie Vitosh
I want to play at the D-2 collegiate level. I think it takes a lot of commitment, but I don’t think I am quite ready to give it up yet.
Add your own state volleyball memory here!
Kayleigh Barnts
Having my head coach put a gold medal around my neck and give me one of the greatest hugs of my life while telling me how proud she was of me, was easily my favorite state memory.
Emily Swanson
The best memory was being the first-ever team to bring home a state championship for our school, it truly is the best feeling ever.
Mackenzie Vitosh
Every day on the way to each different venue, we got lost. We know our way around Lincoln, but we made it a thing that we had to get lost every day because that is our thing. Making the wrong turns settled our superstitions and gave us the frame of mind that the day was ours
MOM AND DAD, PAT YOUR DAUGHTERS ON THE BACK FOR BEING GREAT STEWARDS FOR THE SPORT OF VOLLEYBALL.
DAUGHTERS, IT’S HUG TIME FOR MOM AND DAD.