2020 Tournament Teams Poised for a Title – Class C1

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another installment in our “unfinished business” series is on deck. With Class A and B covered, we look to Class C1!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are a few teams who could make a championship push this fall.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Lincoln Lutheran</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that Lincoln Lutheran is no stranger to the big stage. That might give them some extra confidence heading into the 2021 season.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last year, Lincoln Lutheran made a habit of challenging the top teams in Class C1 throughout the regular season. This isn’t a surprise. The talented Warriors eventually earned a six seed in postseason play and defeated Kearney Catholic in the first round. Lutheran’s semifinal matchup against St. Paul was an instant classic, and the Warriors eventually fell in a five-set slugfest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like many of the other teams in these features, this Lincoln Lutheran squad has a lot of returning talent that is now a year wiser in 2021. Junior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="59212" first="Abby" last="Wachal"] returns after a 400-kill season in 2020. As I’ve mentioned before, Wachal seems to be the next dominant pin hitter in a line of many that have come through the Warriors program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lutheran has the tough task of replacing <strong>Abi Wohlgemuth</strong>, but there are several returning attackers who can help fill the void. [player_tooltip player_id="82465" first="Molli" last="Martin"] and <strong>Erika Young</strong> are two important pieces of that puzzle. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id="82463" first="Raegan" last="Holle"] is back to anchor the endline.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s put it simply: don’t count out the Warriors when it’s crunch time.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>St. Paul</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s always a good bet that perennial power St. Paul will show its strength when a trophy is on the line. That held true last season as the Wildcats took an undefeated record into the championship match before falling to Wahoo.</span></p> [caption id="attachment_118490" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-118490" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Olivia-Poppert-2022-St.-Paul-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Poppert[/caption] <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A big key to this team’s success in 2021 will be the setter-hitter combo of [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] and [player_tooltip player_id="78669" first="Jenna" last="Jakubowski"]. With a lot of senior leadership departing from last year’s squad, it will be important for these two to lead the offense in pursuit of another championship. Luckily, Poppert and Jakubowski have the talent to make it happen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is also a chance for other players on the roster to make themselves known. Players like <strong>Madison Hirschman</strong> and <strong>Maya Becker</strong> could play a big role in the development of this new-look offense.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Count out this Wildcat team at your own risk. They’ve proven time and time again that they’ll always be in the title hunt.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Lakeview</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite having a relatively young squad in 2020, Columbus Lakeview proved that they were a force to be reckoned with.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lakeview posted several large win streaks leading up to their trip to Lincoln in November. After earning the five seed in Class C1, the Vikings opened with a win over Syracuse before falling to the eventual champs in the semifinal round. Lakeview then closed with a win over Lincoln Lutheran to claim third place in a competitive division.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This team has the roster to finish a couple spots better than last year’s result. Most notably, Lakeview now has a strong lineup of seniors that are looking to go out on top in their final year. [player_tooltip player_id="103001" first="Lilly" last="Rowe"] was Lakeview’s kills leader in 2020 and is poised to build on that performance. She is joined by fellow seniors [player_tooltip player_id="77518" first="Katee" last="Korte"] and [player_tooltip player_id="58814" first="Mallori" last="Kucera"] who also made major contributions offensively. Another senior, <strong>Jordana Nekl</strong>, will lead the backcourt and continue to rack up digs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbus Lakeview has to feel like this is their chance at redemption.</span></p>