Class C1 State Champs Lincoln Lutheran take the next step to earn the title in 2019
Everything aligned for the Lincoln Lutheran Warriors at the Class C1 State Tournament and the infectious energy created in the stands snowballed onto the court. The rambunctious student section that won the Class C1 Sportsmanship Award was often aided by…
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Continue ReadingEverything aligned for the Lincoln Lutheran Warriors at the Class C1 State Tournament and the infectious energy created in the stands snowballed onto the court. The rambunctious student section that won the Class C1 Sportsmanship Award was often aided by a row of dads giving everything they had to cheer their daughters onto a championship.
After a first-round win over Chadron, Lincoln Lutheran (37-3) faced a rematch of the 2018 state championship game against Wahoo (30-4) in the semifinals, which Lutheran came up short is 5 thrilling sets last year. But Lutheran prevailed this time in 3 sets, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18.
Facing an undefeated St. Paul team (35-1) in the finals, the Warriors showed that they had more weapons than 2018 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year Marriah Buss, when kills by Abigail Wohlgemuth and Abby Wachal and an ace serve by Paige Trutna finished out set four to win the championship, 25-27, 25-20, 30-28, 25-18.
The players may not always see it, but most fans (especially mom and dad) sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation of that next play. They kick and punch and scream and feel emotions they never thought they would. All in support of the players and the team.
The adrenaline continues to run high following the state championships. Read on to hear a first-hand account from coaches and players of the Lincoln Lutheran Warrior State 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?
Sue Ziegler, Coach
I was overwhelmed with joy and exuberance for this team! St. Paul had taken their final timeout, the score was 22-19, and I told the senior players that this could be the most important 3 points of their high school careers! To get out there and just get it done, no need to go to a 5th set. Senior Paige Trutna was on a roll with her serving (had 5 aces in the match) and served out the last 3 points. To top it all off, she finished it out with an ace on set/match point! That final point/ace came so quickly, some of the fans said they even missed it!
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
It didn’t really sink in that this was the state championship, the only thing really going through my mind was “we just did that!”
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
When we have game point serve I always tell the server to get it in or I think “you have to get it in, can’t miss now”. I was thinking that all Paige needed to do was not miss her serve. And when she got the ace I was already crying and so happy that my teammates and I finally did it!
Parents can be crazy sometimes. What did your parents do to support you before, during, and after the tournament?
Sue Ziegler, Coach
We had awesome parental fan support this season! They were a fun bunch, always cheering the team and coaches on throughout the season, as they knew how to make a presence! They made signs, wore shirts that spelled out the players’ names, provided meals for away matches, hosted team bonding meals… as coaches we appreciated them so much!
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
Our parents go and get dinner before games where they practice their choreographed cheers. Some even wear the SAME exact outfit for every game because they’re afraid we’ll lose if they do not.
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
My mom always sends me motivational or scriptural texts and messages before the games. My whole entire family was in town for the matches so they didn’t really go out and do anything before the games. Instead, my grandparents, aunts, and parents spent all three days at the arenas watching other games.
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?
Sue Ziegler, Coach
Yes, we had a great student fan base! Great fans, band, cheerleaders,…showing a lot of school spirit! They had a theme for each home match during the season and at the sub-districts, Districts, and all 3 of the State tournament matches! Kudos to them as they won the Sportsmanship Award! It meant so much to the players to have their peers there cheering them on.
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
Our school does a great job making sure everyone felt special and celebrated us earning this awesome experience. Overall the students are like one big family so after the game we all went to spikes and just enjoyed each other’s company for a while.
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
The support is unspeakable. We have such a great fan base and our student section couldn’t have been any better. They got into doing the cheers that the parents had made up earlier on in the season and loved to be a part of it. I couldn’t be more grateful!
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?
Sue Ziegler, Coach
As a coach, I loved the “Sue’s Boos” group! It was actually of the players and the manager getting involved with singing Acapella songs from Pitch Perfect after I had told them during our 3-hour wait between matches at a tournament to put their phones away! They were creative and made a medley just for the coaches, we loved it! We also spent time painting pumpkins together after a Saturday practice. The girls love Scooters, so after a photo shoot, we all went there together. We also had a number of team dinners, and they would stick around and play games together. They loved each other so much and played for one another, and for God.
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
My favorite memory is singing Acapella during the Ashland Greenwood tournament. The head of the tournament kept walking through the cafeteria but we decided we weren’t stopping for anyone.
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
Splitting off into position work and the defense group and I did drills with balls in our shirts, acting like we were pregnant. We named our ball babies and everything lol. We also had an amazing time painting pumpkins and making student section signs as team bonding activities.
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?
Sue Ziegler, Coach
I attribute a lot of their hard work ethic to having so many of them dedicated to summer conditioning. It was a great carry over into our season. Some will be playing club ball, but many of the athletes are multi-sport athletes, which is also what we like to see. This way they will stay involved with some sort of conditioning and teamwork off-season. Later we will get in to open gyms, clinics, team camps, summer conditioning,….
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
I’m graduating early so I plan to really take advantage of having a trainer push me in the offseason. I really want to get stronger and increase my vertical before my freshman season starts. As well as clean up serve receive and back row play.
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
Going to play volleyball in college
Playing volleyball at the next level is a big decision! What are your thoughts on if you want to play and where?
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
I’m going to Wichita State, I think it’s a super cool opportunity to get to not only develop volleyball skills but learn some life lessons and get to meet amazing people. Not to mention the awesome places you travel!
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
I’ve signed to go play volleyball at Concordia University, Nebraska-Seward
Add your own state volleyball memory here!
Sue Ziegler, Coach
It was very fulfilling placing the championship medals on the players and giving them their congratulatory hug! I was so happy and proud of each one of them for the roles that they played on this team’s success. It was great to see them all together holding up the State Championship trophy! Everyone’s hard work and dreams for this team had paid off! And also just before that, our coaches all hugging in celebration after that last point and the reality that the team had just won the State Championship! The coaches are a very tight-knit group as well, so all in all, it was an amazing season! I feel truly thankful and blessed!
Marriah Buss, 12th grade
Before the state championship, we stood in the hallway and did 3 different sets of power poses in a circle. People walked by us and thought we were crazy, probably, but I think it really helped everyone relax and remember in the end this is just another game.
Lexie Kreizel, 12th grade
Tearing up with two points left in our game against Wahoo. It was finally our turn to beat them. My whole family, born and raised in Wahoo, was sitting right above the scoreboard As we left the court to go back to the locker room, I looked up at them and pointed at my uncle telling him that “I did it”. It’s kind of a running joke in my family about me wanting to beat Wahoo.