PIERZ - It wasn't easy, but the Verndale Pirates will be making their first ever trip to the Class 1A state tournament following a 3-0 win over the Nevis Tigers Saturday for the Section 5-1A championship.
Sisters Shania and Jordyn combined for 39 kills, but it was freshman Allison Olsson who put down the final point with a block to win the third set 30-28. The Pirates won the first two sets 25-23 and 25-22.
"Allison is only a freshman and she has come so far," said Verndale head coach Shelley Glenz. "In the beginning of the season, she was so timid and now to come out and be so aggressive on that last point, I'm proud of her."
---
Verndale 3, Nevis 0
ADVERTISEMENT
Highlight: Shania and Jordyn Glenz combined for 39 kills
Overall: V 28-5, N finishes 21-10
Next: No. 5 Verndale vs. No. 4 Heritage Christian Academy in Class 1A state tournament at Xcel Energy Center 1 p.m. Thursday
---
Shania Glenz, a junior, finished with 23 kills and senior Jordyn Glenz added 16. They had two blocks each. Juniors Megan Dougherty and Haley Stinar put up 21 and 16 set assists respectively. Sarah Moenkedick was credited with 17 digs and Alexis Steege tallied 10.
"We've been working with these girls since they were in kindergarten so it seems they have been practicing forever," said Glenz, who was named Section 5-1A Coach of the Year. "Every year the girls have set a goal to win the Park Region Conference and get to state, and now they've done it. I'm so proud of all of them."
Verndale fell behind 2-0 in the opening set, but Jordyn Glenz capped a 6-0 run with a kill. Nevis responded with an 8-1 run of their own to retake the lead 17-15.
Jordyn Glenz answered by serving five straight points, including an ace to put Verndale up for good 20-17. Her fifth kill of the set wrapped up the 25-23 win.
ADVERTISEMENT
Set Two was tied 10 times before a Jordyn Glenz tip and her second ace serve led to a Nevis timeout and 21-19 Pirate lead. A double hit by the Tigers resulted in the 25-22 Verndale win.
Shania Glenz pounded 10 kills in the third set that saw the score tied 20 times and the lead change seven times. Trailing 13-11, Shania Glenz accounted for the next six Pirate points with three tips and three kills, including two from the back row to go up 17-16.
Tied 23-23, the teams exchanged the lead three times and tied five more times, the last at 28-28. Jordyn Glenz's 16th kill and Olsson's block sealed the victory.
"Those last 10 points were not for the weak of heart," said Shelley Glenz. "I expected this kind of a game (even though Verndale beat Nevis 3-0 earlier in the season), they're a good team."
Shania Glenz added: "No way did we want to go to a fourth set. I knew we had to push, push, push, but I have confidence in our team. We wanted to be able to get it done in three and that's what we did. I'm just so happy."
Verndale is seeded fifth going into the Class 1A tournament and will face the No. 4 Heritage Christian Academy Eagles (26-10) from Maple Grove 1 p.m. Thursday on Court Two of the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
"I'm really, really excited," said Jordyn Glenz. "It's never happened in Verndale before. It's great to be the first ones to do that and especially for my senior year. We're all so excited and we've been waiting for this for a long time. We've really developed over the year this season and we're coming to a peak right now. It's a great place and time to do it."
The Pirates are 28-5, four of those losses coming in the Minnesota Class 1A Showcase in Burnsville in September. None of the teams Verndale lost to in the Showcase reached the state tournament, although Sebeka, which Verndale beat 2-1 will be representing Section 6-1A.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Pirates have gone 20-1 since the Showcase and have won nine straight.
Nevis 23 22 28
Verndale 25 25 30
Verndale statistics
Allison Olsson 1 block, 1 set assist, 2 digs
Shania Glenz 23 kills, 2 blocks, 5 set assists
Jordyn Glenz 16 kills, 2 ace serves, 2 blocks, 9 digs
Sarah Moenkedick 1 kill, 17 digs
ADVERTISEMENT
Morgan Glenz 4 kills, 1 block, 7 digs
Haley Stinar 3 kills, 16 set assists, 8 digs
Megan Dougherty 2 ace serves, 21 set assists, 3 digs
Alexys Thompson 1 set assist
Alexys Steege 10 digs
Overall: Verndale 28-5. Next: No. 5 Verndale vs. No. 4 Heritage Christian Academy in Class 1A state tournament quarterfinals, 1 p.m. Thursday on Court 2, Excel Energy Center, St. Paul.
