3A volleyball: Shakopee vs. Wayzata in title match

The undefeated two-time state champion is preparing to face Wayzata, which struggled mightily in a close semifinal to get here and will need to be "flawless," its coach said.

By JOHN MILLEA, Star Tribune

Last update: November 13, 2009 - 10:18 PM

Scary thought: Shakopee, the undefeated two-time defending state champion, played its best volleyball of the season in Friday's Class 3A state semifinals.

So let's break out the David and Goliath cliches and ask the Wayzata Trojans about taking on the Sabers in today's championship match.

"We've got a couple wrinkles to throw at them," said Wayzata coach Scott Jackson after the third-seeded Trojans held off second-seeded Burnsville in a five-game match Friday at Xcel Energy Center. "For the most part, we'll have to play the match of our lives, and the kids know that and they're ready to embrace that concept."

Shakopee is not only 31-0, but the Sabers have lost only three games all season. After Shakopee defeated No. 4 seed Stillwater 3-0 Friday, Ponies coach Michele Parker was asked about a game plan for beating the Sabers.

Her answer? "You have to be flawless," she said.

Shakopee was nearly perfect in beating Stillwater 25-17, 25-18, 25-10 behind two-time Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year Ashley Wittman. The 6-1, Gopher-bound senior led her team in almost every possible category.

Wittman had 31 kills (with a .481 attack percentage), 18 digs and 14 serve receptions. Megan Westlund had 22 assists for the Sabers, Amelia Yager had 13 assists and Mollie Geske matched Wittman's 14 serve receptions. Kayla Zeno led Stillwater (27-5) with 13 assists and 10 digs.

Wittman's effort headlined what Sabers coach Matt Busch called their best match of the season.

"This was what we can do," he said. "This is what we've done, this is what got us to this point. We took maybe a little mental break over the last couple matches we've played. Today the girls were ready, they were fired up and it showed. We really played probably our best ball overall of the season today."

Wayzata had a much tougher task in reaching the finals for the first time in school history. The Trojans' victory over Burnsville was a back-and-forth affair with scores of 16-25, 25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 15-13.

The fifth game was indicative of the entire match.

Burnsville (22-10) looked to be in control of Game 5 when Tori Dixon -- the Blaze's 6-3 senior power hitter who will join Wittman with the Gophers -- served five consecutive points and then knocked down a kill from the back row to put Burnsville in front 11-9. Kills by Coral Evans and Olivia Fiergola, plus an ace by Kayla Jedele, got Wayzata (24-8) rolling. The Trojans' final three points came on two Burnsville attack errors and an ace by Bri Adams.

"In Game 5 I was thinking we were up against it," Jackson said. "Tori was going to get more rotations in their front row. She went to the back row [with Wayzata leading 6-3], but then she went on the serving run and it was like, 'Aw, we handed it right back.'"

Wayzata met Shakopee early this season, losing to the Sabers 25-23, 25-17, 25-22.

"We lost in three to them when we played them the first time, but they were three close games and we were with them the whole time," Fiergola said. "So we know we have the ability to do it."

Jackson said, "We played really well when we played them and they beat us three straight."

David, meet Goliath.