Sports

Class 2A volleyball: Marshall beats Hill-Murray, approaches perfection

The Tigers' only losses this year were to Class 3A powerhouses.

By Jim Paulsen

November 10, 2013 at 4:13AM

Marshall’s Sydney Griffin, left, and Stephanie Baker dropped to their knees in celebration after the final point of the Tigers’ 25-13, 25-19, 25-16 victory over Hill-Murray to clinch the Class 2A volleyball title. Marshall finished the season 32-3. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Marshall volleyball team is certainly not perfect. Three regular-season losses can attest to that. But, when taken in the context of their Class 2A dominance, they're about as close as one can find.

The Tigers won their third consecutive Class 2A championship with a convincing three-set victory over Hill-Murray that seemed almost preordained in its completeness, 25-13, 25-19, 25-16.

"They always put the ball on target when passing," Hill-Murray outside hitter Rachel Kueppers said. "And they're always swinging away. They're just hard to dig."

How good is Marshall? The Tigers (32-3) lost only nine sets all season, none in the state tournament. And every one of those set losses came in regular-season tournaments, which are played in a best-of-three format. Their three match losses came against three of the top four teams in the final Class 3A polls: Blaine, Chaska and Lakeville North. And they avenged the Lakeville North loss. Twice.

In best-of-five matches, Marshall was perfect — there's that word again — winning 63 out of 63 sets.

Behind the scenes, however, things aren't always so rainbow-colored.

"We work so hard in practice and [Coach Dan] Westby prepares us so well," said senior outside hitter Kenzie Beekman, who led the Tigers with 25 kills. "We push each other, hold each other accountable, fight together. It's not easy."

Beekman thought back to some of the practices that the Tigers endured.

"He has quite a few drills that are impossible for us to win and he knows that," Beekman admitted. "And then we have to run. But it's so worth it. All of the laps, all of the down-and-backs. It's made us all so close."

The championships would not have been possible had the Tigers not been close friends as well as teammates, said senior setter Sydney Griffin, who directed the Tigers' attack with 25 set assists: "We're all best friends, off the court and on the court. It makes it that much easier to compete hard for each other. This is such a good feeling."