This season, the Goessel volleyball team did what few are able to do?they never lost. The Bluebirds put the finishing touches on their perfect, 44-0 season by winning the Class 1A, Division I state championship over Centralia Saturday, 2-1.
Centralia proved to be Goessel?s toughest competition of the season, as the Panthers won Set 1, 25-17, which was the only set Goessel lost all year.
The Panthers kept Goessel out of rhythm early, bursting to a 12-3 lead. Page Hiebert and Eden Hiebert rattled off back-to-back kills to bring the Bluebirds within 16-10, but Goessel never closed within six, and Centralia burst to win by eight.
Page Hiebert threw down a kill to start Set 2, which set the tone. Goessel never trailed and built to its largest lead at the end thanks to a 9-1 run. Page Hiebert capped it with a kill to give the Bluebirds a 25-10 victory.
Goessel maintained momentum early in Set 3 and built a 15-6 margin after back-to-back kills by Page Hiebert.
But Centralia came roaring back with a 7-1 rally, drawing within 16-13 and forcing Goessel to call timeout. Alicen Meysing and Eden Heibert responded with a pair of kills to break the momentum and ignite a 6-1 Bluebird run. Centralia, however, closed the gap to 23-20 before Olivia Duerksen and Page Hiebert gave Goessel the 25-20 victory with a pair of kills.
The matchup with Centralia was a repeat from last year?s state championship, in which Goessel?s bid for a perfect season fell one match short when Centralia claimed the title for the second consecutive year.
This year, the Bluebirds tended to unfinished business, handing the Panthers? their second loss of the season and snapping Centralia?s two-year championship win streak.
Semifinals?Goessel advanced to the finals by defeating LaCrosse in straight sets (25-22, 25-19) Saturday.
Set 1 remained close early on. LaCrosse took its only lead, 14-13, with an ace serve, but a kill by Page Hiebert ignited a 10-2 burst after that. Aleena Cook contributed two ace serves, and Alicen Meysing had two kills during that stretch.
LaCrosse cut the deficit to 24-22 before a tip-kill by Alyssa Booton gave Goessel the victory.
The Leopards took an early lead in Set 2, but Goessel claimed it and later used a 4-0 run, which included back-to-back kills by Page Hiebert and a service ace by Booton, to stake a 19-10 advantage. The closest LaCrosse got after that was within five.
Pool play?Goessel swept its three pool play matches Friday, defeating No. 8 Clifton-Clyde (25-10, 25-8), No. 5 Waverly (25-8, 25-10), and No. 4 Rosalia-Flinthills (25-16, 25-4).