Members of the Minneota volleyball team celebrate after defeating Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in the Class A championship on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. The Vikings won 3-0 for their second straight title and third overall.

ST. PAUL — After reaching the mountaintop last season, the Minneota volleyball team has had the target on its backs as the defending state champions. Despite graduating several key starters, the young Vikings reached the Class A tournament and found their way back to the championship match for the third straight season.

Their opponent, No. 2 seeded Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, was back in its first state tournament since it won it all in the 2015 season and looking to go 2 for 2 in its championship appearances.

Instead, it was the Vikings who went 2 for 2, as in number of consecutive championships.

Minneota (34-3) withstood every attack W-E-M presented and had an answer each step of the way, earning nearly identical set victories all the way through as the top-seeded team in Class A extended its stay at the summit with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-20) victory over the Buccaneers (34-3) on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.

When asked if they thought they would get back to this position after winning their first championship in 12 years last season, junior outside hitter Abby Hennen was quick to the response.

“Yes,” Abby said, before then adding, “Right away, I knew that we would get back here with a lot of work and with a good coach, but I didn’t know that we were going to get back into the state championship. But it was definitely one of the best experiences.”

The Vikings took early control of the match in Set 1 with an 8-4 advantage after a string of kills from Natalee Rolbiecki and Morgan Hennen. W-E-M was able to stay within a four-point margin at 14-10, but Minneota continued to keep the Buccaneers at bay throughout the remainder of the set en route to a 25-19 victory and a 1-0 lead in the match.

After the wire-to-wire victory to get things going, Minneota raced out to a solid start in Set 2, going up 7-2 before the Buccaneers drew to within two at 11-9. The Vikings answered with a key run over the next few possessions, using a 6-1 spurt to extend their lead to 17-10. W-E-M fought right back, through, closing to within four at 21-17, but Minneota finished the frame with a pair of Abby Hennen kills and a couple of Buccaneer errors to take Set 2, 25-19 and found themselves just one set victory away from another state title.

Set 3 was again tightly contested in the opening stages, with Minneota holding a slim 7-6 lead before W-E-M tied things at 14 apiece and later took its first lead of the afternoon at 16-15. After Minneota knotted the score at 17-17, the Vikings rattled off the next five points – with Abby Hennen and Abby Frie leading the charge with two kills each – to push their lead to 22-17. The Buccaneers got as close as 24-20, but Morgan Hennen connected on a kill on the next possession, and Minneota was back on top of the volleyball world once again.

Morgan Hennen said once she saw the final kill drop, she knew that all of their hard work was worth it.

“Like all of our hard work had paid off,” Morgan said. “I just love this team and I knew that we could do it if we worked hard and everybody played their best.”

Abby Hennen led the way for Minneota with 15 kills while Rolbiecki added 14 and Morgan Hennen had 10. McKenna Yost led in assists with 29 while Ireland Stassen added 15. Rolbiecki said their key on offense was taking advantage of the cross-court shot when it was available.

“We knew that they played a rotational defense and their libero rotates on the line so we knew that short cross was open if we could get it around the block,” Rolbiecki said.

Defensively, the Vikings held the Buccaneers in check, as W-E-M had a hitting percentage of just .106. Morgan Hennen led in digs with 23 while Abby Hennen added 22 and Rolbiecki had 18, while the Vikings recorded seven blocks as a team.

Abby Hennen said they’re a scrappy defense that takes pride in keeping opposing offenses frustrated both up front and in the back row.

“I think everyone just buys into their role and when they’re in the front row, they’re working on blocking and then just putting the ball away. In the back row, it’s about doing everything you can to keep the ball alive so we can get it to our setters and our hitters can put it away,” Abby said. “We’re just a really scrappy team and we don’t let a lot of easy balls hit the floor and that kind of frustrates another team because you’re super tired in a long rally and the other team is just sending it back over and that’s really frustrating.”

The match was the final one for Minneota’s three seniors in Morgan Hennen, Madison Sorensen and Reese Gillund. Fruin said all three of them have done so much for their team throughout the past few years and they’ll be truly missed.

“I’ve been a head coach for three years only in Minneota and then obviously B-squad coach for one year, so I’ve had four years with these kids. I’ve had Morgan Hennen on my team for four years, she started on B-squad my first year and I give her a lot of heck because we’re related, but she’s a great kid, one that I’m going to miss a lot,” Fruin said. “Madison is just a big goofball, love that kid, she always provides so much energy to this team and I think that always goes unnoticed; people don’t realize how much the bench plays into it. Reese is also on the bench and she’s doing the same thing, everybody knows their role and everybody bought into it. I know as a senior it might be hard that you’re not playing but those two kids they just sit there and day in and day out, they’re giving it their all in practice and making these kids better. Also when we’re on the bench and a little bit exhausted, they’re always yelling and cheering for the next point.”

The Vikings also had four players named to the All-Tournament Team, with Morgan and Abby Hennen as well as Yost and Rolbiecki making the team.

With nearly all of its roster returning, Fruin hopes they can continue to build from their state tournament runs but knows it won’t get any easier.

“I’m hoping that it makes the younger kids even hungrier just watching these guys if you’re on the bench or if you’re in the crowd,” Fruin said. “We can just keep building off of this each and every year, but we just can’t expect it of course, we still have to work hard in the offseason and come next fall it’s still going to be a battle.”

Minneota 3, W-E-M 0

W-E-M 19 19 20 – 0

Minneota 25 25 25 – 3

Serving (good-att-ace): Minneota (A. Hennen 9-10; Yost 10-10; Rolbiecki 18-18; M. Hennen 13-13-1; Pesch 8-8; Rost 14-14-1); W-E-M (Pittmann 7-10-1; Richards 12-12-1; Donahue 10-10; Rients 11-11).

Kills: Minneota 50 (A. Hennen 15; Rolbiecki 14; M. Hennen 10; Frie 8; Yost, Stassen, Rost 1); W-E-M 31 (Richards 10; Hering 9; Donahue 8; Pittmann 4).

Digs: Minneota 90 (M. Hennen 23; A. Hennen 22; Rolbiecki 18; Tolk, Yost 8; Pesch 5; Rost 4; Frie 2); W-E-M 59 (Richards 17; Pittmann 14; Donahue 10).

Set Assists: Minneota 49 (Yost 29; Stassen 15; A. Hennen 4; Rolbiecki 1); W-E-M 30 (Ready 28; Rients, Condon 1).

Blocks: Minneota 7 (A. Hennen 1 solo, 2 assists; Rolbiecki 1 assist; Frie 1 solo, 3 assists; Stassen 1 solo, 1 assist; Rost 1 assist); W-E-M 8 (Pittmann 1 assist; Richards 1 assist; Donahue 2 assists; Ready 1 assist; Hering 1 solo, 5 assists; Condon 4 assists).