Photos by Samantha Davis: The Marshall volleyball team cheers on head coach Dan Westby as he walks up to receive his medal after the Tigers won the Class AAA state championship on Nov. 8 at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

MARSHALL — Grit, pressure, reflection and friendship: four traits that the 2025 Marshall volleyball team honed in on this season and used to its advantage to eventually claim the program’s fourth Class AAA state championship in five years. With all now said and done, this was a truly memorable season for the Tigers, who attained their 10th state title — becoming the first Minnesota volleyball program to reach double digits — by pushing through pressure with their exceptional level of mutual support and selflessness.

Walking onto the court for the championship match on Nov. 8, making it to the last day of the season in the state, No. 1 Marshall huddled together in the far back corner of the court to do its pregame cheer and broke off into warmups wearing smiles and sharing laughs. The night ended with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Benilde-St. Margaret’s for the title, finishing with a 33-2 overall record.

“I think this team, the thing I’m most proud of is the fact they made a change from a year ago. The change had nothing to do with their talent, but it had everything to do with their approach to how they were going to do this,” Westby said. “They did a much better job of just fighting hard for each other this year than they did a year ago.”

While capping off the season with its goal of adding to an already decorated trophy case, the journey to the end with navigating high expectations was rooted in the deep relationships that flow through the team.

Playing with pride

Marshall returned its core group of players from a year prior to field an older, experienced roster this season. The Tigers also added a handful of new contributors that made for a dangerous well-rounded threat in section and state play.

“I’m happy we got to do it with this group, too, because I love this group of girls,” senior setter and middle blocker Avery Fahl said. “It’s been fun being a Marshall volleyball player.”

Fahl and Reese Drake both returned after earning All-State honors last season, while Brooke Gillingham went on to join the two on the All-State team for the first time this year. Junior libero Kezlyn Pinckney also returned as a member of the team’s veteran core, going on to join the aforementioned trio as one of four Tigers on the All-Tournament team.

Laurel Ryks and Halle DeVos also returned as senior contributors after being a part of the team for the last few seasons.

In terms of newer faces, the Tigers also got consistent production from sophomore Julia Fahl at the outside hitter spot and freshman Nora Holmgren at middle blocker.

Throughout the postseason, the Tigers continued to compliment and credit one another on the chemistry everyone was dedicated to building within the circle, which played a direct factor in the team’s success.

“I think it helps that we’re all friends, inside and outside of sports,” senior defensive specialist Kyah Pinckney said. “It makes it really easy to get along.”

“We have played together for many years, and it’s been the same group, and I think that really helped,” senior Bryn Webb added.

That chemistry only continued to grow as the matches went on, especially showing after the final point of Marshall’s championship-clinching win, as the players immediately crashed to the floor together with celebratory tears falling as the coaches shared hugs with each other.

Overwhelmed with heightened emotions of gratitude and fulfillment, also came the bittersweet feeling of finishing their journey together that same day.

“It was kind of unusual. When we were finished, we lost track of time and we were the last ones out of there [Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul], and they kind of had to kick us out, which is OK,” Westby said. “We lost track of everything around us, and there was almost a feeling of nobody really wanted to leave, at least I felt that way. It was different. All the other teams had left, they were long gone, and we were still hanging around and spending additional time together.”

The Marshall community also continued to show up loud, making the trip and packing the arena stands behind the Tigers’ bench.

“I think it’s [community support] been really great,” Drake said. “Especially all of them traveling all over the Twin Cities to come watch us and support us is very awesome.”

Family ties

While there are a handful of family ties that run through the program with older siblings once playing for Marshall, this year’s squad was also embedded with family strings.

Sisters Avery and Julia Fahl, along with Kyah and Kezlyn Pinckney had the unique opportunity to win a championship together during Avery and Kyah’s final years playing as Tigers.

“I loved it. I mean, some people think I’m really hard on Julia, which I know I am, but I feel like I have to as an older sister,” Avery Fahl said. “But, I loved it. I love watching her succeed.”

“As much as we bickered, even in practice or even during games … It was special,” Kyah Pinckney added.

Winning culture in Marshall

Westby has been at the helm of all of Marshall’s 10 championships after taking over in 2004. Marshall has also won the past eight consecutive section championships with another eight state runner-up finishes. This year marked its 34th state tournament appearance.

The expectations set by Marshall’s first-ever volleyball coach, Dave Ahmann, helped set the winning standard in Marshall, Westby said after the championship. Assistant coach Terry Culhane also helped set the Tiger standard, taking over after Ahmann as the Marshall head coach until he moved to the Southwest Minnesota State University head coaching position in 2004. Ahmann, Culhane and Westby are all in the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association [MNVBCA] Hall of Fame.

Yet, turning Marshall into the winningest program in the state of Minnesota in terms of titles left an early impression on the current players, igniting an early passion to one day make it onto the varsity team to have the chance to play under Westby.

“I feel like when we were younger in our Marshall JO [Junior Olympics] programs, he [Westby] was always there,” Gillingham said. “When you’re little and you get to see those coaches that are coaching the varsity teams that you go to every Tuesday or Thursday night, it just makes it that much more special.”

“Being a little girl in the gym and playing with you guys, then if Mr. Westby were to come in, it was like, ‘Oh, it’s Mr. Westby,'” Trinity Brownlee said. “He [also] always wants to know us for who we were.”

The team filled the arena with cheers for Westby as he walked up to receive his championship medal.

“I think the discipline he teaches and what it’s like to be a team and how it’s not just one person, that’s always making us better every day,” Avery Fahl said, who found Westby as the team lined up to receive their medals to share a hug.

The ultimate revenge tour

With 34 matches under their belt and one left for it all, the Tigers approached championship day feeling ready to finish the job.

Avery Fahl noted her “heart was full” waking up that Saturday, while Drake detailed there were some nerves flowing around, but they went away once the team stepped on the court for warmups to relieve the anticipation.

The moment that sparked Marshall’s dedication to getting back to the championship match came from the same moment a year prior, when the Tigers were upset by Alexandria for the title in 2024. From that point, they made the loss personal and channeled that feeling throughout the entirety of this season.

“From the beginning of the summer, it was a goal to never make that mistake again, because it was so horrible,” Gillingham said. “We never forgot about it throughout the entire season. We reminded ourselves to keep us motivated.”

In the postgame press conference after the loss last year, Westby said the girls would be reminded of the loss often.

“And they were [reminded]. One of the things that we had talked about towards the end of [this] season, was I felt like I made a lot of mistakes at the end of the year as a coach, and we were going to make sure that we didn’t make those same mistakes again,” Westby said, as the players shook their heads in disagreement. “We learned [from the] mistakes, we made some changes that needed to be made, and we did the right thing this time.”

“People probably wanted to doubt us after our loss last year,” Gillingham added. “But, we just came out in the beginning of the season and made a statement I feel like with that.”

Several of the players noted in the postseason that practices all summer and season long were challenging and held to extremely high standards, making it a point to push one another on a daily basis.

A few specific turning points in the season that proved Marshall’s strengths was the Southwest Challenge tournament in early September. The Tigers defeated four Class 4A teams, including No. 8 Prior Lake, No. 4 Chanhassen and No. 2 Lakeville South.

“It was 16 years since Marshall won it, and that was really big for us,” Webb said.

At the same time as Marshall took on Benilde-St. Margaret’s in the Class 3A championship match at the end of the season, Prior Lake and Lakeville South faced off on the opposing court for the Class 4A championship.

“We just had potential,” Kyah Pinckney said. “We knew it from the start, we had potential.”

Westby also noted the recent match against Windom for the Big South Conference championship on Oct. 14 was a learning moment for the team heading into playoffs.

Although Marshall came away with a sweep, Westby felt as if it wasn’t a great performance out of the team.

“That Windom match was a wake up call … We just felt like we did not play our best match and we went through the motions out there,” Westby said. “[Assistant] coach [Alex] Boddy came into the locker room afterwards, and she made it known that’s not the way we operate. I think that was really a defining moment for our team.”

Marshall dropped just eight sets throughout the entire season. Despite not being down often on the scoreboard, the team still found ways to remain disciplined.

“I think our coaches did a really good job of motivating us every day, making sure that we’re staying competitive at practice,” Gillingham said, to which Webb added that they went into practice focused and with the right mentality. “They keep us very motivated. I feel like that’s one reason that coach Westby is such a good coach — It’s not only teaching the game of volleyball, but he just teaches you how to work hard. I feel like that’s one reason that he’s been very successful as a coach, and especially of this group, he’s taught us how to work hard and push each other, and not only just how to play volleyball.”

All while playing with a consistent target on their back with teams looking to upset the year-long top-ranked Tigers, loyalty is what it came down to in the long run.

“It’s not for everybody. This is not for everybody, and it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to require some effort, commitment, hard work and dedication,” Westby said. “Like we always say, you’re doing something and the result is unknown. You don’t know what’s going to happen in the end, but if you do the right things and you trust the process, we think that there’s going to be a positive at the end.”

And, just that came true as the Grand Casino Arena announcers made it known once the Tigers won the title.

“One of the things that we had talked about as coaches is, because this has happened to us before and we were hoping and it didn’t happen, at least not in front of us,” Westby said. “This group has been together for so long, we were concerned that once they got over there, they’d realize this is their last time together and there would be some emotion before the game even started.

“But this group, at least not in front of us as I mentioned, they didn’t do that, which was good because I had a speech prepared already if they had done that… Even after we lost that third set, they just quickly regrouped and got refocused, and we got off to a nice lead right there in that four set. It was good to see them handle the moment the way they did. Then after the match, there was all sorts of emotion, and that’s OK.”

A special program with running tradition

Marshall made its first state tournament appearance in 1977 under Ahmann, just four years after Minnesota prep volleyball got its start. Its first championship came in 2004 in Westby’s first year.

Since then, the rest has truly been history.

There have been a number of talents that have passed through the Marshall volleyball program, with dozens of college commitments and those who have etched their names in record books.

Marshall has earned 48 All-State selections and three Ms. Baden Volleyball Award finalists since the MNVBCA started announcing them in 1992. They’ve had more seasons with three players selected to an All-State team than they’ve had without a selection since Westby took over in 2004, going without a selection just twice.

But beyond all, it became a continuing tradition for current players to make former teams proud with keeping the winning culture going.

“I think just seeing it as a younger little girl, like seeing all those 2000 teams … As a little girl, you always think, ‘Oh, I want to do that. I want to be that older girl for a younger girl,'” DeVos said. “Being able to do that is really special.”

“They’re all such good players, and now we’re hoping he [Westby] can reference us in the future,” Webb added, earning some laughs after the players said Westby references the early teams often.

Avery Fahl credited the program for its competitive atmosphere and the energy that comes along with it, as did Gillingham noting other valuable aspects the players take away.

“I feel like it [the program] teaches you a lot about life, too,” Gillingham said. “The things that we’re taught in the volleyball program here, it’s so applicable to things outside of the volleyball court as well. It’s a lot of life lessons that are taught by coach Westby to us, coach Boddy and the other assistant coaches.”

When it comes to setting up the future players to come through the program next, Avery Fahl gave the advice of, “Give effort, always, and stay humble. You can always provide energy.”

“You have no limits. You can always push yourself harder, and you can always get better every single day,” Gillingham added. “Don’t take any practices for granted.”

It’s not just the few years players spend on the volleyball squad that brings a bittersweet feeling to the end of high school careers, but it’s also the culmination of growing up with the program. From participating in summer camps, to growing into an all-around skilled player and person surrounded by the support of coaches, and creating friendships that often last a lifetime.

“That’s always funny because, and I’ve told him this I think, that it always breaks my heart when I see these guys as little kids, then all of a sudden I’ll see one of them wearing makeup and I realize they aren’t little kids anymore,” Westby said emotionally, yet laughing. “They’ve worked hard and done a good job.

“As I look around and as you were talking, I also see that each one of their parents has also worked hard. All 16 of your parents have worked hard. If we have a fundraiser or something, they’re all working, all of them. I think that says a lot, that they want you to do well also. It’s been fun. They’ve done a good job, they worked hard and they’re going to be missed. There’s no doubt about it, they’re going to be missed. But, time marches on, and hopefully the kids behind them have watched and observed what they’ve done, and they’re ready to step in and take their turn.”

While the road and results of the 2025 season will not be forgotten, it’s the relationships that made the journey that much more memorable and ultimately led to the championship ending.

“We’ve all grown up through volleyball together, and we all really are each other’s best friends,” Kyah Pinckney said. “We just all love each other. Getting to spend that time together every single day is honestly amazing.”