The success of the Marshall volleyball program, which became the first school to reach double-digit titles this season, has continued to pass down high standards set by former classes. The Tigers reached the state tournament for the 34th time, eighth consecutively, and returned with their fourth title in five years.

“I think there’s a lot to be said about A, obviously the coaches, but I think year after year, we always have good leadership and upperclassmen, and it trickles down to the lower classmen. Once they’re up there, it just continues on. That’s why they’ve been able to be successful,” three-time Marshall state volleyball champion Kenzi Nuy, née Beekman, said. “I hang my hat on Marshall volleyball. They’re just rock stars. I think Marshall is known for our volleyball, whether it’s in high school or college.”

Nuy, an outside hitter, was a 2014 graduate of Marshall and helped lead the Tigers to four state tournament appearances between 2010-2013 with three championships. She was a part of Marshall’s first three-peat in state titles, 2011, 2012 and 2013 as a senior. The program has since added another three-peat in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Nuy was one of the many pivotal players to pass through the Marshall volleyball program, who was also a three-time All-State honoree her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was named a Ms. Baden Volleyball finalist in 2013 — recognizing career achievement for the top senior volleyball players — and continued her volleyball career at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Photo by Jake McNeill: The 2023 Marshall volleyball team storms the court after the final point in the Tigers' state championship win over Delano at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Nov. 11, 2023.

“When I think of my best times, it was definitely high school volleyball,” Nuy said, who still lives around the area and continues to support the team. “I’m trying to get my daughter all about volleyball, so we went to as many games as we could, between them [Marshall] and SMSU.”

Current players have mentioned they take a sense of pride in continuing what was set in place before their time, spanning back to the very beginning of prep volleyball in Minnesota in 1974 when Marshall’s first-ever head coach, Dave Ahmann, got the program off to a running start.

“I asked a lot of our kids. I think, too, when I was coaching, we had three classes, and we were in the biggest class, but we were one of the smallest schools in the biggest class. We had to work harder than everybody then,” Ahmann said. “I think Marshall’s fortunate. We have a lot of good, hard working kids and hard working families that understand the importance of hard work, and I think that’s really important.”

Ahmann coached Marshall in two stints, from 1974-1984 and again from 1987-1990. He brought the program to its first state tournament appearance in 1977, and had seven other appearances during his time, including a runner-up finish in 1979.

“I am always hoping that they will win and stuff like that, but I was really happy with it [this season] because they really, really dedicated themselves to win. They were not going to end up in second,” Ahmann said. “I thought it was just super that they could focus themselves that long. They played 35 matches. My first few years I coached, we played 15 for the first two years, we had 30 in two years … You can talk a good game, but it’s just so hard from August, September, October into November, to stay that focused and work that hard, and they did.”

Marshall’s first championship came in 2004, in current head coach Dan Westby’s first season leading the helm.

“I remember I said it to Dan one time … I said, ‘You know, I’ll never forget the smell of this building [Grand Casino Arena],’ and he said, ‘I completely agree with you,'” Ahmann said, laughing. “You know when you are in the state tournament, because you can just smell this building, and you know why you are here. I think that experience is a big factor.”

On the first championship team was Amber Altheide, an outside hitter who also has been on the coaching staff the past nine seasons as an assistant. She was a senior on the 2004 team and also earned an All-State selection that same year.

“We’re just so proud of Marshall volleyball. We feel like it’s such a positive culture of girls who are working hard. They’re working together, and just putting in the work so that way, we can be successful at the end of the season,” Altheide said. “Seeing that continue throughout the last 20 years, I think we’re so proud of all the girls that have gone through.”

Although two decades have passed since the first title, the standards have not altered. Instead, expectations only continued to trend upward.

“At the time, we didn’t really know what it would become,” Altheide said. “If you get Marshall volleyball players together, we all like hanging out. We get together, and it’s like nothing has changed … It’s been fun to see the run of it for the last 20 years.”

“I just think it’s awesome. I think it’s a testament to how much Mr. Westby puts into his players, and he produces consistent results every year after year. It says a lot about him and the other coaches, as well as the players that they develop,” Nuy added. “The girls just had a ton of fun, and you could see that it was all genuine.”

Following the championship, Westby credited Ahmann for what he first put in place, to which Ahmann threw right back after hearing about and noted the consistency Westby built in return.

“I said, ‘Thanks for giving me credit for starting the program’ … 1974, nobody played volleyball that first year. I wasn’t a very good coach, but I was as good as anybody else, because nobody had a clue what was going on,” Ahmann said, laughing. “We were in the Southwest Conference, [and] us and Worthington were the two big dogs in the Southwest Conference … Over a number of years, I think we won like 97 Southwest Conference games in a row, and in a lot of those games, it would be old time scoring [where only the serving team could score a point], we would win some of those games 15-0 … I think it just started and it just kept going.”

While Ahmann currently resides in Arizona, he still makes the trip up to town every summer to help coach the yearly Southwest camp run by Westby and Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball head coach Tyler Boddy. The camp hosts several prep area teams and players geared toward elevating their play, which Marshall participates in.

“The last three days of that camp are team camp, so the last couple years I’ve been able to help Dan. So, I really know those kids and that really makes it special, too,” Ahmann said. “When I get back to Marshall and watch those Marshall kids play and practice, it’s just a whole different world of how hard they work. It’s just so much fun to watch them, how serious they are and how well they get along.”

Ahmann also noted a moment from this past summer camp before the season started that turned out to be a defining moment, where Marshall was playing in a round-robin style tournament and didn’t have a great performance, leading the girls to all show up an hour early the following morning without coach’s direction to get extra practice in.

“They knew when they walked in that gym door, that this is what’s expected of you, and you better get going,” Ahmann said. “It’s just gone from year, to year, to year.”

Being on the coaching staff as a former champion, Altheide has been able to personally relate with the team after winning the title, and is able to revisit former memories of her time as a player.

“It’s a lot of excitement. Every time we get to those state [tournaments], it’s a special time. We are very fortunate to be able to go, and we get excited every year, and it does bring up good memories,” Altheide said. “We kind of laughed when we lost that third set in the championship. It was more like, ‘You girls just wanted to play one more time together,’ … How much they love playing together, the experience and to watch it, I just think is so fulfilling, because having that experience 20 years ago [brings] that feeling and excitement.”

Altheide also laughed upon mentioning that the girls looked up past history of former players, trying to learn more about the program and who played before their time prior to embarking on their championship run.

“Mr. Westby is constantly telling stories in practice about former teams, and what some of these teams did to get to that championship level that they want to play,” Altheide said. “The perspective of those girls, and they’re so excited to see what we did in the past, and to also bring that to the future. That was definitely a goal of theirs this year.”

Nuy and Altheide both commented on the loyalty of Marshall volleyball fans and supporters, and how that also has not diminished in any way over the years.

“[The following] was very big. We had the pep band there for every match, and just great crowds the whole time. I remember even when they bring the fire trucks as you’re coming into town, there is a huge line of vehicles and the welcome home [ceremony], the community was very supportive,” Altheide said of her experience with the fans after winning state in 2004.

“We have a great following and a great crowd. Even other coaches are like, ‘Oh, we’re just so excited because Marshall volleyball is here, and other fans will come,'” Altheide added. “There was one fan at the [Apple Valley] tournament [this season], and he was from that area, and he just came to that tournament to watch Marshall volleyball. It’s just so fun to hear, and the girls, they deserve all the credit for working so hard.”

Traditions stayed the same this year as well, as the Marshall pep band travelled to support the Tigers in person at Grand Casino Arena.

“[It was] really nice, because it just gives the next step of energy,” Marshall band member Colby Allen said. “For instance, after the state volleyball win, just playing the school song really gets you hyped up and excited … It just brings a different level of excitement.”

Dedicating months of practice and preparation to make a deep postseason run has become the regular for the Marshall volleyball program. But, along with the hard work and hours put in, the memories that continue to be shared and passed down is also an inspiring tradition.

“I never won a state championship, got to the finals one time, but we won more there than we lost. It’s just fun to do it, and it’s a great way to end this season. It gives your kids and your seniors a great way to go out, and those younger kids are hungry for that,” Ahmann said. “It’s something that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives, especially [with] as many years as they’ve [Marshall] been there.”

One thing remains tested and true — That former coaches, players and the Marshall community and beyond continues to stand by and hold an immense amount of pride in the volleyball program, no matter the results in the end.

“It’s so, so cool that, again, Marshall just shows up every year. Shows up and shows out, and it just is a continual thing,” Nuy said. “Everybody knows that Marshall volleyball is dominant.”