Westby led the Tigers to their 10th state championship this season and fourth in five years. Marshall, who already held the most state titles of any volleyball program in the state, became the first to reach double-digit championships this year. It qualified for the state tournament for the eighth consecutive year, 34th overall.

Along the way, Marshall held a top-ranked status the entire season in the coaches polls, started the season on a 16-match win streak, won the Southwest Challenge Tournament for the first time in 16 years with the defeat of four Class 4A teams, and picked up another Big South Conference and section championship. The Tigers finished the 2025 season 33-2 overall.

Westby was also named the Section 2AAA Coach of the Year, and assistant Amber Altheide was selected as one of the recipients for the Outstanding Assistant Coach award by the MNVBCA this season.

Brown led the Knights to its second Class A state championship match for the second time in three years in RTR’s second state appearance in program history.

Rusell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Daynica Brown coaches her team during the Class A state semifinals against Ada-Borup-West on Nov. 7 at Grand Casino Arena.

The Knights also spent the entire season ranked in the top-10 of the coaches polls, a majority of the time in the top-5. RTR finished ranked third in the state, when polls closed at the end of the regular season.

RTR faced Mayer Lutheran and Minneota, the top two Class A teams in the state in the final polls, and faced three other ranked teams in its first seven games to open the season in No. 5 Canby and Class 4A’s No. 7 Champlin Park and No. 4 Chanhassen.

Yet, the Knights used their tough schedule to their advantage to pick up two wins over No. 2 Minneota later in the season, including in the Section 3A championship to earn its ticket to the state tournament. RTR also went on a 20-match win streak between Sept. 19 up to the state championship on Nov. 8. The Knights finished the 2025 season 30-6 overall.

Brown will not be returning as RTR’s coach next season after the school board voted to not renew her contract in a 5-2 decision at a Dec. 10 school board meeting. A replacement candidate is yet to be named.

MNVBCA selected Albany’s Brian Hines as the Class AA Coach of the Year, and the Class AAAA Coach of the Year is Steve Willingham out of Lakeville South.