Trending
ST. PAUL -- Marshall is headed back to the Class 3A state championship game.
The Tigers swept Princeton 25-9, 25-22, 25-16 in the state semifinals Friday at Grand Casino Arena, earning a spot in the championship in another season.
Marshall will face Benilde-St. Margaret's in a rematch of last year's Class 3A championship game. The Tigers are looking to capture their fifth state championship in six seasons and their third championship-game victory over the Red Knights during that stretch. Benilde-St. Margaret's also defeated Marshall earlier this season in a tournament hosted by the Tigers.
"It was a great start for our kids," Marshall head coach Dan Westby said. "That Princeton team had a great season, and they have got a lot of talent, a lot of seniors. Sometimes when you're facing a team like that, it can be difficult because those seniors don't want to see it end, and that was certainly a concern for us coming in. We've got two very talented outside hitters, both have more than 300 kills apiece this year. So those kids know how to put the ball away. That's a good team we played. We feel fortunate to be moving on to the final."
Marshall controlled the opening set, winning 25-9, but Princeton responded in the second set and made the Tigers work for the 25-22 win.
Westby said Marshall's passing was a key to its early success, but the Tigers struggled to maintain that consistency as the match progressed.
"I thought our passing was really spot on in set one, and then starting in set two, it felt like we weren't passing as well, so our setter, Leah, was having to work quite a bit harder than she did in set one," Westby said. "We just talked about the fact that we need to get back to doing what we did in set one. We don't have to play perfect. But again, to Princeton's credit, we talked about between sets one and two that they were going to settle in and play better, and they did, to their credit."
Marshall regrouped and closed out the second set before carrying that momentum into the third, where the team finished with an 18-kill performance and a .485 hitting percentage.
During a timeout, the Tigers focused on settling down and returning to the basics.
"At that timeout, we just took a deep breath. We knew we had the skill to be able to accomplish it. We just needed to calm down and hit the ball," Marshall's Nora Holmgren said.
Westby credited improved passing for creating more opportunities for the Tigers' middle hitters, Holmgren and Chika Nwakama.
"We really like what they can do. In order for them to do their thing, we need to pass the ball," Westby said. "I thought once we started passing the ball better, those two got a lot more opportunities and made the most of them."
Julia Fahl led Marshall with 14 kills, while Bentley Krull added 13 and Holmgren had 11.
Leah Stelter finished with 43 assists, while Kezlyn Pinckney led the Tigers with 25 digs. Jennifer Lee added 19 digs, and Fahl had 12. Marshall finished with 60 digs and four total blocks.
Westby said he was pleased to see different players contribute as the Tigers continued their postseason run.
"Every team is different. Last year, I just felt like we had so many seniors that were going to will us to win," Westby said. "We've had a three-week stretch here where we've been winning, but really haven't been playing as well as we did two months ago, and so that's been frustrating and a little bit hard to watch. But today I thought our kids were really dialed in and really focused from the first serve. It was good to see them all kind of take their turn up there."
The Tigers also drew energy from their supporters in the stands.
"We love our student section. I'm biased, but I love our student section. I think we have the best one," Holmgren said.
"I agree. I mean, we're not as big as the other student sections, obviously, but we're pretty mighty. They always have our backs," senior defensive specialist Madi Mernaugh said.
Marshall will now turn its attention to Benilde-St. Margaret's and another opportunity to claim a state championship. Westby knows the challenge ahead, particularly after the Red Knights defeated the Tigers earlier this season.
"They're a great team, and they've been number one all year and they deserve to be number one," Westby said. "They beat us at our place straight up. We don't make any excuses. So we're going to have to be at our optimum level tomorrow. It'll be tough. They've got a great team. We have a lot of respect for what they do."
Mernaugh said the Tigers are ready for the challenge.
"I think we know that we have to dig deep into battle and fight hard together. It's going to be a battle, but we can do it. I think we're both hungry, so I just think it's for sure going to be a tough battle, but I have faith in us," Mernaugh said.
The Class 3A championship game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Grand Casino Arena.