MINERAL POINT - Brodhead senior Carly Mohns was in seventh grade the last time the Cardinals made a state run in volleyball.
Five years later, it's only fitting, with a state tournament berth on the line, that it would come down to a decisive fifth set. Mohns and junior Abby Flesher took turns making big plays in the final set to led the Cardinals to a thrilling five-set win over Wisconsin Heights 25-16, 24-26, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12 to clinch a WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point sectional championship Saturday, Nov. 2.
With the win, Brodhead (32-5) advances to the state tournament Friday, Nov. 8 at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Brodhead will play Regis in the state semifinals at 1 p.m.
"It feels so amazing," said Mohns, a University of Iowa basketball recruit, who had a team-high 22 kills. "I can't believe the feeling. I told everyone to step up because this could be the last game for the seniors. I'm just so proud."
The Cardinals won five straight matches to reach the state tournament. Three of the Cardinals' five loses have come to Walworth-Big Foot, the Rock Valley South Conference champions.
"It says a lot," Brodhead coach Erin Kammerer said of the conference, which had Big Foot and Brodhead both in sectional final matches. "I love to see that we are represented at state. We get overlooked too often."
Flesher had two key blocks in the fifth set to help the Cardinals take a 13-10 lead. After the Cardinals were called for an illegal hit, senior Jordan Halvorsen answered with a kill and the Vanguards had a unforced hitting error into the net to clinch the win for the Cardinals.
"I just wanted to help my team get to state," Flesher said. "Every point counts and we had to go all out. We played so well together as a team and that was a big difference."
Early on, the Cardinals dominated the first set. The Cardinals surged out to a 12-6 lead sparked by two Mohns' kills. Brodhead senior Rachel Heller had a key kill to give the Cardinals a 21-13 lead that they did not relinquish en route to the win.
Brodhead junior Payton Wright had 24 assists and Heller had a team-high 22 digs and 14 kills. Mohns added 16 digs and five blocks.
The second set started out similar to the first with the Cardinals jumping out to a 13-7 lead. Brodhead sophomore Kylie Moe, Heller, and Halvorsen each had kills to ignite the Cardinals' run. After the Vanguards were called for an illegal hit later in the set, Heller delivered an ace to give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.
The second set had an inauspicious ending. The Cardinals were called for three illegal hits and two block attempts by Mohns went out of bounds and the Vanguards rallied for the 26-24 win.
"We talked a lot about desire," Kammerer said. "It was so much emotion for us. It was their heart that got the win."
The Cardinals took advantage of some hitting miscues in the third set. Heller had a kill and the Vanguards had a hit into the net that gave the Cardinals an 11-5 lead. Moe came through with a kill and Amber Pickel had a block to help the Cardinals extend their lead to 19-11. The Vanguards went on a six-point run from there to slice the Cardinals' lead to 19-17. However, the Vanguards had a rocky finish with two service errors that doomed them and the Cardinals hung on for a 25-20 win.
Wisconsin Heights pulled away in the fourth set after a kill by junior Brittany Zander gave the Vanguards a 19-13 lead. Mohns had two kills late in the set to cut the Vanguards' lead to 21-16, but that is as close as the Cardinals would get and they were forced to a decisive fifth set.
"We went five games for the first time in the tournament," Kammerer said. "Everyone on the team contributed big to this win."
Five years later, it's only fitting, with a state tournament berth on the line, that it would come down to a decisive fifth set. Mohns and junior Abby Flesher took turns making big plays in the final set to led the Cardinals to a thrilling five-set win over Wisconsin Heights 25-16, 24-26, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12 to clinch a WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point sectional championship Saturday, Nov. 2.
With the win, Brodhead (32-5) advances to the state tournament Friday, Nov. 8 at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Brodhead will play Regis in the state semifinals at 1 p.m.
"It feels so amazing," said Mohns, a University of Iowa basketball recruit, who had a team-high 22 kills. "I can't believe the feeling. I told everyone to step up because this could be the last game for the seniors. I'm just so proud."
The Cardinals won five straight matches to reach the state tournament. Three of the Cardinals' five loses have come to Walworth-Big Foot, the Rock Valley South Conference champions.
"It says a lot," Brodhead coach Erin Kammerer said of the conference, which had Big Foot and Brodhead both in sectional final matches. "I love to see that we are represented at state. We get overlooked too often."
Flesher had two key blocks in the fifth set to help the Cardinals take a 13-10 lead. After the Cardinals were called for an illegal hit, senior Jordan Halvorsen answered with a kill and the Vanguards had a unforced hitting error into the net to clinch the win for the Cardinals.
"I just wanted to help my team get to state," Flesher said. "Every point counts and we had to go all out. We played so well together as a team and that was a big difference."
Early on, the Cardinals dominated the first set. The Cardinals surged out to a 12-6 lead sparked by two Mohns' kills. Brodhead senior Rachel Heller had a key kill to give the Cardinals a 21-13 lead that they did not relinquish en route to the win.
Brodhead junior Payton Wright had 24 assists and Heller had a team-high 22 digs and 14 kills. Mohns added 16 digs and five blocks.
The second set started out similar to the first with the Cardinals jumping out to a 13-7 lead. Brodhead sophomore Kylie Moe, Heller, and Halvorsen each had kills to ignite the Cardinals' run. After the Vanguards were called for an illegal hit later in the set, Heller delivered an ace to give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.
The second set had an inauspicious ending. The Cardinals were called for three illegal hits and two block attempts by Mohns went out of bounds and the Vanguards rallied for the 26-24 win.
"We talked a lot about desire," Kammerer said. "It was so much emotion for us. It was their heart that got the win."
The Cardinals took advantage of some hitting miscues in the third set. Heller had a kill and the Vanguards had a hit into the net that gave the Cardinals an 11-5 lead. Moe came through with a kill and Amber Pickel had a block to help the Cardinals extend their lead to 19-11. The Vanguards went on a six-point run from there to slice the Cardinals' lead to 19-17. However, the Vanguards had a rocky finish with two service errors that doomed them and the Cardinals hung on for a 25-20 win.
Wisconsin Heights pulled away in the fourth set after a kill by junior Brittany Zander gave the Vanguards a 19-13 lead. Mohns had two kills late in the set to cut the Vanguards' lead to 21-16, but that is as close as the Cardinals would get and they were forced to a decisive fifth set.
"We went five games for the first time in the tournament," Kammerer said. "Everyone on the team contributed big to this win."
