Wayzata finishes perfectly, wins fourth volleyball state title in a row

After Wayzata had won the first set of its 25-20, 25-23, 26-24 Class 4A championship match victory over New Prague on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center, Trojans coach Scott Jackson signaled to his team, waving them to come peek around the large, black curtain that separates the two courts.

He wanted to give them the opportunity to acknowledge the 50 or so women gathered on the opposite court. Longtime girls sports public-address announcer Allie Cronk was introducing them, the players who competed in the first volleyball state tournament in 1974. It was important to Jackson that his team pay homage.

"It was kind of spur of the moment," Jackson said. "How would I know that we were going to have a side change right when it was happening? It was like, 'I have a moment here to make sure my kids understand that this is a human endeavor.' "

After the Trojans applauded their predecessors, it was time to get back to business.

New Prague proved formidable, a team of intelligence and skill that had actually defeated Wayzata in a preseason summer tournament. The Trojans had drawn confidence from their summer success.

And New Prague, the No. 2 seed in the bracket, showed it was worthy, using tough defense, strong serving and powerful attacks to keep Wayzata in its sights. New Prague (27-5) never gave Wayzata the opportunity to pull away in any of the sets. The teams were tied 14-14 in the first set and 23-23 in the second, and New Prague led 24-23 late in the third.

"They might be the best serving team we've seen all year," Jackson said. "They put our serve receive under a lot of pressure."

But there's a reason Wayzata is not only considered the state's best team this season but one of the best of all time. The players are tall, athletic and marvelously skilled. Wayzata has three Division I players on its roster, two — Stella and Olivia Swenson — who will play for Minnesota.

Wayzata finished the season 34-0, its second undefeated season in the past three.

"It feels kind of surreal that it's over," said senior libero Bianca Nistor, who will play at California Santa Barbara. "Now that it's over, it doesn't feel real. It's heartbreaking."

"These are my best friends, and I'm so grateful to have played with them," Stella Swenson said. "Wherever I'm playing across the country, I'll be watching Wayzata volleyball."

Note: Attendance for Saturday's session was 9,498. The four-day tournament total was 32,242.