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First-set comeback leads Knights to semifinals sweep

ST. PETER -- Facing a 22-13 deficit in the first set of a Section 2A Volleyball Tournament semifinals match against second-seeded Martin County West, it would be forgivable for third-seeded Sleepy Eye St. Mary's to try to wash away the bad start and focus on doing better in the second set.

But with a roster that includes plenty of girls from a state championship basketball team from last school year, the Knights knew what it takes to win. And counting themselves out of a game they hadn't lost yet wasn't part of that equation.

"We needed someone to kill the ball, and that's exactly what we had," St. Marys' Audra Hoffmann said. "We just needed to rally and keep the energy high."

The Knights ripped off a 5-0 run to cut the lead down to 22-18, and while MCW scored twice to keep it a 24-20 game, St. Mary's closed out the game with a 6-0 run to win the first set 26-24.

"Our girls just willed it," St. Mary's head coach Crissi Mangen said. "They wanted it and they played like they wanted it. They rallied off points, and somehow ended up coming away with the win."

The Knights never gave the momentum back.

"That momentum was huge," Mangen said. "Realizing that we can get the momentum from the lead that large really sent us into the second and third match with more intensity and more hope."

St. Mary's went on to win the next two sets 25-19 and 25-22 to sweep MCW and advance to the section championship.

"It means a lot to us," Hoffmann said. "It shows our hard work at practice and all of us being willing to put in time and work hard."

St. Mary's was eliminated in the semifinals round last season and gets a chance to advance to its first-ever state tournament Thursday at 6 p.m. at St. Peter High School.

"It means a lot to our team and to our program," St. Marys' Morgan Mathiowetz said. "We've only been to the section championship a couple times, and it's an honor and privilege to be there. I think we had high expectations for this group, a lot of learning and a lot of growth throughout the season, and right now we're playing our best volleyball. That's exactly what we want at the end of the year."

But awaiting the Knights in the championship game will be top-seeded Cleveland, who handed St. Mary's two of its four losses in the regular season.

"We're just going to really have to swing at the ball and get a good block up," Hoffmann said. "They're a good hitting team. If we get a good block up, I think we'll be fine."

Hoffmann had 19 kills and 13 digs for the Knights, while Morgan Mathiowetz had 18 kills and 19 digs. Brynne Ibberson had 29 set assists, Taylor Mathiowetz had 15 digs, and Olivia Schieffert had 11 digs.

After the Knights fell behind 22-13 in Set 1, Morgan Mathiowetz had three consecutive kills to start off a 5-0 run. MCW's Jaylee Hanson got a block and Brynlee Haukoos earned a kill to threaten a win with a 24-20 lead, but Hoffmann put together three kills, including the set-ender, during a 6-0 run to complete the comeback.

"Just resilience," Morgan Mathiowetz said. "It's really huge to win that first set. It gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the match, and just knowing that we had that first set and we came back, knowing we could do whatever we needed to do to win this game, we just showed a lot of teamwork tonight. Everyone is working really well together and we just gave it our all."

The Knights rode the momentum into a 4-0 run to start Set 2 as MCW called a timeout.

"We set the tone of the game," Morgan Mathiowetz said. "We set the speed and the pace. I think just being able to play our game and knowing that we had strong players on our side, we were able to get the ball back if we needed to."

Morgan Mathiowetz earned three more kills, but MCW cut the lead down to 10-9. Kills by Schieffert and Hoffmann helped push the lead back out to 13-9 as MCW called a timeout, and the Mavericks again cut the lead down to 1 as a kill by Hanson set the score at 16-15. But a kill and an ace by Nell Weiss, along with two kills by Morgan Mathiowetz, made it a 23-17 game, and Hoffmann again closed out the set with a kill to win 25-19.

MCW took the early lead in Set 3, going up 8-3 on another kill by Hanson. St. Mary's battled to tie the game at 10, with Morgan Mathiowetz and Hoffmann earning kills and Schieffert getting a block. St. Mary's continued to score as part of a 10-0 run that ended with the Knights up 16-10 after an ace from Morgan Mathiowetz. But MCW responded, tying the game again at 19 as Hanson earned yet another important kill. Kills by Hoffmann and Morgan Mathiowetz were matched by two more from Hanson as the score remained tied at 21, but St. Mary's closed out the match with a 4-1 run, with Schieffert and Morgan Mathiowetz getting kills.

"This win means everything to the program," Mangen said. "Last year we lost in this round, so getting past this was huge. MCW was a phenomenal team. They have a lot of big hitters, so we had to put up a tough block and swing aggressively, and we did just that."

St. Mary's must now show improvement from its first two losses against Cleveland -- both sweeps -- to continue its season.

"I give a lot of credit to [Cleveland], they're a great team," Morgan Mathiowetz said. "We're really excited to play them, but also we know they're going to be really tough. Just coming and giving it our all and trusting in our coaches and ourselves."

But if St. Mary's showed anything on Monday night, it was that it was able to give itself a chance in even the most unlikely of circumstances.

"I think that if they come out with the same intensity and the same drive as they did tonight, they will be successful," Mangen said.