Underdog Knights look to remain resilient
Ready for program’s 1st state volleyball tourney Thursday
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ST. PAUL - The Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Knights never doubted their potential this season, but even they surprised themselves last Thursday.
Not only did they beat the top-seeded Cleveland Clippers in the Section 2A Volleyball Tournament title game, they did so in a sweep. That win gave the school the right to play in its first-ever state volleyball tournament, which will begin Thursday at Grand Casino Arena when the seventh-seeded Knights take on second-seeded Fillmore Central in the opening round of the Class A State Volleyball Tournament.
"As a coach, it's been a little bit of disbelief still and shock," Knights head coach Crissi Mangen. "The shock is starting to wear off. Over the weekend we had to make plans for the state tournament and get everything in order with the seeding, so it's been busy and it hasn't really given me a chance to think about this week too much other than it's just really exciting and really happy for our girls."
Mangen, in her first year as head coach with the Knights, never could have imagined quite this eventful of a debut season. While she was a standout volleyball player for St. Mary's and won the All-Journal Volleyball Player of the Year in 2008, that season ended up seeing the Knights swept by Martin County West in the section title game.
The 2007 season saw Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop make the state tournament, which it again made state in 2009, the last Journal area team to make it to a state volleyball tournament before the Knights punched their state ticket this season. Mangen, neé Schewe, helped the Knights reach success during her time as a player, but being able to get over the section hurdle as a coach isn't something she takes for granted.
It's also not something she's quick to take credit for, citing a talented group of players and her assistant coaches Karri Hoffmann and George Schwint as reasons for this year's success. Karri Hoffmann was the head coach of the Knights from 2023 until last season before stepping back into an assistant role this year.
"It means a lot and I truly don't feel like I've done anything in particular that has led this group to a state tournament," Mangen said. "I was handed these girls, they're a talented group and I was just put in this role. I don't feel I've done anything special to get them to this point, but Karri and George have been on the staff and they're wonderful and they've been coaching a number of years. They're very deserving coaches to be along on this journey as well. It's been a really neat thing."
A big opening challenge for the Knights will be in store as they begin tournament play against Fillmore Central, which has been led by 6-foot-1 junior middle hitter Madilyn Zwart.
"Fillmore has been ranked second in the state all season, so we know that they're going to be super tough and they play tough," Mangen said. "They do have a really good middle hitter that takes a number of swings every game and is super efficient, so we definitely have to put up a big block in the middle.
"We also know that they beat Mabel-Canton, which was a state-ranked team about halfway through the year and then kind of dropped off the ranking, but that was similar competition that we played. We played Mabel-Canton as well. They beat Mabel-Canton and we beat Mabel-Canton. I think if we come ready to play, we have a good chance to compete and possibly come out on top."
Regardless of their first-round matchup, Mangen said the team's resiliency has gotten them to this point and the never-give-up style of play has worked well so far.
"Every player on our roster has just a real resilience when it comes to playing the game," Mangen said. "As you could tell in the last couple games, their playing from behind is such a mental aspect of the game that can really weigh on a player. But our girls didn't seem bothered by the scoreboard and they kept playing hard and kept hitting the ball. I think I've used the word fearless in some other statements, and I think they played an incredible last couple of games and I'm very proud of them and how they've been playing lately."
One big leader for the Knights this year has been outside hitter Morgan Mathiowetz, who has a team-high 361 kills to go with 360 digs and 48 aces. Freshman phenom and fellow hitter Audra Hoffmann adds 342 kills, 285 digs, 52 blocks and 42 aces.
The team's setter Brynne Ibberson has 771 set assists this season to go with 288 digs.
Ibberson stepped into the team's starting setter position this year after being a defensive specialist last season.
"That's a huge, huge change in position and going from playing three rotations last year to being a starting setter and running an offense is incredibly difficult both physically and mentally," Mangen said. "She's just done a phenomenal job of managing that and really being the heart and soul of this team."
Olivia Schieffert, Taylor Mathiowetz and Nell Weiss have also stepped up for the Knights when called upon, getting key kills, blocks and aces throughout the year. Taylor Mathiowetz had one extra-special ace in particular during the first set of last Thursday's section finals game against Cleveland, an ace that gave the Knights the 25-23 win in the opener and set the stage for the Knights' sweep of the Clippers. Also during that section finals match, Weiss added six kills, while Schieffert had 15 digs, three kills and three aces.
Mangen called Schieffert a great defender, serve receiver and server, while she complimented Weiss for her big block and ability to make a critical swing on the ball when needed. Mangen said while Taylor Mathiowetz wasn't the biggest player on the court, her presence as a rotation outside has been mighty for the Knights.
Mangen said while she was hoping to see her team get a No. 5 or 6 seed in the state tournament, she understands why the Knights received the seed they did.
"I don't think I was surprised," Mangen said. "I definitely think the coaches and other sections underestimate us being first-timers to the state tournament, as well as maybe not having any All-State players, that may have had some effect, too. I do feel like we're a little bit of an underdog, but everyone loves a good underdog story."
St. Mary's and Fillmore Central will match up at 7 p.m. Thursday on Court 2 at Grand Casino Arena.