The top 50 teams of the fall from 2010-2019 continues. As before, squads from the “Journal 10,” FC, R-P, Chatfield, Kingsland, M-C, Houston, Lanesboro, GM, SG, and L-O, are eligible. As before, ranking across different years, and involving teams from three different sports, is difficult and thus subject to debate. Teams ranked in the 45-40 may have lost to teams in the 46-50 range but, alas, ranking is by how far teams made it in the play-offs. Week one of 10 (50 to 46) featured five really good teams from 2010-2019 that didn’t make a post-season title game. Week two features the five “lesser” volleyball sub-section runner-up squads of the decade, as the ten-year period saw ten squads fall in 1A or 1AA East finals. The other five (all from Mabel-Canton) each won SEC titles and finished with 28 or more wins. These clubs weren’t as victorious.
#45) Chatfield Volleyball 2011
The 2011 incarnation of Gopher volleyball was all about blending. Chatfield used multiple kids from its senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman classes to have a good year. The seniors were Erin Kammer, Kenna Moechnig, and Tori Woltz. Chatfield was big (maybe the biggest of the decade), with 6’2” Moechnig, 5’10” Woltz, plus 5’11” Bailey Hilgren, 6’0” Haley Kohlmeyer, and 5’10” Brook Irish. Defense was a strength. Troy Swancutt was the coach and the Gophers got off to a 9-1 start to the season (two matches into the MSU-Mankato Tourney). They were at one point 6-0 in the TRC before a five match mid-season conference losing streak, one that included no-shame defeats to stand-out clubs W-K (23-8), L-A (26-5), FC (24-7), and Caledonia (26-6). Chatfield ended the regular season at 16-11. In the 1AA East play-offs, they were seeded third. They beat PEM 3-0 in the quarters and then eked past 2-seed Lake City 3-2 in the semis in a barnburner (20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 19-25, 20-18). In the 1AA East finals, the Maria Fruechte led Caledonia Warriors were too much in straight sets. Chatfield finished at 18-12 as 1AA East runner-up. Caledonia lost to Stewartville in the 1AA Finals. Sophomore libero Alex Duxbury (528 digs, 64 aces) was the most heralded player on the Gophers 2011 squad, as she was named All-TRC and 1st team AA All-State. Moechnig (OH > 189 kills, 55 blocks) also made All-TRC. Senior Erin Kammer (OH > 144 kills, 201 digs), freshman Maddy Kammer (OH > 85 kills, 44 blocks) and Kirsten Keefe (DS > 215 digs) were All-TRC HM. It would be year one of three of good Chatfield volleyball teams featuring the likes of Duxbury, Keefe, and Maddy K.
#44) Kingsland Volleyball 2010
It is a team most defined by its post-season run. It is Kingsland’s last volleyball-hardware winning team. It is their last “good” team. The 2010 Knights battled through some things to a memorable season. The Knights entered the year coming off a splendid 24-7 campaign in 2009, one where they made the 1A East finals. The 2010 regular season was just a few wins above five hundred. The Knights headed to the play-offs with an “alright” 17-13 record. But three losses came to 30-win teams. Another nine defeats came to teams that won 19 or more matches. The Knights played four teams that eventually made state (going 0-5). But they were 4-2 at the prestigious Class A Showcase. And the play-offs featured maybe the most notable volleyball upset of the decade, a 3-2 win over previously undefeated Mabel-Canton. M-C was the 2-seed, Kingsland the 7-seed in that quarterfinal affair. Lisa Bicknese’s group then swept a 20-win Lewiston-Altura club to make the 1A East finals. There they were felled 3-1 by Wabasha-Kellogg. Kingsland took the first set, but then were subdued by the eventual Class A State Champions. The Knight roster had eight seniors: Kindra Hagen, Amanda Tart, Jade Schmidt, Andrea Clement, Mackinze Tart, Hanna Losey (injured), Kaylie Czapiewski, and Stephanie O’Connell. The first four, Hagen, Tart, Schmidt, and Clement, were very key players, as were juniors Lindsay Tart and sophomore Cheyenne Losey. Schmidt (setter) made All-TRC. Losey (MH), Clement (MH), L-Tart (OH), and Hagen (libero) made All-TRC HM. A-Tart (OH) had 25 kills in the M-C match. She was the Knights Most Valuable Offensive Player. Kingsland, under a host of coaches, hasn’t had a winning season in volleyball since.
#43) Chatfield Volleyball 2010
To start the decade, Chatfield volleyball had seven seniors on their squad: Taylor Salisbury, Madison Hadoff, Morgan Bushman, Morgan Boyum, Melissa Hurley, Andrea Moulton, and Alyssa Nihart. That group, plus others, helped the Gophers to their first of six good volleyball seasons in the 2010’s. Troy Swancutt was the coach. It was a very competitive season. At one point in September, Chatfield played in nine straight best-of-five matches with none being sweeps. The Gophers won four 3-1 matches and a 3-2 match, while losing two 3-1 matches and two 3-2 matches. The 3-1 defeats were to 1AA runner-up Caledonia (24-8) and eventual Class A State Champion W-K (33-1), the 3-2 defeats to St. Charles and Kingsland. To start October, they took second at the Byron Tourney. Chatfield headed to the play-offs having won 10 of 12, as 1AA East’s two-seed. They beat PEM in the quarters 3-0 and slipped past St. Charles 3-2 in the semifinals. It was the third time the Gophers and Saints had played, with all three going to five sets. The Gophers took two of three matches. Waiting in the 1AA finals was Caledonia and the Warriors won in a sweep. Chatfield’s good season ended at 21-9. Senior Morgan Bushman (MH > 174 kills, 74 aces) and junior Kenna Moechnig (OH > 300 kills, 66 ½ blocks) were named All-TRC. Seniors Alyssa Nihart (libero > 344 digs) and Taylor Salisbury (setter/DS > 227 assists, 141 digs), freshman Alex Duxbury (360 digs, 67 aces) and Gabrielle Salisbury (398 assists) were named All-TRC HM. T-Salisbury went on to coach the Gophers.
#42) Chatfield Volleyball 2012
Rounding out the three Chatfield volleyball teams on this list, the three Gopher 1AA East runner-up squads of the decade, is the 2012 club. It was again a year of Gopher size. Seniors MaKenzie Miller (6’2”), Haley Kohlmeyer (6’2”), and Bailey Hilgren (5’11”), plus sophomore Brook Irish (5’10”), gave the Gophers four girls 5’10” or taller. Like 2011, the Gophers started well, winning their first six matches (including four that went four-plus sets). They were regarded enough as a squad to gain access to play at the prestigious Class AA Showcase tournament in Burnsville. The Gophers went 7-3 in the TRC, losing to stellar clubs Caledonia (27-7), W-K (30-3), and Fillmore Central (26-6). Caledonia finished as State Class AA Runner-Up. W-K was Section 1A Runner-Up (lost to eventual state champion Faribault B.A.). FC (with almost the exact same team) would be Class A State Runner-Up a year later. Chatfield did beat the Falcons at the 2012 Byron Tournament late in the season. The Gophers then beat the host Bears for that tourney title. Via a pair of wins over Lake City (3-0) and St. Charles (3-1) in the play-offs, Troy Swancutt’s group got to and exceeded a 20-win season. But as was the norm during this time, the Gophers again met Caledonia in the 1AA East finals. The Warriors again won by sweep, leaving Chatfield as 1AA Runner-Ups for a fifth straight year. They finished 21-10. Junior Alex Duxbury (libero > 436 digs, 63 aces) repeated as All-TRC and Class AA All-State. Sophomore Kirsten Keefe (OH/DS > 351 digs, 109 kills, 41 aces) earned her first All-TRC nod. Arguably, they were the Gophers best two volleyball players of the decade. Senior Kileigh Dudek (setter > 349 assists), junior Gabrielle Salisbury (setter > 336 assists), and sophomores Maddy Kammer (OH > 238 kills), Brook Irish (MH > 152 kills, 53 ½ blocks), and Maddie Talamantes (DS > 203 digs) were named All-TRC HM. Alas, it would be the last year of losing to the Warriors in the 1AA East finals. The 2013 team, with many of the same players, broke the string and moved on to Chatfield’s only volleyball section final of the year. This 2012 season, and even the 2011 campaign, were set-ups for that.
#41) Spring Grove Volleyball 2018
In respect to wins, it was the most successful season in Spring Grove volleyball history – with a record 27 victories, the first time ever for back-to-back 20-win seasons. At 27-4 (12-2 SEC East), all four losses came against the same state-ranked team, going 1-4 versus Mabel-Canton. But Spring Grove upset two state-ranked clubs, snapping a 59-match, 22-year losing streak versus Mabel-Canton and later ending a 15-match, 17-year losing slide versus state-ranked Caledonia. The Lions won both regular-season tournament championships – Waukon Tourney for the second straight season and the first team to win the Mabel-Canton Tourney except the host Cougars. The Lions advanced to the finals of a postseason tourney for the first time in 17 years with sub-section wins over Rushford-Peterson and Wabasha-Kellogg. Senior Mariah Edgington was the first Lion All-State volleyball athlete (First Team Class A) and the second Lion to be Conference Player of the Year. She was also Academic All-State, First Team All-Area and Lion MVP while leading SG this season in four statistical categories and tying for a fifth. The 5’7” middle hitter graduated with 1,010 digs, 841 kills, 176 blocks and 161 ace serves. On the All-SEC team, Edgington was a third-year selection and Kailee Olerud a two-year honoree, joined this season by Alyssa Johnson, the latter also Academic All-State. Sydnie Kampschroer received honorable mention All-SEC. Seven of eight letter winners had a 3.4 or higher GPA.
*Spring Grove volleyball information by Lee Epps.