Marshall snags its third Class 3A volleyball state championship in a row

Marshall has been here before.

Still, coach Dan Westby recognized that every team is different.

"You hope to ascend to this point," Westby said. "This group, they put it together at the right time. They peaked at the right time."

The top-seeded Tigers put together a sweep of the second-seeded Delano Tigers 25-22, 25-13, 25-19 Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center to win their third consecutive Class 3A volleyball state title.

This marks the ninth state championship for Marshall (30-5) since 2004 and the second time they've achieved a three-peat (2011-13, 2021-13).

Marshall won a tight first set against Delano (30-3). It was tied 13-13 when Marshall used a 6-1 run to give itself a cushion and eventually take the set.

Senior Brielle Riess dealt with an ankle injury early in the match, leading Marshall to sub in some players who "didn't miss a beat," Westby said.

Still, Riess came back and helped Marshall make 9-0 runs in the second and third sets. In the third, she recorded five kills and a block during that nine-point stretch. What helped her continue to compete?

"Just knowing that my teammates will pick up any slack that I have," Riess said. "We worked together, we fought through it."

Riess finished with a match-high 18 kills to bring her tournament total to 54.

Last year's state champion Marshall team helped this year's squad, Westby said. In last year's tournament, Marshall didn't allow more than 20 points in a set. Westby said that helped the returning players know what it feels like "to get somebody down and not let them back in the game."

Sophomore Reese Drake finished with 10 kills and 14 digs. Delano sophomore Cassie Wegman led her team with 10 kills.

"I think everybody just did their job," said senior libero Kennedy Drake.

Delano coach Becca Rue said her team obviously wanted the match to go beyond the three sets but said Marshall is a fundamentally sound team.

"They just picked apart our block," Rue said. "Defense, they served aggressively. So they're well deserving of the title."