Wayzata makes its way back to the Class 4A volleyball title game

Scott Jackson realizes he's had good fortune, coaching talented teams that have won two consecutive state championships and established Wayzata as one of the state's premier volleyball programs.

But when casual observers assume Wayzata is simply going to overwhelm an opponent because of who the Trojans are, he dampens that while still acknowledging the contributions of the past.

Wayzata, playing strong and consistent, beat Rogers 25-15, 25-14, 25-23 in the Class 4A state tournament semifinals Thursday at Xcel Energy Center, sending the Trojans to Saturday's championship game in pursuit of their third consecutive large-school state title. The Trojans won the Class 3A championship in 2019 and the 4A crown in 2021. The state tournament was not held in the COVID-restricted year of 2020.

Wayzata (29-4) will play Lakeville North for the championship. Lakeville North swept East Ridge in the other semifinal.

"I believe we get to stand on the shoulders of past teams, and we've learned from those experiences," Jackson said. "But this team doesn't have to carry the weight of past teams. This is their experience. This belongs to these guys. It doesn't belong to those great kids that were here."

For Wayzata junior outside hitter Olivia Swenson, getting to the final is satisfying after she missed last season because of hip surgery.

"Watching it, I was jealous. I wasn't out there. I wanted to be," she said.

"She was itching to play," said twin sister Stella, the Trojans' setter.

Said Olivia: "Now that it's here, it's a special moment I don't want to take for granted."

Olivia Swenson paced the Wayzata attack with nine kills, and Stella ran the show with 19 set assists.

Coach Bo Schmidt said Rogers (30-5) made too many errors to stay close in a match against a team as talented as Wayzata.

"We made too many mental mistakes today, and it's tough to overcome those, especially against a really good team," Schmidt said.