Elkhorn South volleyball makes history with first-ever state title
OMAHA, Neb. (BVM) — Elkhorn South’s volleyball program established itself as a consistent force with nine state tournament appearances in the first 10 years of the school’s existence. It was not until this season, however, that the Storm reached their full potential.
Led by an immensely talented group of players, many of which are already committed to Division I college programs, Elkhorn South claimed its first state title in the school’s relatively short history by beating defending Class A state champion Papillion-La Vista South in straight sets on Nov. 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
“It’s a pretty big honor because we’ve had some great teams come through the program,” said second-year head coach Chelsea Potter, who was an assistant for eight years under the Storm’s first head coach, Briana Janda. “It’s just an honor to be able to win the first state championship and it’s due to the leadership that (Janda) showed and the other great athletes that have come through our program.”
Several of the athletes who played key roles in this year’s run to the title were also part of the last Elkhorn South team to make a run to the state final. Just two years ago, the Storm advanced to the Class B state championship match where it fell to the Omaha Skutt SkyHawks, who recently claimed a record sixth consecutive state title. But with two added years of experience, those players who fell just short in 2018 were able help lead the Storm to the top in just their second year competing in Class A. And they did so in a season unlike any they’ve experienced before.
“Because of COVID, we didn’t know what was going to happen, so we really just focused on going one week at a time,” Potter said. “We kept saying, ‘Win the week.’ Focusing on one week at a time and being diligent with wearing our masks and taking care of ourselves and doing all of the social distancing so that we can win the week, it was a little bit more manageable for us to get through the season.”
While winning every week, the Storm almost won every single match. Their only loss came to Lincoln Pius X on Oct. 3, after which they ran off nine consecutive victories, capped by a sweep of Metro Conference rival Papio South, which was one of only three teams to take more than a set from Elkhorn South this season.
“It was exactly what you want championship volleyball to be,” Potter said. “When you walk into championship day and you’re playing against an opponent that you respect like that and they’re going to bring their best and we’re going to bring our best, being there and being able to compete meant everything to the girls and of course being able to beat a Metro opponent, it was a great experience.”
It was an experience made possible by the load of talent that the Storm possess, much of which will be returning next season. But one player that won’t be back is Rylee Gray, who will be taking her talents to the University of Nebraska to play for arguably the top Division I college program in the country. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker was a starter for all four years of her Elkhorn South career and a team captain for three of those years. She finished her senior season with a team-high 92 blocks and tied for the team lead in aces (32) while her 384 kills — including 16 in the state title match — were second-most for the Storm.
“She’s a dream player to have,” Potter said. “ I saw a lot within her junior and senior year this change in maturity, just on-court leadership, not getting rattled really attuned to the feel of the court and what the girls needed … Obviously she’s a great player skill-wise, but I saw such a growth in her leadership skills this year and I think that’s one of those magical things you have to have in order to have a championship team.”
(Credit: Bruce Thiebauth)
While Gray and the team’s only other senior, Brilee Wieseler, a University of Nebraska-Omaha commit who missed most of the season after tearing her ACL, will move on to begin their Division I college careers next year, Elkhorn South will return an accomplished junior class which is led by Arkansas commit Kylie Weeks.
The 5-foot-7 future Razorback who’s started since her freshman year led the Storm with 432 kills, 21 of which came in the state title match, tied Gray for the team lead in aces (32) and was also second on the team with 311 digs. Weeks has worked in tandem with South Dakota pledge Maddi Woodin, also a three-year starter, to form a dynamic hitter-setter duo. Woodin racked up 1,104 assists this season and has 3,738 for her career.
“They’ve been able to develop this sense of each other,” Potter said. “Maddi can find Kylee wherever she is, knows kind of how to read Kylee and where her approach is going to be and Kylee is so smart as a hitter. … She just has a wide array of shots that she can hit at any given moment which makes her really hard to defend and we like to use that wherever she is on the court and make teams honor wherever she is.”
Along with Weeks and Woodin, Elkhorn South will also return two more experienced future Division I players next season in defensive specialists Estella Zatechka, a Missouri pledge, and Katie Galligan, who recently committed to Wichita State. So there will clearly be no shortage of pivotal pieces for Potter to work with next season. But time will tell if the Storm will be able to turn around and repeat history next year after waiting more than a decade to claim their first state title.
“The challenging part once you’ve achieved the success is being able to maintain the momentum that we have,” Potter said. “On paper, we’re returning a bunch of kids with a lot of talent. Our challenge is going to be the mental engagement and making sure we can stay hungry.”
