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Bergan’s Rebecca Baker and Kaitlyn Mlnarik combine for a block during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Paige Frickenstein hits a shot during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Carlee Hapke prepares to serve during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Addie Gilfry watches a Ponca shot sail long during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Claire Mlnarik sets a pass over the net during the Knights sweep of Ponca in the C-2 District 2 championship game Saturday.
Saturday, Bergan’s senior class played its final game under the multitude of state banners that hang in Gary D. Schmidt gymnasium.
The five-member class had a hand in hanging a few of them up in the rafters.
They’ll have a shot at hanging one more, punching their ticket to Lincoln Saturday with a sweep of Ponca (25-10, 25-18, 25-18).
“It was a little nerve wracking (for me) today,” said Bergan coach Sue Wewel. “The girls didn’t show it. They showed up and said ‘We’ve got it coach,’ but (Ponca) is a team that goes on runs and that was a little concerning for me.”
Bergan gave the Indians little opportunity to get hot in the opening set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead, all served by senior Carlee Hapke.
“Carlee is at that server role and Summer (Bojansksi) is next because those two are so consistent at what they do and they know their mission is to get five in-a-row,” Wewel said. “I really do believe that is why we jump out pretty well.”
The Knights lead ballooned to as many as 13 during the opening set—19-6 on back-to-back aces by Addie Gilfry—before taking the opening set 25-10.
Kaitlyn Mlnarik landed six of her team-leading 17 kills in the first set.
“She has played the last month just really, really well,” Wewel said.
Set two and three were more tightly contested with the Knights overcoming early pushes by Ponca to secure the sweep.
Hapke added her name to the record books in the opening points of the final set, securing her 1,000th career dig.
“The utility, Swiss Army knife, that’s what she is,” Wewel said. “She loves to compete and always has. …She is a fierce competitor.”1
This is Bergan’s sixth consecutive district championship.
Bergan’s senior class will be aiming to hang its fourth banner when it makes the trip to Lincoln Thursday. The last three have all been runner-up banners, something that the Knights are aiming to change.
“Right now, we feel like we have as good of a shot as anybody,” Wewel said.
The road to a fourth-straight state title game, starts Thursday.
The Knights, the No. 2 seed, take on No. 7 seed Clarkson/Leigh. Bergan beat the Patriots 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-15) on Sept. 27.
The rest of the Class C-2 field is made up of No. 1 Lincoln Lutheran vs. No. 8 seed Bayard, No. 3 seed Cross County vs. No. 6 Amherst and No. 4 Oakland-Craig vs. Southwest.
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Bergan’s Rebecca Baker and Kaitlyn Mlnarik combine for a block during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Paige Frickenstein hits a shot during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Carlee Hapke prepares to serve during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Addie Gilfry watches a Ponca shot sail long during the Knights sweep of the Indians in the C-2 District 2 finals Saturday.
Bergan’s Claire Mlnarik sets a pass over the net during the Knights sweep of Ponca in the C-2 District 2 championship game Saturday.
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