Scott City beats rival to capture state volleyball championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As the Hermann volleyball team completed one of the more elaborate warmup routines you'll ever see on a volleyball court, complete with six-on-six scrimmaging, before the Class 2 state championship match, the Scott City Rams watched from the sideline.

They watched and they talked. Mostly without taking their eyes off their opponent, the Rams talked quietly to each other. Perhaps they were pointing out a player's favorite spot or noticing the way a hitter called for a particular set.

Or maybe they were just taking a moment to mentally prepare.

Whatever the case, for several minutes, the Hermann Bearcats had the Scott City players' undivided attention.

Soon, the Rams would have theirs.

Scott City senior Brooke Simpson holds up the Class 2 state championship trophy Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. (Kit Doyle)

Scott City defeated Hermann 25-19, 25-22 for the school's first volleyball state title Saturday at Municipal Auditorium.

"We were so ready to go," sophomore Mikah Simpson said. "We were out to kill, and they didn't think we were prepared at all."

It turns out Scott City had done a lot of preparing. After being swept by Hermann on Friday, the Rams made some critical adjustments before the state title match.

"We sat in the hotel last night and we analyzed the game we lost [on Friday] to Hermann," Mikah Simpson said. "We knew every rotation. We knew where they were going to set the ball. We knew where every hitter was and we switched up our offense, our defense."

Things were different, if not entirely successful, from the start. Scott City was able to partially block a Hermann attack on the first point of the match. It found the court anyway to give the Bearcats the point, but it was the start of a trend and the result of the team meeting.

Katie Hogan receives a Hermann serve in front of Stephanie Essner during the Class 2 state championship match Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

"We changed our rotation," said Katie Hogan, who had six kills and three blocks. "We had a bigger block on Shelby. That way we could cover tips better, and it worked."

Shelby Winkelmann is a standout on a team of standouts for Hermann. The junior had 14 kills on just 25 attempts with only one error against Scott City in round-robin play Friday.

"We had to pick up our defense," Scott City coach Haley Jennings said. "We knew we had to put up a big block against [Winkelmann]. She's a powerhouse at the net, and we knew once she got on the back row we had to dominate at the net as well."

The switch just slightly slowed down Winkelmann. She finished with 13 kills on 28 attempts but also sprinkled in four errors. But it also gave the Rams a better chance to capitalize when she was in the back row.

Scott City had 27 kills in the championship match, compared to just 18 against the Bearcats on Friday.

Scott City senior Brooke Simpson (10) screams for joy after the Rams defeated Hermann in the Class 2 state title match Saturday.

Hermann led early in the first game, but Scott City took the lead at 14-13 on a kill by Mikah Simpson after tying the game three times.

Then with a 17-15 lead, Hogan's emphatic kill from her middle position caused Hermann coach Linda Lampkin to call a timeout. But the Rams would not relinquish the lead in the game.

"It's amazing," Jennings said of her team's execution. "With the group of girls that I have, it's kind of easier because they know what they want, they knew what they had to do to get it and they were so determined."

The teams exchanged the lead several times at the beginning of the second game. With the score tied at 15-15, Mikah Simpson, as she did often in the match, used the big Hermann block to her advantage, sending a spike off her opponents and out of bounds.

The kill gave Scott City a one-point lead and allowed teammate Katie Diebold to take over on serve.

Diebold, who finished with nine assists and five digs, helped the Rams earn a commanding lead with five consecutive serves, including a rare ace.

"It's kind of crazy because when we play Hermann and we get back there, we don't serve more than maybe two or three times," Diebold said. "When I was going back there, I was like, 'I'm serving again?' Then I got an ace and I was like, 'Oh my God' because they normally pick up everything and I couldn't believe they hadn't picked it up."

The victory was sealed a short time later and the Scott City players converged into the middle of the court for a combination of group hugs, jumping up and down and crying.

The tears continued to flow as the team members and coaches had their state championship medals placed around their necks, and captain Brooke Simpson was handed the team trophy, which she still was holding after all the team pictures and hugs were complete.

"I have not let go of this thing," the senior said. "High school ball is over now. This is what we have to show for all of our hard work and our accomplishments."