Calhoun Volleyball “Speechless” After Winning Program’s First-Ever State Title

Bradley Piros, Reporter

Nov 16, 2024 2:43 PM

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NORMAL, Ill. – It was a long time in the making.

Suffering back-to-back postseason exits in the sectional semifinals, the Calhoun girls volleyball team had something to prove this year.

And they proved it Saturday morning.

The Warriors took on Stockton in the Class 1A state championship game on Saturday at CEFCU Arena on the campus of Illinois State University and came out the other side with a two-set victory by scores of 25-17 and 25-16.

It’s the first state title in program history, and it was one worth waiting for.

“Absolutely. I’ve been with these girls, I started helping them when they were in second, third grade,” Calhoun head coach Missy Zipprich said. “So, I’ve always known this team was special. I knew they could always do it right from the beginning”

The championship capped off another highly successful season with a closing record of 39-2.

“Speechless. I’m just kind of overwhelmed with all of it,” Zipprich said. “I always knew the girls could do this. But to actually do it, to have the determination and fight to get this far, I’m just speechless. They’ve been amazing. So proud of each and every one of them,” she added with some emotion.

Calhoun put the first point on the board, but quickly fell into a 4-1 deficit. The Warriors closed the gap to 5-4 but wouldn’t take the lead until 11-10 after a six-point run. That span included four straight attacking errors from Stockton and an empathic kill from Audrey Gillman to boost the lead to 13-10, forcing the Blackhawks into their first timeout.

From there, Calhoun led the rest of the set. Stockton closed the gap to 14-13 before Calhoun used another six-point run to pull away again, going on to win the set 25-17.

Set two was a bit of the opposite. The Warriors jumped out to a 5-1 lead before Stockton battled back to lead at 11-10. The Warriors then battled back with a five-point run to go ahead 17-12, going on to win the set comfortably at 25-16.

Joy Hurley led Calhoun with 10 kills while Kate Zipprich had six kills to go along with five blocks.

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“Throughout the whole time, I was confident that we could do it,” Kate Zipprich said. “We watched film, knew their weaknesses, knew what weaknesses we had. We were so ready, and I believed in us so much.”

“It’s amazing, I wouldn’t have wanted to end it any other way,” she said.

“I just love these girls so much. I’ve never doubted our team. I knew we could do it,” Hurley added.

The championship game was Calhoun’s 24th consecutive win, a run that started after back-to-back losses on September 21, the only blemishes of the season. But it managed to work out in the end.

“I blame myself on that one in the first place just because that was a long week,” coach Zipprich said. “I had to take a week off for a Washington D.C. trip. That was our eighth and ninth game that week. So, I think we were just tired.”

“But it made us focus,” she continued. “I don’t think the girls at all were slacking during those games, and that we needed a wake-up call so much, but it did kind of put into them that we have to work. We have to push hard for every game. Losing those two games is what I think helped us get here. We realized we weren’t going to coast through the season and had to fight for every game.”

Throughout the 41-game season, only five of them were three-setters. Two games against Carrollton and Roxana back on August 31, the losses on September 21, and last Monday’s super-sectional game against Norris City-Omaha-Enfield.

Calhoun’s championship opponent Stockton ends the season at 38-3. Cisna Park (36-4), who Calhoun beat in the semifinals, took third place over Hartsburg Emden (31-10) in three sets.

According to Hurley, one of the team’s seven seniors, the Warriors didn’t feel very nervous heading into the state tournament.

“I think [the nerves] were honestly settled before the game yesterday,” she said. “We came together, we just poured it all out. We’re so open with each other and we just helped each other battle the nerves. We came out there strong and we were ready.”

It seemed like the Warriors were ready for whatever the season may have thrown at them, and that’s because they’re one big family.

“The fact that they’ve played together for so long. I knew this year was going to be good because if you guys listen, they’re all each other’s best friends,” coach Zipprich said. “The core of this group was so positive the entire time. They never got down on themselves, when one was struggling, the others stood up and took their place,” she continued.

“I always knew this team was going to be the team.”