Last Wednesday, in front of a loud and energized crowd at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Class A No. 5 Westside Warriors girls volleyball team stormed past the No. 2 Marian Crusaders in the first round match state quarterfinals, winning 25-22, 21-25, 25-14, 25-18.
Westside establishes its identity early, leaning heavily on strong serving pressure and disciplined defense that forced Marian into uncomfortable situations. The opening set remained tight as both teams traded points, but late-set composure from the Warriors pushed them over the top. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Marian securing the win.
By the third set, the Warriors had settled in. A series of runs behind the service line gave Westside separation, and the team showcased impressive depth as multiple hitters contributed at crucial moments, with Madeline Lamb putting up 18 total kills and Makenzie Wingett, 17. Marian attempted to rally in the fourth set, but Westside’s balanced attack and relentless energy, something the team has been working on all season, sealed the match with a 25-18 win.
One of the most unexpected storylines of the night centered around junior libero Mary Bahle, who sported the jersey 67 for the night.
“The background story of my jersey is, so, first the state sent our coach a letter saying that [two] jerseys were too similar, so he ordered an extra and he made it a joke number but then Jane ended up getting hurt so then I had to wear it [for her],” said Bahle.
Coach Andrew Wehrli reflected on the match and the importance of the senior players as well as junior talent who lead the team now and will continue to next year.
“Our seniors showed up in force tonight, [I’m] really proud of them. Madeline led our team [kills]. Seniors, big deal tonight. Mak led us, Madeline led us and to see Mary Bahle break out the way she did tonight was fantastic. We have made some changes, Kherington played all the way around and did a great job leading us through that. And then as always our bench was legit. We had just wonderful support throughout the program from everybody,” said Wehrli.
Coach Wehrli commented on the preparation in between the quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
“[We’re] gonna go home, watch some film tomorrow morning, we’re going to do what we do, I mean our goal is to force our identity on others so we’re gonna go back, gonna reorganize, do what we do, get ready for a couple things, and then battle it out on Friday,” said Wehrli.
On Friday the Westside Warriors girls volleyball team faced Lincoln North Star in the state semifinals at Pinnacle Bank Arena, ending in a reverse sweep.
