Westminster edges Incarnate Word to repeat as Class 4 state champion

One year after a run to a state title as underdogs, a seasoned Wildcats squad entered this season as the favorites in Class 4.

“It was very hard,” Bishop said. “Everybody wanted to beat Westminster. We are the team to beat or we were the team to beat, so I think that definitely kept us on our ‘A’ game.”

Westminster lived up to the favorite billing Friday with a 25-22, 17-25, 25-19, 25-23 victory over Incarnate Word in the Class 4 championship match at Southeast Missouri State University’s Show Me Center.

It is the second consecutive championship for the Wildcats (32-2-5), No. 1 in the STLhighschoolsports.com small school rankings, and third overall.

Westminster coach Ben Briney, who was won state crowns in his first two years at the school, credited the team’s seven seniors.

“I’m blessed to have them,” Briney said. “They’re an incredible group and they left their legacy.”

Abby Siess put down 13 kills, Bishop had 12 and Emma Fairchild added 10 for Westminster. Alexis Frazier and Sophia Shaver combined for 42 assists.

Ellie Witthaus had a match-high 23 kills and Tara Greenberry put down 15 more for No. 7 Incarnate (29-13). Sammi Bergjans had 41 assists and Abby Freund had 20 digs.

Incarnate came out firing in the first set. Kills from Greenberry and Witthaus along with a block from Cate McCulloch helped stake the Red Knights to a 19-12 lead.

It was a much different Incarnate team than the one Westminster swept in the season opener in August.

“We knew they're a new team, we’re a new team and we were really excited," Siess said of the rematch.

Siess sparked a Westminster rally with a kill and block. Fairchild blasted home a couple of kills and Shelby Truitt put down an ace to help even the frame at 19-all.

Fairchild continued the push with a kill and a block, setting up a Siess kill to clinch the opener for the Wildcats.

“It was just keep doing what we're doing,” Briney said. “We talked about it all year, there are no big moments. Every moment is the same. We've got to treat the games like we treat practices, so stay calm.”

Witthaus put down six kills to help give Incarnate a 19-12 lead in the second set. Kills from Sydney Clark and Greenberry helped the Red Knights close out the frame to even the match 1-1.

“It was kind of interesting championship because there's some runs on both sides of the nets and some big spreads on the scoreboard at times, which was different, but it didn't feel that way,” Incarnate coach Shane Weber said. “It felt like a pretty well-played match by both schools.”

Bishop had several big swings, including three successive kills, as Westminster broke a 6-all deadlock with a 9-0 run in the third set. Incarnate fought off four set points before the Wildcats clinched it on a hitting error.

“Honestly, I think it was a mindset thing,” Bishop said. “I think I really just needed to get locked in and that fire got lit and I was ready to go.”

Greenberry put down a pair of kills and a block to help Incarnate dig out of an early hole in the fourth set.

“I think our defense played well, too, and it just doesn't work out,” Weber said. “You're fighting, you're playing a team that is loaded with experience.”

A pair of hitting errors by the Red Knights gave the Wildcats a 23-21 lead, setting up Siess to end the 1-hour, 58-minute match with a pair of kills.

“I'm at a loss for words,” Siess said about putting down the championship winner. “It's crazy. … but it’s a dream come true.”

Bishop, Siess, Fairchild and Truitt makeup a senior quartet affectionately known as the “Bomb Squad.” Bishop said it was a fitting way to end the group’s run, with everyone contributing.

“The beautiful thing about the ‘Bomb Squad’ is we are so well balanced,” Bishop said. “There isn't just one spectacular player. We all have our turns being that player.”