Take notice, Hoehne football players.
The precedent has been set by the school’s state championship girls volleyball team.
The Lady Farmers made it back-to-back Class 2A volleyball titles Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum, winning a five-game thriller over previously unbeaten Simla 25-14, 16-25, 25-22, 19-25, 15-13.
In doing so, Hoehne (30-1) avenged its only loss of the season, a five-game setback in regionals to the Cubs (30-1). The Hoehne football team will play Merino in the Class A 8-man semifinals Saturday.
“They wanted this so bad, and they just really wanted to make up for that regional loss,” said Hoehne coach Kathy Neve, whose team matches the 1957-58 baseball teams as the only ones in school history to win back-to-back state titles.
“We came out at regionals, and Sue (Snyder, Simla coach) and I said this was the state title match, let’s go at it again,” Neve said.
That they did.
After trading wins in the first four games, the cream for each team rose to the top in the decisive fifth game.
Hoehne senior Megan Hiss, who had 14 kills and was named The Denver Post’s tournament most valuable player for the second consecutive season, helped the Farmers to an early 5-2 advantage with three kills and a shared block with Alyssa Hernandez.
“That loss at regionals just made us that much more motivated,” Hiss said. “We took everything we possibly could from that match, and this last week we worked on covering, hitting different options and just everything that would prepare us for this match. It turned out pretty good.”
Simla’s big hitter, RaeLynn Snyder, destined for the University of Northern Colorado, responded with three of her match-high 24 kills to even the game 6-6.
But Hoehne’s championship experience and depth, notably Nicole Paradisa, Haven Cappellucci (who returned midseason after breaking her ankle in the spring), Marley Schafer, Amanda Paradisa and Shelby Clark proved too much.
“They played great defense, and great defense converts to great offense,” Sue Snyder said.
Amanda Paradisa finished the match with the last of her 14 kills.
CLASS 2A ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Caroline Alexander, Simla, Jr.
Brittany Brown, Sangre de Cristo, Sr.
Megan Hiss, Hoehne, Sr.
Amanda Paradisa, Hoehne, Sr.
RaeLynn Snyder, Simla, Sr.
Morgan Witzel, Burlington, Sr.
MVP: Megan Hiss
