Trojans fought off Eagles but finish state runner-ups

LINCOLN, Neb. — The broom nearly broke 13 times as Cambridge fought off Overton Eagles’ sweep attempts again and again at Saturday’s Class D-2 state volleyball finals.

Senior Bailee Ahlemeyer often earned her “firecracker” moniker when she burned Eagle victory plans many times with hustling digs.

There were more set points than some fans’ have seen candles on their birthday cakes.

In fact, “13” seemed like more than Taylor Swift’s lucky number since both senior Jalen Kent and junior Erin Johnson both drilled 13 kills during the D-2 final.

Yet 13 really became Overton’s favorite number at Devaney Sports Center.

The 2022 state runner-ups needed eight set points to top Cambridge 25-21 in their first set.

That’s right: the gritty Trojans worked a 24-14 margin to 24-21 before another Trojan block finally sailed out of bounds.

Following a second 25-21 win, Overton struggled with its broom handles again while Cambridge erased another eight-point deficit.

The Trojans were trailing 17-9 until senior Jalen Kent’s fourth ace serve of this final highlighted one more Trojan late-set surge.

When freshman Joslyn Holtze flicked her one “ace” serve off the Devaney Center net, Cambridge had caught those seemingly stopless Eagles at 19-19.

Yet the late-morning fun was only beginning.

A 20-20 tie was reached on Johnson’s 12th of her 13 kills.

The Eagles took another four one-point leads and star hitter Jolee Ryan’s kill made it 24-23.

Cambridge was far from finished.

Ahlemeyer’s latest great save and a Kent dig Cambridge promptly served into the net but an ensuing Eagle net violation made it 25-25.

Perhaps adrenaline was a little too high because the next Trojan serve also sailed far beyond where these No. 1-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers play.

However, Johnson’s 13th kill off Eagle blockers forced another deadlock at 26-26.

Overton senior Natalie Wood walloped her 14th kill only to see that next potential state title-clinching hit....

Zoom directly into the net. Tied again at 27.

Coach Lauren Carpenter’s Cambridge girls simply refused to quit. They’d already delivered a 100th Carpenter win with the Trojans en route to their first state volleyball final since 2008.

Cambridge soon got whistled for a “lift”, though, which gave Overton set point one more time.

Boom.

Senior Addison McCarter’s kill — only her fifth all match — finally gave Overton its historic first state volleyball title.

The Eagles’ 25-21, 25-21, 29-27 victory finished a true state tourney sweep where Overton went 9-0 against their three Class D-2 foes.

Overton (32-3 record) finished a year-long quest which featured two of its three defeats to RPAC neighbors Cambridge and Southwest.

Cambridge (28-5) took over Overton not even two weeks earlier in subdisrict finals play.

They couldn’t make it two straight over their biggest rivals in 2023.

“I didn’t even shed a tear,” Wood told the Kearney Hub about losing last year’s D-2 state finals match to Howells-Dodge. “I knew we would be back. We were on a mission.”

The Trojans will aim to have that same focus for 2024 though they lose four super seniors in Kent, Ahlemeyer, Brylyn Springer and Leah Downer.

Downer was injured and could not play during state, though she encouraged her teammates through every high-pressure match.