Cards volleyball on top again

Faribault Bethlehem Academy won the state Class A volleyball championship Saturday for the third time in the last four years, and seventh time overall.

Eight Bethlehem Academy seniors left the Xcel Energy Center floor as state champs after a 3-0 sweep of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton, 25-15, 25-21, 25-20. The Cardinals jumped out to a 15-2 lead in the opening set. BA trailed for much of the second set, but ended on a 6-1 run. In the third set BA led until the Panthers tied it at 19-19. The Cardinals clinched the title with another 6-1 run. The championship point came on a kill from Lauren Mathews.

Payton Nutter led the team with 16 kills. Mathews had 11. Payton Schultz contributed 9 kills and a team leading 17 digs. She started in the championship match, completing her comeback from a fractured elbow earlier this season. Shanna Matejcek dug up 15, and Keely Skluzacek had 13 digs.

Three Cardinals made the All-Tournament Team: Schultz, Nutter and Mathews.

The eight seniors are Shanna Matejcek, Payton Schultz, Sara Kohl, Mikayla Grossman, Maddie Fetters, Lauren Mathews, Nicole Mahowald, and Teddy Campbell.

Bethlehem Academy's titles have come in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, & 2014. The Cardinals have finished second four times. B-A has made it to the state finals in each appearance at state.