Bishop Miege wins third straight state volleyball title

It’s easy to recognize the power Bishop Miege’s volleyball team boasts in senior hitters Allie Strong and Nicole Purcell.

But the real strength of the Stags? It’s their ability to put pressure on their opponents in every aspect of the game.

That’s how a program wins 24 state volleyball titles, the latest edition coming at Saturday’s Class 4A Division I tournament at the Bicentennial Center.

Starting with a Strong kill for their first point to a Purcell kill to finish it, Miege was in complete control of the title match with McPherson, rolling to 25-14, 25-16 victory.

It was Bishop Miege’s third straight championship.

“I do think we took them out of their game, because they’ve got some great players over there,” said Miege coach Gwen Pike, who won her 21st state crown.

“You can have all the attackers in the world, but you’d better be able to play the ball back. … I love defense, it’s my favorite part of the game. And we’re also blessed to have the great hitters we have.”

Strong and Purcell combined for four kills to start a 9-1 run that closed the first game. Strong ended it with four straight service aces. The duo finished with a combined 21 kills and eight aces.

But the defense was just as big. Even though McPherson’s dynamic duo of Megan Pedersen and Magan Alexander had their moments, there weren’t enough to give the Bullpups a chance at pulling the upset.

McPherson held early leads in both games, but couldn’t come up with enough answers to offset Miege’s relentless pressure.

“They both are phenomenal players, but we held our ground against them,” said Strong, who had 12 kills and six aces. “But Coach Pike just has us so ready for whoever we play and our team chemistry is just unbelievable.”

Miege, 32-11, showed perhaps a bit of vulnerability on Friday, dropping a game during its final pool-play match. But Saturdays in Salina have belonged to the Stags, and after rolling past Tonganoxie 25-9, 25-11 in the semifinals, there was no denying them a three-peat.

“It’s your last chance and we were out for the title fight,” Pike said. “Fight was our theme this year, and we were never going to end the fight. We knew we had a tough schedule and would have some growing pains during the year, but this is where we wanted to end it and win it.”

▪ Louisburg, which fell 25-21, 25-17 to McPherson in the semifinals, bounced back to take a 25-19, 25-17 victory over Tonganoxie in the third-place game and finished the season 31-12.

This story was originally published October 31, 2015 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Bishop Miege wins third straight state volleyball title."