When it comes to state tournament experience in the 2021-22 school year, Mayer Lutheran is all over it.

The Crusaders already have state titles in volleyball and football. The reminders of that state volleyball team were all over the basketball court Thursday in the girls’ basketball state tournament quarterfinals at Maturi Pavilion.

Of the 14 players on the Mayer Lutheran girls’ basketball roster, nine played on the volleyball Class 1A state championship team. Amber Hoese, Marley Martin, Emma Lade, Stella Maass, Julia Carns, Shelby Buhr, Lilly Wachholz, Madeline Guetzkow and Danica Martin were all on the volleyball roster in the fall for the school’s fourth volleyball state title, and second in five years.

Wachholz had a match-high 17 kills in the volleyball championship, a sweep over Minneota. She didn’t play in Thursday’s basketball game, instead resting an ankle injury. Her ankle has responded well to treatment, coach Kris Gustin said.

“We’re glad we didn’t have to use her tonight,” Gustin said. “We’ll see if she can give us some time tomorrow. She brings a lot to our team with her size and her rebounding, her defensive ability.”

Wachholz averages 6.9 points per game.

Lade was a senior setter on the volleyball team and came into the basketball tournament averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game. Lade scored 11 points and led the team with six rebounds in the quarterfinals against United Christian Academy. She said having so many players overlap with the volleyball and basketball teams has helped.

“Because the upperclassmen who have experienced it more can really help out the underclassmen,” Lade said. “Just talk them through things and calm their nerves. So it’s really nice.”

The Crusaders are making their second consecutive trip to the girls’ basketball state tournament. Last season ended with a quarterfinal loss to Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s.

There’s the potential for Minneota and Mayer Lutheran to meet once again for a state title on Saturday afternoon. Earlier Thursday, unseeded and defending champion Minneota upset top seed Mountain Iron Buhl 51-48 in the other side of the Class 1A bracket.

Mayer Lutheran’s football team also defeated Minneota in the Class 1A Prep Bowl, winning 20-14. 

Nnaji OK, coach says

Hopkins coach Tara Starks had some encouraging postgame news about 6-4 post Maya Nnaji, who went down with a knee injury in the first half of the Royals’ 52-27 victory over White Bear Lake.

“She’s all right. I’m expecting her back in two days,” Starks said, meaning Nnaji should play in the Class 4A championship game. She said the initial diagnosis was a hyperextended right knee.

“Any time a kid goes down, twists, hyperextends, they immediately think it’s the worst of the worst,” Starks said. “Then you find out it’s just the stuff we went through when we played. Nothing serious.”

Shooters earned it

Fergus Falls seniors Ellie Colbeck and Tori Ratz are the only players still on the roster from Fergus Falls’ 2019 state tournament appearance. That trip yielded a one-point quarterfinal loss to Holy Angels before a second loss in the consolation semifinals.

Colbeck and Ratz have played varsity basketball for four seasons, and they’re gym rats, according to their coach, Josh Steer.

“Those two have spent hours and hours in the gym perfecting their shots,” Steer said. “It’s been fun to watch them develop.”

In Wednesday’s 71-55 quarterfinal victory over Pequot Lakes, Fergus Falls relied on the leadership of Colbeck and Ratz to get the team going and propel it into Friday’s semifinal against Minnehaha Academy. The Otters were down 7-0 and missed their first four shots.

Colbeck and Ratz combined to hit the Otters’ first eight field goals to build a 23-14 lead over Pequot Lakes. They finished as the top two scorers, Colbeck with 25 points and Ratz with 22.

“We just love to be in the gym,” Colbeck said. “This is what we get for working that hard, I guess.” 

One that got away

In Minneota’s 51-48 Class 1A quarterfinal victory over top seed Mountain Iron-Buhl, Minneota senior forward Natalee Rolbiecki tied the game 45-45, then just missed scoring on an offensive rebound with one second remaining in regulation. The Vikings still won in overtime.

“It was nice to hit the one to tie it,” said Rolbiecki, who finished with 12 points. “But then it was, ‘Dang it, I wish that one would have went in, too.’ Nobody is that lucky, I guess.”

Teammate Ireland Stassen would beg to differ. The junior forward’s layup gave Minneota a one-point overtime lead it did not relinquish. On St. Patrick’s Day no less.

Whistling along

Cass Lake-Bena coach Martin Wind found himself in the presence of unwanted company during Thursday’s Class 1A quarterfinal against Hayfield.

“All three of my leading scorers were on the bench,” Wind said.

Both teams were whistled 21 times. One Hayfield player fouled out. Cass Lake-Bena lost two players to their fifth fouls. Another, senior Krisalyn Seelye, was ejected after receiving two technical fouls.

“The second one, she was calling a travel and the ref called it taunting,” Wind said. “To me, it wasn’t taunting. She was calling traveling and going to take the ball out and he turned around and called a technical. He didn’t really even explain it to me, and he just walked away from me when I asked.”

Matthew Davis, David La Vaque, Jim Paulsen and Heather Rule contributed to this report.