Sauk Rapids' winningest senior class 'playing for themselves' after quarterfinal loss
Sauk Rapids volleyball made it to state in consecutive years for the first time in school history, and three best friends are at the core of the winningest class the program has seen.
On November 11, the Sauk Rapids-Rice senior volleyball team faced Princeton in the quarterfinals of the state championships. The six seniors, Emma Sunby, Elliyana Karl, Peyton Welch, Abbey Meinert, Molly Warzecha, and Josie Anderson, had no experience with a state championship as freshmen. Led by head coach Gail Bialke, this was the winningest senior class in the past 20 years.
With an 81-28 record across their four seasons, they were the first Sauk Rapids-Rice team to reach consecutive state tournaments. However, they were no match for Princeton, falling 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-21). The seniors, who had only four losing seasons since joining the team freshman year, banded together off the court, viewing each other as the closest friends they'd ever had.
Now, they have the opportunity to secure another top five finish at the consolation championship game.
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