Wayzata volleyball defeats Anoka in Class 4A semifinal
The No. 1-seed Wayzata Trojans (33-0) defeated the No. 5-seed Anoka Tornadoes (23-9) 25-14, 25-13, 25-16 in the MSHSL volleyball semifinals on Thursday morning at Xcel Energy Center.
The Trojans pulled away in each set and pushed their streak of set wins to 43 in a row.
"We played great today," Wayzata head coach Scott Jackson said. "We were really focused. It's a quick turnaround. ... I'm so proud of how they did. It was a really mature approach."
Wayzata set the tone early. The Trojans led 18-8 in the first set, and senior Olivia Swenson had six of her 14 kills in the first set.
"I wouldn't say I love getting up at 6:45 in the morning," Swenson said. "I'm not really a morning person, but I grabbed an energy drink and I went on my way and did my thing."
The second and third set followed a similar pattern, and the Trojans rolled to their fourth straight state tournament finals appearance hoping for their fourth straight win.
"Going into each set, we we're going to go into it as hard as we could, but you've got to give [Wayzata] props," Anoka senior Logan Brent said. "They're a really good team."
Wayzata libero Bianca Nistor was also a standout for the Trojans. She finished with 13 digs and two aces.
"She's been a rock for us," Jackson said. "She hasn't had a bad match all year. I'm really proud of her."
The Trojans will face the winner of No. 2-seed New Prague vs. Stillwater in the Class 4A final on Saturday, November 11 at 7 p.m.
On where this team compares to Trojan teams of the past, Jackson said, "Let's talk about it Saturday."
