The crowd was roaring as the Spartans extended their lead 24 to 12. The Spartans were just one point away from being state champions. SLUH managed to fight off the Spartans to score one final point, making the match 24 to 13. After a little back and forth action, the Spartans set up the spike, and senior Jack Gamache drilled the ball into SLUH’s side of the court. The Spartans volleyball team won state.

The players rushed the court and embraced in a celebratory pile up as the crowd erupted in complete jubilation.

After making it to the semifinals two years in a row, the Spartans finally were able to overcome the struggles of the past. The path to the championship wasn’t easy for the team this year. In order to reach the championship, they would have to beat the number one and the number two seeds. By beating the number one DeSmet, the team put itself in position to beat the number two SLUH.

After splitting the first two matches, the Spartans finished off SLUH in a convincing 25-13 fashion. For coach Mark McAfee, it was destiny.

“I was telling Jack, that we were destined. Third time’s a charm,” McAfee said. “At times we didn’t play our best, but I told our guys that when we play our best, we play volleyball as good as anyone. And we proved that tonight.”

The Spartans were able to beat SLUH only one week removed from its shutout loss against them. For Gamache, this victory was redemption.

“My goal is to never let people down,” Gamache said.

Gamache issued a special thanks and dedication to all the fans that supported the team in their run to state.

“This win was our way of letting the fans know how much they meant, and how much this game meant to us,” Gamache said.

Long after the stands emptied, the team stayed and continued to relish the feeling of victory. McAfee couldn’t help but comment on the team as the enjoyed their last moments on the court together.

“What a group of kids. They got it done tonight,” McAfee said.