Junior High Volleyball:  West Lincoln-Broadwell brings home state championship

[March 11, 2019] 

The Lady Wolverines of West Lincoln-Broadwell continue to make school history. This time the volleyball team won the Seventh Grade Class 1A State Tournament in Lexington on Saturday, bringing the school its first-ever state championship in volleyball.

The Lady Wolverines finished their perfect season with a 19-0 record.

This talented seventh grade class at WLB also won the basketball title last December.

WLB vs Hartsburg-Emden

On Saturday morning the Lady Wolverines played Hartsburg-Emden in the semifinal match. WLB won in three sets: 25-7, 23-25 and 25-15.

This match was a battle between Kloe Froebe and Cloee O'Donoghue at the net. Froebe led WLB with 23 kills. O'Donoghue led Hartem with 15 kills.

Froebe and O'Donoghue are two seventh graders who have improved their volleyball game tremendously over the last year.

Fans were treated to some outstanding volleyball in the match between WLB and Hartem. It's still amazing to think that two of the final four teams in Class 1A came from Logan County.

Of the Saturday morning contest with Hartem, WLB Coach Kim Heitzig said, "We knew this would be the hardest match during the state tournament.

"The first set our girls came out confident and focused. We were passing, setting and hitting very well.

"We had sixth graders take on new, key roles and they played like it was nothing new.

"During the second set, we were hitting well, but Hartem dug everything. Our girls were slow to respond and just a few mental errors can take the team out.

"During the third set, our girls refocused on our season goal and worked together to pull out a win!"

"So many emotions during that match from the entire team," added Heitzig. "We wanted it so bad, but we knew it wouldn't be without a "fearless" battle. Fear crept in all of us with moments of tears and anxiety, but this year we didn't let it beat us!"

WLB vs Limestone Walters

In the championship match on Saturday afternoon, the Lady Wolverines defeated Limestone Walters in two sets: 25-12 and 25-9.

Kloe Froebe led the team with 17 kills.

"Limestone just couldn't handle the speed and power of Kloe Froebe's attacks," said Heitzig of the title match. "We were fundamentally sound in all other aspects of the game which allows Regan (Goodey) to put up sets that allow Kloe to pick her spot for a kill."

"Overall I could not be prouder of these girls," continued Heitzig. "They knew since fourth and fifth grade if they worked hard this moment could be possible. It is the first volleyball state championship in West Lincoln-Broadwell history. When you have dedicated girls, combined with a superb assistant coaching staff (Ashley Paulus, Emma Derry and Kaylyn Hoffert), supportive parents and school administration... magic can happen!"

Fresh off earning their most recent state medals, WLB's Becca Heitzig, Kloe Froebe, Regan Goodey, Jenna Bowman and Alison Turner took a few minutes out of celebrating to talk about the championship and the hard work it took to bring home the top hardware.

"We've all just worked really hard in the offseason," began Heitzig. "Regan and I were also in Illini Elite. That was our goal from the beginning of the season - to win State."

"But we always take it one step at a time. First it was county, then it was regionals, then sectionals, and then we go to State," added Froebe.

Photo by Lynn Paulus

One player who has significantly improved is the setter, Regan Goodey.

"So I go to Illini Elite with Becca," said Goodey, "and while she does her thing with passing, I am always off with another coach working on setting. I set the whole practice basically and I do a bunch of camps with setting."

The other girls were quick to note how Goodey has improved. "She has improved a lot," emphasized Froebe, with a big smile. "We had to practice a lot with the quick middle set because it's a new set."

"Regan has improved a lot," a smiling Heitzig was quick to add also.

Goodey noted that a lot of her sets were double-hits last year, especially when the team played Hartem. She's come a long way since then. "Not very many of my sets were good last year," admitted Goodey.

The hard work these girls put in really showed on the court this season with that perfect 19-0 record.

The quiet one of the bunch, Jenna Bowman, who also gets her share of kills, smiled and said, "We've worked really hard, like they said, and we got here and we won."

As far as that tough semifinal matchup with Hartem, Goodey offered, "There was a little like, psych. For some reason when we are on the court with them, I feel like everyone gets nervous."

"I'm not nervous," piped up Heitzig.

"Well, we were a little nervous because it was our third time playing them," said Froebe. "But we got it done."

"We just worked really hard in the offseason," added Alison Turner," and we put in time with Fusion."

Fusion is a Lincoln club team coached by Danielle Lora, Ashley Paulus and Kim Heitzig.

Did these girls think they would go undefeated all season? "YES! You gotta believe!" they all exclaimed in unison.

So what do these girls do next year? "We do the same thing all over again," said Goodey.

And they are already focused on putting in the hard work for next season.

"This year Regan and I are trying out for an Illini Elite travel team," said Heitzig. "We are going to try to make that team and hopefully that will improve our skills some more."

"We are going to try to grow, too," added Froebe.

"Hopefully I get taller, " smiled the petite Heitzig.

That's sounds like a good plan, all the way around.

Congratulations, girls!

WLB stats versus Hartem

Regan Goodey 32 assists, 7 aces
Kloe Froebe 23 kills, 7 digs
Jenna Bowman 13 kills
Becca Heitzig 9

WLB stats versus Limestone

Kloe Froebe 17 kills, 6 aces
Regan Goodey 21 assists
Becca Heitzig 6 digs

[Teena Lowery
Sports Reporter/Feature Writer
Lincoln Daily News
217.454.6419 [e-mail]]