High School Girls Volleyball
Stags punch their ticket to State

 

[November 06, 2023] 

The Stags won the Class 1A Bushnell-Prairie City Super-Sectional by defeating Annawan on Friday night 25-17, 15-25 and 25-19.

Hartsburg-Emden is now headed to the Class 1A Volleyball State Finals at CEFCU Arena (Redbird Arena) in Normal on Friday, November 10, 2023 and on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

The Hartem Stags had a whole lot of people cheering them on Friday night in the Super-Sectional, as fans from all over the country logged on to over 365 devices to watch their beloved Stags play volleyball.

With the Stags winning in three thrilling sets, it was Addie Beekman and Alayna Briggs leading the way with an incredible 20 kills apiece.

Celia Cross had 35 assists.

Jennifer Hayes, now in her 29th season as the head coach of the Stags, was proud of her team and the overwhelming support of her community Friday night.

Hayes is preparing to make her first trip back to State since 2018. The 2018 team featured her daughter, Anna Hayes, as the senior standout outside hitter.

This year she has her son, Alec Hayes, on the coaching staff as an assistant.

Alec Hayes might just be the good luck charm the team needed. Hayes typically has former players on her coaching staff but this season with the addition of her son, the team was able to get past a previous hurdle - sectionals.

Hayes said her team had been stuck in the sectionals for the past two years, losing in the sectional finals, and she said that was heartbreaking.

“So to finally get past that hurdle was huge for us!” said Coach Jennifer Hayes of the sectional win over Decatur Unity Christian on Wednesday night.

“Fast forward then to Friday night and the Elite 8 atmosphere and we had lots of fans, we had a fan bus and a great student section,” said Hayes. “The girls were excited and nervous. I had scouted Annawan quite a lot and had a good feel of their strengths and weaknesses. We had made a great game plan and executed it to the nth degree in set one winning 25-16. In set two, things just didn't fall our way, and I felt everything Annawan did was right. The momentum had shifted. It literally was a set where I just wanted to be over so we could reset. We did end up getting a few rallies going our way, just enough to balance things going into set three. The first part of set three was really point for point. Both sides are trying to get a few points of separation. We got behind there at 5-8 but then with Addie Beekman serving we took the lead at 9-9. We never fell behind again. It stayed close, but we took a three point lead and then kept it. You could feel the shift and Annawan starting to press making mistakes they hadn't made all night. The players had a plan to rush the floor on match point but the massive kill Alayna Briggs hit bounced right in front of the defender, but Annawan kept playing it so we had to stay focused on that point. Finally the officials whistled the ball down - and STAGS WIN - but the moment to rush the floor was gone. I told them to save that moment for Saturday! It's going to be EPIC!”

Hayes cannot contain her excitement for this team going to State and rightfully so.

“I'm so very excited to get this team to State,” continued Hayes. “It’s been five years since we have been there, so we have all new players. We have had so many chances to get there, and fate just didn't allow it. Injured players, Covid, just so many things you don't plan for and with a school our size, one little altercation and it changes everything.”

“This team deserves it so much. Their chances in junior high were taken away the same night as the 8A regional championship that never got played and my seventh graders were 24 hours away from playing at State. And the year after there wasn't a postseason at all. So to get this team to State was absolutely everything!”

“Speaking of the 8A Regional Championship,” said Hayes. “In March of 2020 we were set to play West Lincoln Broadwell and now some of their players are going to Redbird Arena, too, only at the 3A level.”

Hayes is referring to this year’s Lincoln Lady Railer Volleyball team that is headed to Redbird Arena on Friday also.

A former Stag is now the head coach of that Lincoln program.

“My former player and assistant Coach Kaylee (Beekman) Lowery is the head coach and she does a phenomenal job with them,” said Hayes. “I couldn't be happier for her and her team. We wish them all the best of luck and we are just glad we don't have to play each other this time!”

Coach Hayes threw in a fun fact regarding the three Beekman sisters she has coached at Hartsburg-Emden.

“Fun Fact: I have coached State Teams in 2014 (Kaylee - Runner-Up), 2018 (Grace - Runner-Up) and now Addie in 2023,” said Hayes. “I promised Blake Beekman long ago I'd get all three sisters to Redbird Arena and I never go back on my word!”

Coach Hayes also went on to tell the story about the theme “Believe” and how it came to be this year’s team motto.

“So I am a huge fan of the show “Ted Lasso,” said Hayes. “And I have learned a lot about myself and my coaching style while watching that show. Yes, I know it is fictional, but, gosh is it powerful. The more I watched it, the more I knew I wanted to coach more like Ted (I am really more like Roy Kent) but I strive to be Ted. Looking out for the best in everybody. Coaching the positive, loving his players, building the relationships to make his players better people (both on and off the court), that will gain you far more victories. I strive to be that for my players every single day. I believe in Hope. I believe in BELIEVE. Be a GOLDFISH (10 second memory). You say IMPOSSIBLE. I hear I'M POSSIBLE. I could go on and on.”

“So each year I pick something to theme the year,” said Hayes. “I wanted this. I get clips to show them. I make a big inspirational speech. Then I reveal our team shirts. This year we picked our own color of shoes, our own neon shirts, I mean I went all out of my comfort zone of control for this team, trying to make it player-led rather than ME lead. All inclusive of individuality, bring everyone's best unique gifts together into an unstoppable TEAM. So far so good!”

When asked about this 2023 Stags team and what makes them so special, Hayes answered, “They are friends on and off the court. I don't have a single-minded player. They play for the whole. I can't rely on any one player to win it all for us. They play hard and cheer for each other and mean it. It's a special group for sure.”

Let’s hear from a few of the Stags who make up that special group.

Senior Addison Beekman, a captain for the Stags, is the last of the Beekman sisters to play volleyball for Jennifer Hayes and she couldn’t be happier to finish her high school career at Redbird Arena.

“I am feeling so excited and so happy,” said Beekman. “I have watched both of my sisters play at Redbird and I am so excited to finally get to experience it myself. I am so lucky to be able to end my time playing Hartem volleyball at ISU, this has been my main goal throughout high school volleyball. To be preparing for this goal this week is actually so crazy that it doesn’t even feel real. At the beginning of this season, Coach told me, “We will make it to state this year I promise, this is our year.” I didn’t really believe her at first because it was the beginning of the season, but watching this team grow together as a whole I knew when we entered the postseason and how well we executed as a team and played, I knew Coach was right. This team is so special because we are all so close and all enjoy playing together, so when we play it is just so fun and we all have trust in each other to do their own job on the court, and we all have the same goal to end our season with a state championship!”

Beekman has been consistent all season long for the Stags and has 305 kills and 270 digs.

Senior Cloee O’Donoghue, the other Stags captain, echoes Beekman’s sentiments in her own words.

“Honestly, as we’re preparing for State, I feel very excited about it all because we were cut short our 8th grade year,” said O’Donoghue. “So since the beginning of the season we’ve all had the feeling that this was our year to go. I also feel very confident going into next weekend because we’ve taken all season to prepare physically and mentally for this moment, but overall it still doesn’t feel real yet. I think what makes this team so special though is the bond that we have on and off of the court with everybody. The girls on the team have always been close, but throughout the year we all always grow closer, which I think always improves the connections we have on the court.”

O’Donoghue has 210 digs for the Stags this season and has also been consistent from the service line.

Two sensational sophomores on this year’s team who have really stepped up, after having fantastic freshman seasons, are Alayna Briggs and Celia Cross.

Briggs leads the team with 415 kills and has also picked up 175 digs. She carries herself on the court like a seasoned veteran.

“My emotions are all over the place because I am so proud of this team and what we have accomplished this season,” said Briggs. “I knew from the beginning of the season we were going to do great things and to come out this post season and actually show how great we can be, really just makes me so proud. I am so excited to be able to play at Redbird this weekend and to be able to experience this with this team. This team is so special because we all are so close with each other on and off the court, when we are on the court we all believe in each other, and this season that was Coach’s theme for us. She believed in us, and that made us believe in ourselves. I am so proud of everyone. We have had this goal since last year when we lost in the sectional championship. We knew this year we would not let that happen and we showed everyone that we are better than that. I am so excited for this weekend!”

Briggs has some impressive volleyball history in her corner, notably with her grandmother, a former coach of the Stags. Her grandmother was Lisa Miller, who coached the team back in the 80s for ten seasons. Miller took the 1982 Stags team to State.

“She has been such a big influence on me,” said Briggs. “She comes to almost every one of my volleyball games and that just means so much to me to know that we will always share volleyball as a special thing that we have in common!”

Cross has a remarkable 736 assists this season as the team’s setter. She earned a lot of recognition as a fantastic freshman last season and this season she has not missed a beat. She has already eclipsed 1,000 assists in her career.

“All season we’ve been working towards this goal and now it’s actually happening,” said Cross. “I think what makes our team so special is how close we all are and the friendships that we have help us when we’re playing too. Especially in these postseason games, it’s been obvious how much supporting and cheering for one another has helped us on the court and I know that will help us on Friday and Saturday. I’ve made some of my best friends through volleyball and I’m so excited to spend this last week of the season playing with them!”

There is nothing better than playing on the last weekend of the season for a high school athlete.

The Stags take their 32-7 record to Redbird Arena on Friday and you better believe they will be the talk of the tournament in Class 1A competition.

The Stags will play Cissna Park on Friday, November 10, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. at Redbird Arena in Normal.

Effingham St. Anthony will play Galena following the Stags match.

The winners will meet on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for the state championship.

Stats

Points

Celia Cross 11
Sadie Williams 11
Kylie Starcevic 9
Addie Beekman 6
Cloee O’Donoghue 5
Alayna Briggs 3

Kills

Addie Beekman 20
Alayna Briggs 20

Blocks

Alayna Briggs 2

Assists

Celia Cross 35

Digs

Cloee O’Donoghue 8
Alayna Briggs 7
Addie Beekman 4
Sadie Williams 2
Ellie Klokkenga 1

[Teena Lowery]