SALINA – Caitlin Bishop thought she knew exactly what it would feel like if she and her Lansing teammates were able to finally finish their climb to the top of Class 5A and capture a state volleyball championship.
 
She had no idea.
 
"Oh my gosh, it feels like 10 times better," said Bishop, the Lions' senior setter. "It just feels so incredible. I can't believe it. I'm so glad I got to experience this my senior year."

 
Lansing entered the Class 5A state tournament as the No. 1 seed, but still with plenty to prove after seeing bids for state titles in recent seasons end just short – thirds in 2018 and 2019 and runner-up in 2020.
 
The proof was in the Lions' punch. Using a balanced offensive attack and a shut-down defensive performance, Lansing rolled through the 5A tourney. After sweeping its pool with trio of straight-set wins on Friday, the Lions completed their quest for a state title on Saturday.
 
Lansing handled Seaman 25-15, 25-18 in the semifinals, setting up a championship showdown with a perennial Class 5A powerhouse, although not the one either they, nor many others, expected. Nine-time state champion St. James Academy ended Aquinas' run with a three-set thriller in the semifinal, but couldn't deny Lansing its destiny as the Lions took a 25-20, 25-22 win in the title match to cap a 38-1 season.
 
"It means so much to all of us because we know for the last four years we've been working so hard to get to this point," Lansing senior middle hitter Iyannah Jackson said. "To know that we got here, it's just so satisfying. We worked so hard and we deserved what we got."
 

At 6-foot-1, Jackson is an imposing figure in the middle of Lansing's offensive attack. But a huge key for the Lions' success is that she's one of just several weapons Lansing can go to, no matter what the situation is.
 
For Bishop, having that kind of weaponry is a huge luxury.
 
"All of my hitters contributed in that match and they just make my job so much easier," Bishop said. "It's incredible having so many players that I have trust in and that have trust in each other to make the play, no matter who I set or when I set them."
 
That balance was on full display in the title match with six different Lions recording at least one kill and four delivering at least five. Every time Lansing needed a big point, it seemed to be a different Lions stepping up to provide it.
 
Senior Olivia Mae Van Der Werff pounded out three kills and fellow senior Mackenzie Manthe added two in a 9-4 start to set the tone in the first set. After St. James closed to 13-11 on two kills from Lauren Wheeler and another from Ava Spachek, Jackson slammed home a momentum-stifling kill in the middle that sent the Lions on a 6-1 run.
 
The Thunder fought back to 19-16 before a kill from junior Skylar Weaver put Lansing back in control before Jackson ended the game with back-to-back kills.
 
In control for the bulk of the first game, Lansing found itself in catch-up mode in the second game as St. James rode two kills apiece from Ella Goodwin and Elizabeth Kuhl to grab a 10-6 lead. 
 
"We knew they were going to come out 10 times better than they did yesterday and that they weren't the same team," Bishop said of St. James, which fell 25-19, 25-15 to Lansing in pool play on Friday. "But our mental training really prepared us for that."
 
It also helped Lansing dig out of its hole. A kill by Van Der Werff and another by junior Anna Laincz helped the Lions chip away at St. James' lead, eventually taking an 18-17 lead on back-to-back kills from Hamilton.
 
After ties at 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, Van Der Werff delivered two straight kills to get to match point and Manthe ended it the match and brought home the state title with a final kill.
 
"It's just so rewarding," Lansing coach Lindsay Zych said. "Our demeanor, we were prepared and ready coming in here. … You can just feel it sometimes and I could feel it that today was going to be a great day."
 
While Lansing's offensive diversity certainly can put Zych's mind at ease, so can the Lions' defensive ability. St. James finished with just 25 kills as a team in the championship match, no player recording more than Spachek's seven.
 
"I'm a former libero so I'm very, very strict on our defense," Zych said. "We have four of the best defenders in the state, so that makes us tough to beat when they're on their game. We do have a lot of options offensively, which is great and when we're in system we can use all those options, which we were this weekend."
 
Van der Werff led Lansing with 13 kills, including eight in the title match. Jackson added eight, Weaver had seven and Manthe five.
 
"They played out of their minds and they deserved it," St. James coach Nancy Dorsey said. "Their defense was insane and it's hard to beat a team that has that many offensive weapons and still plays defense the way they do. They were in their system the whole game and we weren't.
 
"To get to the finals and compete the way we did, I'm super proud of these girls. Nobody likes to lose, but we lost to a team that's super well-balanced and played the best game they could play. When that happens, the best team is going to win. They're a great team."
 
Nine-time state champions under Dorsey, St. James pulled the shocker of the tournament in the semifinals when the Thunder upset two-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas. The two teams traded 25-23 wins in the first two sets to go to a third and Aquinas appeared on its way back to the finals, going up 23-21 in the third.
 
St. James not only fought off elimination, but got key blocks on Aquinas' attack late and rallied for a 26-24 win in the third set to return to the finals for the first time since 2019. It also avenged a loss to the Saints in the regular season.
 
"There wasn't anybody that thought we would win that game except for us," Dorsey said. "I think it surprised a lot of people, but we played really disciplined volleyball and that's what we needed to do to win. We made some huge plays at the net in the end.
 

"I feel for Aquinas because I've been in that position and losing that way. They have a great senior class and Ava Martin is one of the best players to ever play at Aquinas. So I know what they're going through. I'm happy we won, but I feel for them."
 
St. James' win also forced Lansing to do a little adjusting on the fly with the Lions anticipating a rematch with Aquinas – the only team to beat them this season.
 
"We were in complete shock seeing how close the game was and then that St. James won," Jackson said. "But we still had the same passion and same mind set that it didn't matter who we played, we just wanted to win state period."
 
Lansing's loss to Aquinas came in the season-opening match. The Lions then reeled off 38 straight wins, a run Van Der Werff said was fueled by that Aquinas loss.
 
"It just drove us – we had fire in us and a chip on our shoulder," she said. "We made it a goal not to lose any more games after that first one. We just wanted to enjoy the ride."

The title was the first for the Lions since winning the Class 4A championship in 2002.
 
"Julie Slater built a great program here and we carry on a lot of her traditions," Zych said. "She instilled hard work and effort in all these kids and that's carried through. We were not going to be denied this year."
 
Aquinas bounced back to beat Seaman 25-13, 25-20 for this to finish the season 38-4.
 

 
SEMIFINALS
 
Lansing def. Seaman, 25-15, 25-18
St. James Academy def. St. Thomas Aquinas, 25-23, 23-25, 26-24
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Lansing def. St. James Academy, 25-20, 25-22
 
THIRD PLACE
 
St. Thomas Aquinas def. Seaman, 25-13, 25-21