“There’s so much pressure in a state finals game…a crazy environment,” said Morgan Blasingame (above) of Coldwater’s first volleyball title. “But we’re used to pressure situations. I couldn’t be more proud.” (Press Pros Feature Photos)
In business-like fashion the Coldwater Cavaliers capped a perfect 29-0 season with the perfect finale…a straight-set win over Marion Pleasant for the OHSAA Division VI title.
Fairborn, OH – No need for a bus, the Coldwater Cavaliers fairly floated back home Saturday night, ninety minutes after capturing their elusive first OHSAA school title in volleyball.
Joy does not describe it.
Relief is hardly adequate.
Inclusion with the best traditions in MAC volleyball begins to touch it.
But patience…business-like…and, at last…owing to the personality of coach Nikki Etzler, is how they would prefer to remember it.
In an hour and ten minutes the Cavaliers completely cleansed nearly a decade of frustration – Final Four losses to Versailles (2017) and Mentor Lake Catholic (2022) – with a convincing 25-18, 25-18, and 25-12 win over Marion Pleasant (24-4). Pleasant, like Coldwater, was seeking its first state title, while making their first state appearance.
Freshman Campbell Etzler stretches to save a point during the second set of Coldwater’s Division VI title win on Saturday.
“They’re really good,” said Pleasant coach Koreen Ute of Coldwater in the post-game press conference. “We don’t see many teams like that, teams that consistent.”
“We knew when they came out on the court,” added Spartans senior libero Madi Pendleton. “They weren’t fooling around. It was all business.”
And Coldwater, with what senior Morgan Blasingame would later claim as having “some killer instinct” set about taking care of that business.
Feeling each other out for the first ten points of set #1, Coldwater opened up the score with a pair of short runs, 18-10, then withstood a Marion 8-7 run at the end to claim the set, 25-18.
You don’t get this far in the tournament without having your qualities, and Marion Pleasant came out in the second set and showed just that. They battled through the first 9 points…then Coldwater crept ahead at 11-9…then ties at 14, 15, 16, and 17 before Coldwater finally went on a late 8-1 run to close out that set. again, 25-18.
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Having battled through Marion Pleasant’s best shot, it obviously took some of the pressure out of the equation…if there was any.
“There’s a lot of pressure in a state finals game…a crazy environment,” said Morgan Blasingame. “But we’re used to pressure situations. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Spencer Etzler drives one of her twelve kills past a Marion Pleasant defender during Saturday’s title win at the Nutter Center.
The pressure off, Blasingame and Spencer Etzler came out in the final set and started hammering, putting the finishing touches on 16 and 12-kill nights, respectively. Getting off to a 6-1 start, they quickly increased their margin to 11-2…then 18-8…then 25-12, and history was in the books.
OHSAA media director Tim Stried correctly identified it as the 148th MAC title since the league’s inception back in 1972. It freshens an already impressive number of 28 OHSAA titles previously won at Coldwater, including seven in football, seven in baseball, and a combined nine state titles (boys and girls) in bowling.
And whereas Nikki Etzler, who’s the epitome of the adage that still water runs deep, would express satisfaction on behalf of her team…there was at least some sense of personal redemption for previous Final Four opportunities unfulfilled in 2017 and 2022.
“Sure,” said Etzler. “I think we came away in 2017 (against Versailles) feeling like we missed an opportunity. That was tough to swallow and we lost a lot of sleep at our house, afterwards. But we had a lot of respect for Versailles, too.
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“And then in ’22 we came here to play Mentor (Lake Catholic) and we knew how talented they were. We wanted to give it our all, we left it all on the court, but we lost. So to come here today, feel like we were well-prepared to take in the moment…and have our leaders that were sophomores in ’22 play like they did as a result of that experience, that was huge.”
Words can’t describe…the feeling on the bottom of the pile seconds after set, match, and title was secured.
While the water does run deep with Etzler, she also confesses having a competitive side that can’t be satisfied any other way than by just…winning.
“I want things like this for these girls because I know how hard they work,” she adds. “I wanted it so much for our school, too, because I know that our program has instilled so many great values, and we wanted a state title to back that.
“But personally, I wanted it because I’m super competitive. And to see these girls hard work rewarded like this…it’s pretty awesome.”
For her daughter Spencer, the acknowledged leader and a recruit to play at Stanford University next fall, the title was important for all the reasons above, yes…along with the fact that she didn’t want to be the only player in the Stanford locker room that hadn’t won a state title in high school.
“Stanford is such a great school and all the athletes out there are amazing,” she said with a champion’s smile. “So to have this under my belt going out there is going to be great.”
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Like her coach, Morgan Blasingame talked about winning it for her team, her school, and her community…but the heart of every champion also has its selfish side. When winning the ultimate championship is an option, you do take it personally.
“It was really personal,” she laughed. “Spencer and I are so competitive and we push each other a lot. And in warmups, when the two teams are out there together, we tend to give them the stare-down..try to be intimidating sometimes. We’re competitive, and I love that about us.”
Seniors Olivia Broering and Morgan Blasingame celebrate their long-awaited title.
“We have some killer instinct, because you want to put every single ball away. But it’s easy to have that mindset when you have such a great team behind you – when you go up for a kill and you know they’re all right behind you.”
“Like Morgan says, I know that we do this together,” Spencer Etzler added. “It makes this easier when you know you have such a great support system.”
Bottom line? They finished 29-0, lost just three sets all year, and you don’t want to waste all that. No fooling around. You have to finish…as champions, now in the impressive fraternity of Marion Local, St. Henry, New Bremen, Versailles, New Knoxville, and Fort Recovery, previous MAC title-holders in volleyball.
And no surprise that Coldwater finally joins the list. It’s just a surprise that they didn’t join it sooner, and more often.
Something to work on……
Right after some righteous celebrating.
The 2024 OHSAA Division VI champion Coldwater Cavaliers celebrate their first volleyball title.
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