Photo via PV Spartan Pride Twitter page
The PV volleyball team commemorates their win with a photo.
The one where the third time really is the charm: PV’s volleyball team wins historic state title
The Pleasant Valley girls’ volleyball team became the school’s first ever state champions on Thursday, Nov. 4.
After losing to the Ankeny Hawkettes in the semi-finals last year, the PVHS volleyball team was eager to make a comeback.
Last year, PV’s volleyball team was ranked eighth in the state. Through hard work and dedication, they moved up to fifth in the state for this year. They rode this high all the way to the state championship in Cedar Rapids where they beat Cedar Falls, winning a state title.
The members of the team could not contain their joy for this momentous occasion as they brought home the first state volleyball title for PV. Many of them attribute their success to the teamwork they showcased.
Senior Livia Thomsen, the team’s libero, expressed her gratitude. “Team bonding helped us a lot by making connections because that started to show on the court as well,” she said.
For the first two sets, the battle was evident between the two teams as they took turns gaining multi-point leads. Even so, PV quickly left Cedar Falls defeated. Even when the teams were tied 24-24 at the end of the second set, the girls rallied together to win.
With the first two sets under their belt, the girls were eager to win the third set. Players like Halle Vice and Arra Cottrell were especially helpful throughout as their powerful arms gained the team many points. Along with them, the defense of PV pulled through time and time again.
With good defense and great team chemistry, as recognized by Halle Vice, the team was bound to find success at some point. Through the hardship of playing through COVID last year, the girls developed a special bond. “We all can rely on each other without a second thought and know that each teammate we depend on has poured countless hours into their skills,” Vice said.
In the third set, PV beat Cedar Falls 25-13, and the girls piled on top of each other as they made history, winning the 5A state championship for the first time ever. The whole team recognized how remarkable this was and was grateful to share the historic milestone with the entire student body.
Students came out in droves to Cedar Rapids for the games, and parents and teachers alike poured out their support for the girls. “It felt incredible. To have so many supporters, and for everyone to come together for our cause, is truly special,” senior Alexa Frankel said.
After years of just barely falling short, for the PV volleyball team, a state championship has never felt better.
Michael Carber • Nov 13, 2021 at 9:31 am
Great article. You really expressed all the energy the team and he students had. I loved all the talk about all the hard work the girls put into get this and trust each other.
Kennedy Brady • Nov 12, 2021 at 12:26 am
Well written article, I absolutely loved the adrenaline that this game gave. It was exciting and all of my teachers were showing it during class. The second set was so stressful because the score was extremely close. I love that the seniors were finally able to get the title every athlete hopes and dreams of getting
Arra Cottrell • Nov 11, 2021 at 1:16 pm
Great article! This was an amazing year for us. We were ranked 2nd going into the State Tournament this year, which gave us a lot of confidence. It felt so good beating Ankeny this year, especially since they knocked us out last year. It was an amazing atmosphere when we arrived Thursday to play in the championship! It felt so good to sweep cedar falls, and win the state championship. All of our hard work paid off, and I will miss this team so much.
Devin • Nov 11, 2021 at 11:22 am
It was amazing to see the girls beat ankeny and get their revenge. They even won the whole tournament. It is great to see another pleasant Valley team win another championship. This really proved how PV is commuted to excellence both on and of the court/field.
Jocelyn Brown • Nov 10, 2021 at 1:55 pm
I love this article because this game was so exciting to watch! It’s definitely a huge milestone for the school’s volleyball program, and seeing the student section so alive in that picture is great. The improvement and hard work is shown through this article so well.
Jack • Nov 9, 2021 at 9:24 pm
It was great to see the girls win after coming up short the past two years. This was my first time going to a state volleyball game and the atmosphere was electric.
Jake Dolphin • Nov 8, 2021 at 1:34 pm
What a great article about the state title run of the Spartans. It was so exciting at the game, and the crowd was unreal like the article mentioned. The quotes of the players really enhance the quality of the article.
Sydney Dolphin • Nov 6, 2021 at 12:40 pm
This article is well written and definitely shows how exciting winning state was for the players, but as well the fans. As a student that went to all the games it was very fun to watch the girls play so well together.