Posted: Nov. 18, 2009 |(0) Comments

After just four short years of existence, the New Berlin United boys volleyball team has a state championship. For Nicolet, a string of close calls continues.

New Berlin defeated Nicolet in five games, 25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 25-21, 16-14, in the WIAA state final at Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday.

"It feels great," New Berlin coach Kurt Derenne said. "All that hard work in the gym paid off. These guys have done a lot, a lot of work in that gym. Everything coming together, finally experiencing successes with a conference championship and now a state championship, it's unreal."

State player of the year Jeremy Dejno served an ace for the game-winning point in the decisive fifth game, shortly after his kill gave New Berlin a 15-14 lead.

"This one is a lot more disappointing just because it was 16-14 in five (games), that's as close as you can get," said Knight coach Brad Kuehl. "These kids fought so hard all weekend. Nobody even thought we'd win the first round. Nobody gave these kids credit. They've worked so hard and the deserve everything they've gotten."

Earlier in the fifth game, New Berlin's Nick Olson had back-to-back block kills and then a kill to help his team erase a 10-9 deficit. Dejno followed with back-to-back kills as New Berlin took a 14-11 lead.

Nicolet's Rob Mayer drilled a shot, New Berlin was called for a foul and Mayer blocked Dejno to pull the Knights even at 14-14, before Dejno took over.

"I got blocked a few plays before that so I decided right then and there that I wasn't going to cost us the state title," Dejno said. "My jump serve was off most of the game. It didn't matter if I got the ace - I wanted our team to win. I just went after it and was not timid."

Nicolet, last year's runner-up and a state qualifier in 2007, took a two-games-to-one lead thanks to six kills by junior Matt Klingspohn in the third game, but New Berlin responded.

In the fourth game, Dejno recorded back-to-back aces during a 9-3 run that put New Berlin ahead for good.

Dejno finished with a match-high 26 kills. New Berlin's Chris Pokrzywa led all players with 51 assists, as did Adam Vlaj with 19 digs.

Klingspohn finished with a team-high 21 kills followed by Mayer's 18. Anatoli Berezovsky had 45 assists and 10 digs. Patrick Bieser Jr. had 12 digs for Nicolet (31-11).

"This year was the most wins I've ever had in the season, numerous individual records broken," Kuehl said. "There is so much this team has accomplished. . . . Right now, it's hard to swallow, but when they look back on it there will definitely be smiles about it."

With additional reporting by Steven L. Tietz

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Game effort comes up just short

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Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee

Nicolet preliminary results

QUARTERFINALS

Nicolet over Appleton North 25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 25-18-Matt Klingspohn 21 kills and 16 digs; Rob Mayer 18 kills and 14 digs, Anatoli Berezovsky 43 assists.

SEMIFINALS

Nicolet over Kettle Moraine 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11-Klingspohn 20 kills, Mayer 16 kills, Patrick Bieser Jr. 12 digs, Berezovsky 47 assists.

"That was a great team we just beat," Mayer said of Kettle Moraine, "and this is an unbelievable feeling to have, but we're not done yet. We're not done. . . . We've really counted on our experience and it came through in the end today."