LINCOLN — There's a special place in the David City Aquinas school where pictures of the Monarchs' state championship teams hang.

Katie Holoubek noticed an open spot Saturday, right below the picture of the 2006 boys basketball team.

“It's right at eye level,” she said. “I think it's been left for us.”

Holoubek made sure the vacant area will be filled with a photograph of the 2009 Aquinas volleyball team by pounding 22 kills Saturday night in a 25-17, 25-17, 25-16 sweep of Sandy Creek in the Class C-2 state title game at the Nebraska Coliseum.

The 6-foot outside hitter slammed nine kills in the first game — one more than the entire Cougar team — as the Monarchs never trailed. Her kill total slipped to just four in game two, but again Sandy Creek never led as Mary Klosterman and Shania Steager each added three kills.

Holoubek hit five of her nine game-three kills as Aquinas built leads of 6-0, 10-1 and 12-2 en route to its first state volleyball championship.

“Passion was our main thing,” Holoubek said. “We wanted to do it for all of us. It's awesome; it's everything we wanted.”

Despite the high kill total — she had just three fewer kills than the entire Sandy Creek team — Holoubek was quick to share the credit. She even offered advice on possible newspaper story headlines.

“I don't even want to hear ‘the Katie Holoubek show',” she said. “I want to hear the Aquinas volleyball show.”

Sandy Creek's players, who finished 25-7 a year after winning just 5 of 31 matches, watched the Monarchs play in Friday's semifinals. Cougar co-coach Lauren Williams said her team was impressed with Holoubek, but even more so on Saturday.

“Seeing her today was like, whoa!” she said.

Junior Keriann Shaw led Sandy Creek with 12 kills and sophomore Ashlee Harms hit seven. Freshman Mikaela Shaw set 23 assists for a team that started no seniors.

“It looked like they played a little scared,” Williams said. “You could see the nerves today; you could definitely see the nerves. They also played against a team that was great. I was very impressed with their play at the net.”

Aquinas won 21 of its last 22 matches to finish the season 27-8 after owning early-season marks of 2-4, 3-5 and 6-7. The Monarchs lost twice to Class C-1 state runner-up Grand Island Central Catholic, once to C-1 state champion Columbus Scotus and once to Class B state semifinalist Seward.

“We peaked at the right time,” Aquinas coach Jody Pelan said. “The girls were motivated.”

Motivated by pictures.

David City Aquinas (27-8)..................25 25 25

Sandy Creek (25-7)....................17 17 16

DCA (kills-aces-blocks): Cortny Novacek 1-0-1, Shania Steager 6-1-0, Emily Kobza 1-0-0, Jenna Beringer 0-1-0, Katie Holoubek 22-0-2, Kristine Fiala 1-3-2, Mary Klosterman 7-1-1.

SC: Taylor Horst 3-1-0, Mikaela Shaw 1-1-0, Ashlee Harms 7-1-1, Montana Hinrichs 2-1-1, Keriann Shaw 12-0-0.

Set assists: DCA 35 (Steager 17, Kobza 16, Klosterman 1, Fiala 1), SC 24 (M. Shaw 23, K. Shaw 1).

Contact the writer:

444-1201, sports@owh.com

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