Five sets later, Huskies headed to state semifinals

Woven deep into the fabric of the 2025 Albany Huskies volleyball team is a composure when things go sideways.

After the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers overcame a 20-15 deficit to claim a match-tying win in Set 4 of the Minnesota State High School Class AA Girls Volleyball State Tournament quarterfinals, momentum was clearly tilting away from the Huskies entering a make-or-break fifth and final set.

No. 2-seeded Albany stayed the course under immense pressure, fending off the Lakers 15-9 to earn a thrilling 3-2 (25-12, 20-25, 25-18, 24-26, 15-9) victory Nov. 6 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

“It’s the state tournament, so the expectation of teams down here is it’s not going to get any easier,” said Brian Hines, Albany head coach. … “Every match is going to be a grind, and I felt like our girls did a nice job of stepping up at the end in Set 5.”

The Huskies (28-3) got their second consecutive state trip off on the right foot, executing a 10-2 run to begin the first set. During this surge, senior middle hitter Brynn Panek buried four kills and added an ace from the serving line.

“The first set, I thought our girls played outstanding,” Hines said. “We really put pressure on them with our serve. They couldn’t get the ball to their two big middles.”

Those “two big middles” in question — seniors Isabell Schuech and Alaina Koch — made their presence felt in Set 2 The duo combined for eight kills in that set, with HLWW scoring six of the final seven points to even up the first-round matchup at one apiece.

With the Lakers gaining steam in their first state tournament appearance, the Huskies knew that limiting the negative plays and maintaining a short-term memory on the court was going to be matter more than ever.

“Every team we play down here is going to be tough, and we can’t let one mistake get to our heads,” Panek said.

Albany showcased the power of its full arsenal in Set 3, as four different hitters — Panek, senior Josie Dingmann, senior Kelsey Lobitz and senior Kiley Lange — all recorded three kills. Helping to keep the offense in flow was senior setter Lillian Van Heel, whose 47 set assists on the afternoon marked her second-highest single-match total of the season.

“The sets we won, our transition from getting that blocked touch to the defense digging it, getting it to Lillian and then getting it to these big hitters really was nice,” Hines said. “We were getting them a nice, fast set so we could really put pressure on them and attack fast.”

Set 4 was close from the start, with the teams exchanging short bursts to build to a tie game at 13-all. The Huskies initially appeared poised to move on without much in the drama department, firing off a 7-2 run to take a five-point advantage. However, HLWW dug deep to keep its season alive, tallying four consecutive points — including two with Albany on match point — to make a fifth set a reality.

“This is our first time at state, and these girls battled really hard against a really good Albany team,” said Hailey Krueger, HLWW head coach. “It just shows the potential we can have at the tournament.”

While absorbing the blow of an opportunity missed, the Huskies — who won several narrow-tight sets down the stretch of the season against Foley and Minnewaska Area in the Section 6AA playoffs — displayed their maturity and experience when push came to shove. Led by four kills from Panek and two more from Dingmann, Albany never trailed in Set 5, advancing to the semifinals with an assured win.

“You go to the fifth (set), you know you can win,” Lange said. “It’s just finishing strong and wiping the palette clean and starting strong, just like we did in that first set.”

The Huskies will face the Chatfield Gophers for a shot at a state championship spot at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in St. Paul. Albany defeated Chatfield in another high-intensity match earlier in the season, winning 2-1 (19-25, 25-21, 16-14) in the gold bracket semifinals at the Class AA Showcase Tournament Sept. 20 in Burnsville.

“Last year, going to state, it meant a lot, but I think it means even more (this year), at least for me,” Lange said. “This is my last time playing volleyball, so I’m just enjoying that and playing with my friends.”

Serves with aces: Lobitz 29 with 1, Lange 23 with 4, Dingmann 14, Panek 12 with 1, Katie Brickweg 11, Van Heel 10 with 1. Kills: Panek 23, Lange 11, Lobitz and Dingmann 9, Van Heel 5, Jaelyn Stangler 3, Katie Brickweg and Addison Brickweg 1. Digs: Lange 21, Lobitz 20, Katie Brickweg 18, Addison Brickweg 12, Dingmann and Panek 5, Van Heel 4, Stangler 1. Assists: Van Heel 47, Dingmann, Stangler and Addison Brickweg 1. Blocks: Lobitz and Lange 1.