It’s been 27 years since Milford volleyball made it to the state tournament. The Eagles are not a staple in Lincoln, qualifying just twice in the school’s history.
But the 2024 edition of MHS volleyball is headed down Highway 6 to Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“This is a great opportunity for our girls,” Coach Emily Restau said.
The Eagles earned the trip to PBA with a 18-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22 win over Columbus Lakeview in the district final Nov. 2. Freshman outside hitter Shayla Rautenberg had a season-high 32 kills and hit .481 in the match.
Setter Kylie Jakub delivered 44 assists in the match. In addition to Rautenberg, fellow freshman Braelynn Muller reached double digits with 11 kills. Taylor Oldfield picked up 24 digs, with Jakub adding 18.
The Eagles (24-9) will start the Class C1 tournament Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. against Pierce (27-5). The Bluejays are a team with state experience and a lot of returners, Restau said. However, she said the Eagles will be ready.
“They showed a lot of poise and confidence on Saturday no matter what situation we were in,” she said. “They played for each other and with a one-job-at-a-time mentality. We will have to stay in the moment and focus on the process of the match. I feel that the girls gained a lot from our match in the sub-district final. This showed through our girls’ poise through the district final match.”
The week started with a 25-19, 25-10, 19-25, 25-17 win over Central City in the first round of subdistricts Oct. 29. Rautenberg finished with 27 kills and Jakub with 43 assists.
The win put Milford in the subdistrict final against Holdrege Oct. 30, and the Dusters prevailed in five, 25-18, 18-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-12. Rautenberg and Muller had 20 and 10 kills, respectively, and Jakub put up 36 assists. Oldfield picked up 23 digs, with Kira Schweitzer adding 14 and Jakub 13.
