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Concordia Academy eases past DeLaSalle for the Class 2A, Section 5 championship

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine, 11/03/16, 7:15AM CDT

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The Beacons held the Islanders to under 20 points in all three sets of the sweep.


Concordia Academy eighth grader Kira Fallert bumps the ball as her sister, Erin Fallert, looks on. Concordia Academy defeated DeLaSalle in three sets to win the Class 2A, Section 5 final, earning a trip to state. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine



Growing up, sisters Erin and Kira Fallert never dreamed they would be playing volleyball on the same varsity roster, let alone going to the state tournament together.

This season that notion became a reality, as they and their Concordia Academy teammates defeated DeLaSalle 25-9, 25-19, 25-17 in the Class 2A, Section 5 championship Thursday night at the Academy of Holy Angels.

The sisters didn’t think they would have the opportunity to play together because of their age difference; Erin is a senior and Kira an eighth-grader.

“I was so happy when I made varsity and I got to play with her,” Kira said. “It’s just been a great experience and really fun.”

Erin, who led the Beacons with 19 kills on the night, elaborated on the dynamic she shares with Kira.

“It’s so much fun to have my sister on the team. Our bond is so special,” Erin said.

Concordia Academy started the match strong, winning the first set by 14 points.

“We try to start out how we know we can,” Beacons coach Kim Duis said. “It’s a steady start and we keep building as we go.”

DeLaSalle wouldn’t go down easy. The Islanders closed the gap in the second set, coming within six points.

“We know that teams are going to get their points, but if we play steady throughout, we can battle back and get our points, too.” Duis said.

Set 3 featured back-and-forth scoring to start, but the Beacons pulled away for the match win.

DeLaSalle coach Jerrell Tate commended his team for the way they battled throughout the entire season.

“I’m very proud of them all,” Tate said. “Half of the girls play club volleyball and the other half only play during high school season. The fact that they were able to come together as strong as they did during the season makes me proud. A 22-4 record is not bad at all. I’m very, very happy.”

Despite this year’s roster consisting of eight seniors, Tate is excited for what next season will bring.

“We have a great freshman class that just came in. I’m looking forward to next year because I think the underclassmen and next year’s seniors will really step up, remember this moment and try to get past it,” Tate said. “They don’t look at themselves as seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen; they look at themselves as sisters, so they each really step up in their own way as leaders. They all have their own jobs whether they are on or off the court.”

Paris Smith, middle hitter and one of the eight seniors for the Islanders, led her team with six kills.

Looking forward, Concordia Academy knows what it needs to focus on.

“Consistency is a big piece of it,” Duis said. “That, and having steady play throughout. We’ve always been key on our serving and passing. If you can pass the ball and serve the ball, then everything else comes separately.”

The Fallert sisters are excited to continue on to the state tournament.

“What’s going to be the most important is working on our ball control—and maintaining that—and our bond as a team,” Erin said. “We need to keep going from here like we have been throughout the season.”

However the season ends for the Beacons, the Fallerts will keep this season as a memory to look back on. The bond between the sisters has always been special, but has been strengthened even more through their time as teammates.

“It’s really fun because I’ve kind of helped coach her in a sense when we were younger and we’d play in the backyard together,” Erin said of her younger sister. “We never thought we’d be on the same team, so it’s fun to be playing on the same field and level.”

First Report

Senior outside hitter Erin Fallert tallied 19 kills to pace Concordia Academy’s 25-9, 25-19, 25-17 win over DeLaSalle as the Beacons claimed the Class 2A, Section 5 championship title over the Islanders Thursday night.

Libero Rachel TerHaar tallied 20 digs for Concordia, ranked No. 8 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, propelling her team to the state tournament.

Senior middle hitter Paris Smith led DeLaSalle with six kills.


DeLaSalle's Genna Villavicencio (3) falls to the court on a block attempt. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine


Concordia Academy senior Erin Fallert celebrates a point in the third set. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

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