The DSHA volleyball team was victorious against Oconomowoc, making them the state champions. The team had been training for this moment for the past three months and obtaining this honor is something that will be remembered, thanks to not winning a state title for seven years. 

Two members of the team – Sophomore Olivia Durst ’25 and Captain/Junior Sophia Wendlick ’24 – offered insight into  team spirit and what led them to this triumph.  One thing that is important to DSHA athletics is having a positive team culture to contribute to the success of the team. Olivia Durst explains that regardless of the outcome of each game, they  always supported each other, and this grew my confidence and others.” This important sense of community is one of the reasons the team was so successful this season, and it really showed through the way they played together. Another aspect of team culture was the memorable moments during state weekend in all, “I think that the energy that we created at the hotel and in the carpools was amazing and was something that also contributed to the win.” says Sophia.  

Moreover, there were many things that went into making this team successful. Things like hard work, determination and chemistry created throughout the season are all things that were crucial to a good season, explained Olivia. Not only was dedication an important value to the team, but the relationships established were crucial as well. Sophia describes this when she stated, “The relationships that we have built together allowed us to work together and trust each other.”  

Through all the preparation and training, the Dashers made it to the state championship where both Olivia and Sophia shared the emotions they experienced during the game. Sophia explained that DSHA was on fire for the first two sets; however, “ the third and fourth fifth sets were a test of our team’s mental strength. Being able to come back and win the fifth set 15-13 showed just how strong our mental capability was as a team.” described how the feeling of winning this title felt unreal and some days, it feels surreal. In addition to the emotions experienced, Olivia expressed how she channeled her nerves by playing like it was any other game. To control her nerves, she “turned it into energy which positively impacted me and my teammates.” Lastly, when they did obtain the victory, Olivia said “it all just felt so unreal, and I could not help but say “we really did it” to Olivia Deguzman right after we won.

The DSHA volleyball team gave this season everything they had because they were all focused on the same thing: winning state. The constant support they gave each other, and the positive energy were aspects that brought the team together to achieve greatness. It’s not every day that teams win big titles like a state championship, so this monumental win is a pretty big deal.