Calvary Lutheran volleyball has been working for years to break a trend.
The Lady Lions are accustomed to playing for a district championship, but not winning one. Their best chance so far came Wednesday night.
Calvary Lutheran outlasted New Haven in a long first set and led for much of the second set, but the Lady Shamrocks came out on top once again, winning 30-32, 25-18, 25-21 in the Class 1 District 12 championship game. It's the fourth straight season the Lady Lions have lost the district title game to New Haven.
"You hate to say you're OK with a loss, but I'm OK with that loss, just because of the way we played," Calvary Lutheran coach Nicole Murphy said. "They should not be ashamed. They should not hang their head."
The Lady Lions didn't win the match, but they did get a set victory unlike the previous three matchups against the Lady Shamrocks in a district championship game.
"I wanted to try to stay calm and composed as much as possible," Murphy said. " To be able to do that to a team like that makes me just know these girls are just graduating two, so the potential for next year is outstanding."
Calvary Lutheran took a 3-0 lead in the first game with a Maddie Layson ace, an Olivia Bexten block and a hit into the net by New Haven.
Emma Engelbrecht had a pair of aces to lead a 3-0 spurt to tie it at 3. Neither team led by more than four the rest of the set.
An Engelbrecht kill made it 12-9 and an attacking error gave New Haven a 13-9 advantage. But the Lady Lions eventually took a 19-16 lead on a Layson kill. Layson finished with 10 kills for the Lady Lions.
New Haven later knotted it up at 23 and the set had seven ties the rest of the way.
A Bexten block and a hit out of bounds by New Haven won it for the Lady Lions. Bexten led with 12 kills, 11 digs and five blocks.
"Our girls played phenomenally well," Murphy said. "I don't think New Haven expected to come in here and drop a set, so I'm glad we gave them a run for their money."
Calvary Lutheran once again took a 3-0 lead to start the second game and led by as much as 14-10. But New Haven closed out the set on a 15-4 run.
Kate Ruediger had three straight kills to give New Haven a 17-15 lead.
A pair of aces from Lauren Gerlemann made it 24-17 and Engelbrecht finished it off with a kill.
Layson started the third set with a kill, but New Haven scored the next five points, including an Engelbrecht block.
"I told the girls we just needed to avoid No. 3, Emma Engelbecht, because she can jump," Murphy said. "She's very, very athletic. Most of the time they did do what I wanted them to do."
The Lady Lions rallied to tie it at 15 on a Bexten kill and a block gave Calvary Lutheran a 16-15 lead. But New Haven went on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good.
Calvary Lutheran got back to within two before a hit out of play and a Gerlemann kill closed out the match.
"For us to come out here and put that big of a fight up for a district championship against them makes me look forward to next year even more," Murphy said. "I'm going to try to stack our schedule heavier so we are as experienced as them."
Grace Smith led the Lady Lions with 27 assists. Jaelyn Engelbrecht tallied 15 digs. Both will be back next season, as well as most of the Lady Lions, who only graduate two seniors.