Ever since its third-place finish at the Class 1A State Finals last season, making a third straight trip to state has been the sole focus of the Cissna Park girls volleyball team.

Finally, that time has come.

Paired against Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg for a state berth for the third straight year, the Timberwolves made it three straight state appearances with a 25-22, 25-11 win that saw them emerge from a back-and-forth first set to dominate the second.

“We’ve worked all year for this,” said senior middle Sophie Duis, whose kill ended the second set and the match. “We’ve really enjoyed all the games leading up to it, but this is a super exciting time. We’re super blessed we’re here and don’t want this to end any sooner than it has to, so we’re just going to keep it going as long as we can.”

The Timberwolves (38-1) and Hatchets (28-12) were locked in a tight one early, tying four times in the game’s first five points. But as senior outside hitter and reigning two-time Daily Journal Player of the Year Addison Lucht started to heat up and compile her game-high 16 kills, the Timberwolves began to impose their will.

They survived a handful of mini 3-0 runs to finish the opening set 25-22 after a Hatchet block attempt landed just a few inches out of bounds. After taking that momentum into the second set with an early 3-0 lead, the Hatchets got to as close as 7-6 on a Timberwolves hitting error before Cissna Park went on a run that will be remembered for ages.

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Cissna Park's Kendyl Neukomm, center, turns to celebrate with teammates, from left, Josie Neukomm, Mady Marcott, Ava Henrichs, Addison Lucht and Sophie Duis during the Timberwolves' victory in two sets, 25-22, 25-11, over Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg in the IHSA Class 1A Heyworth Super-Sectional on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette)

With a 9-8 lead, sophomore libero Kendyl Neukomm stepped to the service line and didn’t leave until the Timberwolves had rattled off 11 straight points as part of a game-ending 16-3 run. Whether it was the senior trio of Lucht, Duis and Josie Neukomm racking up kills, a lively defensive effort led by Kendyl Neukomm that kept several long volleys alive, the pivotal blocks from Marina Day and Annika Stadeli or the serves from Kendyl Neukomm and Mady Marcott, who had an ace and also joined Ella Schluter in setting up the offense, that run to remember came from every player on the floor.

“The first set we were doing a really good job, kind of a dog fight going back and forth,” Duis said. “The second set, we got comfortable with some of their tendencies and got into a good flow and started to click. When we do that, we’re really hard to beat.”

“We just got on a little bit of a run and were having so much fun that I don’t think anything could have stopped us.”

Duis had a team-high two blocks and added five kills, third to the 16 from Lucht and Josie Neukomm’s eight. Kendyl Neukomm had a team-leading 10 digs, two more than Josie Neukomm and Marcott. Schluter had 16 assists, and Marcott added 13.

Lucht, Duis and Josie Neukomm are the three common names on the starting lineups of each of the now three straight state finalists out of Cissna Park. Lucht said they couldn’t have done it without what seemed to be all 800 or so Cissna Park residents cheering them on.

“Our student section does a great job and we really feed off their energy,” Lucht said. “The higher the stakes, I think that we rise up to those. That’s when it gets really fun. ... It was just pure joy and kind of a relief. We knew what we’re capable of, but having that final four spot secured was a weight off our shoulders.”

And although he said that on Monday, he largely just stayed out of the way and let his girls do their thing, Josie Neukomm credited coach Josh Landon and staff for pushing them.

“We prepare, we watch film, but really it’s our coaching staff,” she said. “They push us day in and day out and expect nothing but the best from us. That’s really what pushes us to get here year after year.”

Landon, who also coaches the junior high program, has the Timberwolves at state for the fifth time, the current three-peat and back-to-back trips in 2014 and 2015. They’ve gotten second once and third twice, but never won a state championship. To change that this fall, the Timberwolves will have to get past Tremont, who upset Hartsburg-Emden 2-1 on Monday, in Friday’s semifinal and then either Stockton or Norris City in the championship game.

“It’s been a challenge. It’s been a grind,” Landon said. “It’s one of those things where we don’t talk about the expectations. We know they’re there, we know the potential is there. There’s moments where we’ve been at our absolute best and there’s been moments where we’re grinding in practice just like everyone else. Super proud of achieving step one of winning that super-sectional title, getting back to CEFCU Arena and seeing what happens on Friday.”