Orem • Morgan coach Liz Wiscombe again shared how every championship is special.
She should know.
The Trojans captured state title No. 15 under her guidance, including the last three, on Thursday at Utah Valley University. That doesn’t include the six state championships she won at Delta before starting at Morgan.
But maybe this one, when Morgan beat North Sanpete 25-11, 25-11, 25-21 for the Class 3A title, was a little more special.
Knowing that a good chunk of this Trojans squad — seven seniors — will graduate is one thing. But two assistant coaches, Julia Fisher and Wiscombe’s son Christian, also will not return.
And all that caused the veteran coach to get choked up as the celebration took place on the floor of the UCCU Center.
“It’s hard. It’s really hard because I love these seniors,” Wiscombe said. “I love every one of them. And my assistant coaches, my son and my really good friend Julia, they’re both going to be gone.
“It’s going to be hard. But we’ll buck up, we hope. And hopefully we’ll be back next year.”
After beating Richfield in a semifinal earlier in the day, Morgan (17-1) came out fast against North Sanpete (14-3) in the finals.
Senior middle Marcie Stapley was the primary weapon early, and she finished with 17 kills and a pair of blocks.
“I was crying, screaming — so happy,” Stapley said about the joyous display when the match concluded. “That moment will be forever in my brain.”
Baylee Loertscher, Morgan’s outside hitter who had eight kills and three service aces, almost celebrated herself right out of the final two matches at a dance Wednesday night.
“I was dancing, and I kind of just tore my hamstring. There was this part where you just get lower and this girl was like, ‘See if you can do the splits,’” said Loertscher, whose twin sister, Brooke, added a pair of kills and a block.
“So I tried and it ripped my hamstring,” Baylee said. “I didn’t think I was going to play. I didn’t tell my coach all night because I was scared she wouldn’t let me play. This morning, she knew something was wrong.”
North Sanpete, which outlasted Union in a semifinal, never challenged in the first two sets against Morgan. Led by Shelby Ison’s 10 kills, the Hawks stayed close in the third and trailed 21-20 when Stapley and Danielle Wortman scored kills for the Trojans to eliminate the threat.
“I certainly wished we would’ve competed better. I wish we had a little more fight in us,” North Sanpete coach Rickie Stewart said. “They punched us and we didn’t punch back.”
MORGAN 3, NORTH SANPETE 0 <br>• Morgan wins its third straight state title and 15th overall with coach Liz Wiscombe. It is the school’s 18th volleyball crown. <br>• The Trojans get 17 kills from middle Marcie Stapley, while fellow senior Baylee Loertsher scores eight putaways. <br>• Shelby Ison leads North Sanpete with 10 kills. <br>CLASS 3A STATE TOURNAMENT <br>Semifinals <br>Morgan def. Richfield 25-20, 25-10, 25-20 <br>North Sanpete def. Union 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 25-12 <br>Championship <br>Morgan def. North Sanpete 25-11, 25-11, 25-21