Eastland repeats as 1A volleyball champs: Cougars area's first back-to-back state champions

The Eastland volleyball team started fast, rallied after blowing a late lead in a Game 2 loss and pushed through for a strong finish to beat Mt. Pulaski 25-15, 26-28, 25-17 in the Class 1A state title match Saturday at Redbird Arena. 

"It feels wonderful, even better the second time around," Eastland coach Kristy Pierce said. "I don't know a prouder person right now in the entire United States."

"This point is the climax, this is what it's all about," said senior hitter Megan Bunyer, who led everyone with 17 kills in her final high school match. "All the hard work, all the time and effort of playing basically all our lives, it's all worth it for this."

Eastland (40-2) jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the opening game and put it on cruise control from there to go up one set to none. 

But the end of Game 2 belonged to the Toppers, who came back from a 23-17 deficit by closing the game on an 11-3 run to force the intense, tight, hard-fought third game. 

"I knew they weren't about to melt," Pierce said. "I was worried for a minute, but that's when these girls thrive. I knew they'd rise up and finish strong." 

The decisive set featured two lead changes and four ties in the first 10 points before the Cougars took the lead for good at 6-5. But it wasn't as easy as that; Eastland didn't lead by more than four until Megan Bunyer's 17th kill put the Cougars up 20-15.

After a Mt. Pulaski timeout, Karissa Pierce and Courtney Blair stuffed a double block, then Kerby Kniss followed a Toppers serving error with an ace for a 23-16 lead. A Blair kill put Eastland on the verge of their second straight state title, but they had to wait out a kill by Mt. Pulaski's Rachel Durchholz.

It responded. After a few scrambling back-and-forths in a rally, Karissa Pierce set up Katelyn Hasken for a kill on the outside left side, and wild celebrations kicked off on the court and in the stands as the ball hit the floor.