Oakville Volleyball Makes History, Wins Dramatic Championship

Since the start of boys volleyball in the state of Missouri, the St. Louis-area private high schools have held an iron grip on the state championship trophy.

That all changed on Friday evening when Oakville Senior High School became the first public school to win the Class 4 championship with a 25-22, 20-25, 30-28 win over Saint Louis University High School.

The win for Oakville (35-0) marked the Tigers’ first volleyball championship in school history.

“We finally made it over that hump,” Oakville coach Morgan Lucas said. “For three years we rode that bus home after the semifinals just defeated, and this year we finally pushed past CBC. I told the kids coming over that this is it and whatever happens, you leave it on the court.

“They played with such heart and intensity that those boys deserved this win so much. I could not be prouder of my kids.”

For Saint Louis University High (29-4-2), the loss broke a 10-game winning streak for the Junior Billikens.

“This was the first time that we had seen Oakville all year long, and they played up to everything we had heard about them,” SLUH head coach Paul Scovill said. “It was two good teams battling it out and you could have flipped a coin in that third game.”

Oakville’s Nick Bramer spent last season on the injured list, but the senior middle hitter didn’t waste one minute on the court this season. He not only fired up his teammates on Friday, but also the several hundred Oakville fans in the stands.

“This was the first state championship that I got to play in,” Bramer said. “During my sophomore year I was a relief man and last year I got hurt, so this year I knew I had to step up for everybody.”

Oakville senior right side hitter Dan Condra thought that the team’s passing game was what brought home the state championship for the Tigers.

“This is the best feeling ever,” Condra said. “In the first game we passed well and that’s why we won. In the second game, our passing broke down a lot, but in the third game we picked it back up and we just pulled it out.”

SLUH senior outside hitter Willie Whealen was proud of the fact that the Jr. Billikens traded blow for blow with the best team in the state.

“This team has been great,” Whealen said. “To get to the state finals, it was really an honor to get here. We lost to a great team and they were everything that they were cracked up to be. They played great and we couldn’t have asked for a closer game in the finals.”