Tawa’s HS Dots: Mater Dei’s Golden State win clinches natty; N. Allegheny, Sioux Falls Christian extend dynasties

This is “Dots,” VolleyballMag.com’s weekly look at 10 things in high school volleyball, past or present, that interest me and hopefully will interest you. I apologize for not bringing Dots to you last week. There was a family emergency. We finish up the 2023 fall season today with a look at more state championship efforts:

• We start in California, where, for the third straight year, a team competed in the Open Division finals with the opportunity not only to win a state title but also to clinch the mythical national title as well. Two years ago, it was Marymount that went unbeaten with a senior-rich class to win it all. Last year, Cathedral Catholic did the same thing. On Nov. 18, the spotlight shined on Mater Dei. If the Monarchs could defeat Archbishop Mitty, the winningest program in the history of the state, they would win the state title for the second time since 2018 and clinch the national championship as well.

Unlike the previous two national champions, Mater Dei did not come to the state final with an unblemished record. The Monarchs lost to Mira Costa in August before winning the next two meetings with the Mustangs. Dan O’Dell’s team also fell to Cathedral Catholic early in September, a loss it avenged in the Southern California Regional Championship match in mid-November. Mater Dei was very good, but not invincible.

Indeed, Mitty had several things working in its favor. With a record 14 state titles all-time, compared to one for Mater Dei, Mitty had the pedigree to be Open Division state champions. Mitty had also been to the Open finals most recently, losing to Marymount back in 2021. Finally, Mitty was 3-0 versus Mater Dei all-time in head-to-head finals, including a sweep in 2017 in the Open Division.

None of that mattered, however, largely because of Mater Dei’s massive block, which contributed to 37 Archbishop Mitty hitting errors in Mater Dei’s four-set win, the first time in the Open Division history that the championship match had been extended beyond three sets. Emma Kingston, a 6-4 freshman middle and…