The Lady Minutemen from Wiscasset Christian Academy, repeat winners of the Athletics Christian Education League state volleyball championship, celebrated their victory at Sarah’s Café Tuesday afternoon.

Sarah Heald, owner of Sarah’s Café, and Sandy Sleeper, assistant manager, treated the team, coaches and guests to three kinds of fresh-baked pizza. The girls had their choice of pepperoni, veggie or cheese, or all three! There was also fruit punch and vanilla frosted cake for dessert.

Sleeper said the staff of the Water Street restaurant was pretty excited about hosting the team. Her granddaughter Natalie Sleeper, a WCA seventh grader, played on the championship team.

The Lady Minutemen won their third (second in a row) ACEL state volleyball title. They defeated Hartland Christian on Friday, Feb. 22. Central Maine Community College in Auburn hosted the game, which drew a huge crowd of supporters from both the Wiscasset and Hartland communities.

Winning doesn’t come easily.  The Lady Minutemen practiced often and played hard to earn a shot at the state title.

“Awesome” is how Coach Julie Jones described her team’s accomplishment. “We’re only losing one girl to graduation this year so maybe we can make it three in a row next season.”  Among the returnees will be her daughter, Aleeya, a WCA junior and a co-captain of the team.

Another returnee will be Aleeya’s cousin, co-captain Kelsey Jones, also a junior. The Lady Minutemen had 13 players on the roster this season with students in grades 7 through 12.

Coach Jones said the ACEL has 13 teams. The Lady Minutemen’s schedule isn’t an easy one. They travel from Standish to Bucksport. They’re closest away game is at Coastal Christian School in Waldoboro. The Lady Minutemen play their home games in the church’s gymnasium on Beechnut Hill Road. “It’s a winter sport. Our season starts around the middle part of November and finishes up in February,” Coach Jones added.

They finished this season with an almost perfect 12-1 record. The team’s only loss came to Hartland during the regular season which made the championship victory all the more special.

Besides the Jones’ co-captains, Aleeya and Kelsey, the team’s roster includes seventh graders Nadaine Sleeper and Isabelle Lewis, eighth graders Maddy Jones, Glori Seaman and Alannah Campbell, freshmen Lindsey Jones, Katie Hilton and Hayley Weymouth, and sophomores Joanna Collins and Farrah Casey. Oliyshia Carrow is the only senior.

During the regular season, the Lady Minutemen play on Tuesday and Friday at 5 and 6 p.m. Jones has been coaching the team for 17 years. Alicia West coaches the Lady Minutemen junior varsity team.