Cecilia Klein assumed a state tournament appearance was likely not in the stars for her high school volleyball career. Not at Cretin-Derham Hall.
When she showed up on campus in 2022, the Raiders were fresh off a 1-24 campaign. The year prior to that, they were 0-10. Klein didn’t know much about the program at the time, but she did hear things to the tune of, “Oh, we lose a lot.”
Great.
Cretin-Derham Hall Cecilia Klein (1) makes a dig against Marshall during the Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals in the State Volleyball Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Friday, Nov. 07, 2025. Marshall won in 3-0 sets. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
But that was pre-Klein. Pre-Taylor Williams, pre-Caroline Banks and Megan Buri. It was also pre-coach Erin Horn. The Gophers alum took over the volleyball program that year, when the current seniors were just freshmen.
“It was a rough first couple years,” Horn noted.
It’s sensational now.
Cretin-Derham Hall reached this year’s Class 3A state semifinals, where it lost in straight sets to powerhouse Marshall (32-2). The top-seeded Tigers, last year’s state runners-up, will meet Benilde-St. Margaret’s in Saturday’s state final at 6:30 p.m. in St. Paul.
Tigers coach Dan Westby had high praise for the Raiders, noting the talent that was evident in film in preparation for the match.
How far the Raiders (27-4) have come.
“It’s been awesome. It’s so fun,” Horn said of the program’s ascent. “I just told the girls in the locker room, ‘Keep your heads high.’ We had nothing to lose. We came out, we battled, we were scrappy, we fought for every point, we weren’t just gonna lay over and die, even when we were down.”
Horn noted she’s excited for the young kids who watched this week’s action and thought, “That can be me in a few years.”
That type of example wasn’t evident for the players of the past. Junior middle blocker Leila Colvin noted she was hardly aware of high school volleyball before coming to Cretin-Derham Hall.
“I didn’t know about the state tournament, I didn’t know we even played five sets,” she said. “I really had no idea.”
Now, there’s a reason for young kids to follow along. Williams’ younger sister is an avid fan. She was in attendance Friday, sporting purple and yellow face paint. Cretin-Derham Hall volleyball is one of her favorite topics of discussion.
“There’s a huge growth and a movement in volleyball in St. Paul,” Horn said.
The Raiders are at least partially to thank. Not only have they won at a high level — the state tournament trips in 2024 and 2025 represent the program’s first since 2011 — but they engage the youth. Colvin’s favorite moments are tossing out bags of candy, high-fiving and taking photos with kids at matches.
Horn has a holistic program philosophy in which the varsity engages frequently with underclassmen through joint practices and buddy programs. Success at the top funnels down, building a base for a brighter future.
“We’re only on the ground level right now, and I feel like the next few years, it’s only going to keep growing,” Klein said. “The next years are going to be so much fun to watch, because of the impact the girls on this team and the senior class have left.”
Cretin-Derham Hall’s bench cheer on their on their team during their match against Marshall in the Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals in the State Volleyball Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Friday, Nov. 07, 2025. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
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