The absence was just one year, but for a team that celebrates championships as predictably as holidays, it seemed far longer.

The Bethlehem Academy Cardinals hogpiled at mid-court Saturday after winning the Class 1A state championship, defeating Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 25-15, 25-21, 25-20. Not an unusual response for a champion, but this pile of arms and legs and screams held a little more meaning.

From 2002 through 2012, Bethlehem Academy had been to the state tournament so frequently, the wide-open spaces of Xcel Center were nearly as comfy as its home gym. The Cardinals won six state championships during that span, the by-product of playing a schedule loaded with elite teams in all three classes.

But injuries and good competition kept the Cardinals out of the 2013 state tournament. Sitting home after having won the two previous state titles was just the motivation the team needed.

“We come from a very tough section,” Bethlehem Academy coach Franz Boelter said. “It was hard for them to sit home last year. They were determined to get back.”

Most of the Cardinals had played on previous state championship teams. Watching another team take their place was a humbling experience.

“After my freshman and sophomore years, I thought we’ll do this again next year,” senior middle hitter Lauren Mathews said. “This is a little better because it’s my senior year and we wanted to forget last year.”

Boelter prepares the Cardinals for the postseason by setting up the toughest schedule he can find. This season they defeated Marshall and Stewartville, the two Class 2A finalists, and Eagan, which played for the Class 3A title.

“It makes a difference,” said Mathews, who had 11 kills in the championship match and was named to the all-tournament team along with teammates Payton Nutter and Payton Schultz. “It makes us better.”

Top-seeded Bethlehem Academy attacked Tracy-Milroy-Balaton from the outset, taking a 14-2 lead in the first set en route to a 25-15 victory. The Panthers took leads in the second and third sets but the Cardinals rallied each time.

“It was important for us to have a good first set,” Boelter said.

Nutter, a sophomore setter, had 16 kills and 27 set assists. Schultz, playing with three pins in her left elbow after shattering it in mid-September, had 9 kills and 17 digs.

“I probably went after balls a little too hard considering my elbow,” Schultz said. “But it’s for the state championship and it’s my last year. I had to.”