Wiesbaden's Aniyah Brown attempts to block a ball from Kaiserslautern's Kezley Kai in the Division I final of the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. Wiesbaden beat Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 to take the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – The Wiesbaden volleyball team isn’t fazed by coaching changes.

In fact, it seems to spur on the Warriors.

One year after switching the entire coaching staff midseason en route to a European title, the Warriors lost their head coach again this fall under unfortunate circumstances. Malia Taiafi-Husseini had to take family emergency leave.

And like deja vu, when the final ball fell onto the floor at Ramstein Air Base’s Southside Fitness Center on Saturday, the Warriors were atop DODEA-Europe’s Division I. Wiesbaden defeated top-seeded Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 for their third-straight European crown.

“It was really hard on us at the start, and it’s really hard on us still,” said senior Bridget Pidgeon, who played on all three European-winning squads. “We had a really good connection with coach Malia, and we still call her every day. But our relationship with each other and team chemistry really helped us come together.”

Players such as all-tournament selections Pidgeon and Nicole Suh credited coaches Amanda Moser and Tariq Zangana for stepping up to the plate and helping keep the squad together.

The squad was extra motivated to win for Taiafi-Husseini, who mentored Wiesbaden to the first title in the three-peat.

“We deserve it, especially with the odds stacked against us,” Suh said. “We had to readjust everything. This is the best feeling ever.”

Those odds were looking long after losing to both Ramstein and Vilseck on Oct. 19. Heading into the tournament, the Warriors found themselves in the unfamiliar position as the fifth seed.

Zangana said the team never doubted it was going to make a run. And while the Warriors dropped a round-robin match to Kaiserslautern, they upset second-seeded Stuttgart and third-seeded Ramstein before beating Stuttgart again in the semifinal.

That set up Saturday’s final to avenge the earlier loss to the Raiders.

“We never felt like underdogs; we just felt like we needed to clean up our act and play our game,” Zangana said. “In the end, what matters is the tournament and how hard we play, and I’m very proud of the girls.”

Kaiserslautern's Rozlynn Onnen hits the ball against Wiesbaden defenders Samantha Knieriem, left and Nicole Suh. Wiesbaden beat Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 in the Division I final of the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. ()

Kaiserslautern’s Briana Shields bumps the ball to a teammate as Wiesbaden’s Bridget Pidgeon watches from across the net. Wiesbaden beat Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 in the Division I final of the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden Warriors celebrate their Division I DODEA-Europe volleyball title after beating Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 in the final at the European championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern’s Marisa Branch receives a Wiesbaden serve as teammate Kezley Kai watches in the Division I final of the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. Wiesbaden beat Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 to take the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Briahna Arroyo attempts to tip the ball over the outstretched hands of Kaiserslautern's Mariska Campbell in the Division I final of the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. Wiesbaden beat Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 to take the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Samantha Knieriem keeps her eye on the ball as she serves in the Division I final of the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 2, 2024. Wiesbaden beat Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-10 to take the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Against Kaiserslautern, the Warriors seemingly could do no wrong, while nothing could go right for the Raiders.

Big runs turned the first two sets in their favor. In the first set, Wiesbaden scored six straight points early to take a 10-5 lead, and it never looked back. Pidgeon recorded seven of her game-high 14 kills during the opening game.

Then the Warriors ended the second set on an 8-2 run after trailing by five points midway.

The Raiders struggled to find the empty spots, as the Warriors dove all over the floor on every spike.

“If the ball hits the ground, your body has to hit the ground, too,” Pidgeon said of the team’s mentality. “That motivated us. Knowing that you put in the effort, you can get to the ball. If you believe you can get there, you can get it.”

Kaiserslautern finally managed to get something going in the third set, as senior middle blocker Mariska Campbell had four kills and blocked two Wiesbaden spikes for points.

Coach Zac Robinson held a belief that his Raiders were in the match, but then a disastrous start in the fourth set saw the Warriors take a 12-2 advantage and it never got closer.

“I thought we turned the corner, and we’ve been very, very good in the fourth set this year,” Robinson said. “I’m like, ‘OK, we’re going to win this fourth set; we’re going to five.’ Just started out slow, and once we got down, we couldn’t get out of the hole again.”

The 2024 campaign was supposed to be a rebuilding one for Wiesbaden, but it turned into a reloading one.

The Warriors will have to hope for another reloading season, as they lose middle blocker Aniyah Brown, defensive specialists Kayda Chapman and Yasmine David, Pidgeon and Suh to graduation.

“It’s unbelievably special,” Suh said. “I’m really grateful to have had this my senior year.”