Volleyball: Warriors Finish TRC Unblemished, Top Byron, Get #1 Seed
Already guaranteed a share of the Three Rivers Conference title, #5 in Class AA Caledonia volleyball took down Wabasha-Kellogg to clinch a perfect run through league play, and they ended the regular season by topping Byron. At Wabasha, Cal easily handled the Falcons 3-0 (25-10, 25-8, 25-10). Avery Augedahl divvied out 34 assists with 5 digs. Elsa Blum (14 kills, 5 digs) and Ashlyn Reinhart 10 kills, 6 digs) led the offensive attack, the latter also scoring with 6 aces. Aubrie Klug (12 digs) and Vivian Kittleson (10 digs) led the defense. Kensey King (6 kills) and Paizley Lange (4 kills) helped. Fourteen different Warriors had at least one dig in the match. Eight had at least one kill. The Warriors then handled the Class AAA Bears in straight sets 25-18, 25-16, 25-18. Augedahl (33 assists, 9 digs) and Blum (13 kills, 13 digs, 4 aces) were again big alongside Reinhart (9 kills, 12 digs), Klug (15 digs) and P-Lange (4 kills, 10 digs, 3 aces). King and Adrienne Lange each added 6 kills. The Warriors lost just two sets in TRC play, going 30-2, dropping a game each to Cotter and D-E. It is Caledonia’s sixth title in the last 10 years (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025). The Warriors (10-0, 23-5) are 1AA’s top seed, will host 16-seed Lake City (6-16).
Volleyball: #6 Cougars and Larks Do Rare Home-and-Home Series
Mabel-Canton and Grand Meadow squared off in a battle of the SEC-East and West champions to conclude the conference season. A night later, they played each other in the annual East/West Showcase game. In the regular season finale, the Cougars (13-0, 26-3), winners of seven straight, continued their league dominance with a win over the Larks (13-0, 21-4), who entered on a 13-match win streak. M-C was the first to 20 in all three games; 20-13, 20-15, and 20-16. The Larks made game one a bit interesting, closing to down 24-22 (after trailing 24-19). M-C got an Ella Halverson kill to prevail 25-22. Game two saw M-C take the lead for good at 7-6 in a 25-17 win. Game three was tied as late as 15-15. M-C ended on a 5-1 run for a 25-19 win. They got the sweep (25-22, 25-17, 25-19). The Cougars survived a bit of an off-hitting night by All-State middle Kinley Sliney (15 kills with nine errors, .171 hitting). It was one of only four times this year she hit below .200. But Halverson (9 kills on .350 hitting) and Braylee Stortz (8 kills on .412 hitting, 6 digs) hit well. Setter Gwen Rein (28 assists, 13 digs) and Lauren Burke (14 digs) also did big work. Kaci Wangsness was the top server (20 of 21). Livia Garness added 6 digs. GM was led by Kendall Jack (11 kills, 9 digs), Hallie Hendrickson (26 assists, 13 digs), Gracie Foster (7 kills, 7 digs), Alyvia Olson (8 kills), and Cheyenne Bakken (15 digs). GM hit .042 (30 kills, 25 errors) while M-C hit .227 (35 kills, 13 errors). A night later, the teams competed in the Showcase match in Mabel. M-C took games one and two handily, 25-15 and 25-16, then game three 25-21, for the sweep. Stortz (12 kills, 7 digs), Halverson (10 kills), Soiney (10 kills, 7 digs, 19-20 serving, 3 aces), and Tylar Wenthold (7 kills, 6 digs) gave M-C offensive balance. They scored with 39 kills against 11 combined errors. Burke (15 digs, 14-14 serving) led the defense. Rein (36 assists 7 digs) passed the ball around with her ninth 30-plus assist match of the year. Six have been in three set matches. Bakken (16 digs), Jack (7 kills, 9 digs), and Hendrickson (18 assists) led the GM effort. Foster (6 kills) and Olson (4 kills) helped. The Cougars again hit way better; .271 (41 kills, 15 errors) to .048 (24 kills, 19 errors). M-C (14-0, 28-3) is Section 1A’s 2-seed, will host 15-seed Houston (10-15). GM (13-1, 21-6) is 1A’s 5-seed, will host 12-seed Wabasha-Kellogg (9-15).
Volleyball: Falcons Top Trojans in Five, Go 3-1 at Chaska Tourney, Get Top Seed
In a good match to end the TRC regular season, #4 in Class Fillmore Central (8-1, 17-5) took on Rushford-Peterson (7-2, 18-4) in a battle for second place in the TRC behind Caledonia. R-P entered having their best regular season since the 2021 club finished 21-8 overall. FC entered ranked #1 in QRF in Section 1A, the defending champ. The match went five sets but only one was competitive. The only true back-and-forth game was the first. There were a lot of bing-bang volleys. Each team had 25 or more digs. R-P took the lead for good at 15-14. A 4-0 mini run later expanded an 18-17 lead to 22-17. Despite getting out-killed almost 2 to 1, Jenny Lee’s Trojans prevailed 25-21. Losing a set focused the Falcons, who then took games two and three 25-15 and 25-14. Game two was tied 10-10 before a 10-2 Falcon run. Norah Nagel had a two-ace, five-point service session in the span. FC jumped out 5-1 in game three, then got a two ace, seven-point service session form Kyla Hellickson to lead 19-7. R-P then returned the lashing. They took game four 25-11! Grace Ekern served four points early to build the lead to 10-4. Allanah Skalet served the final seven points. But the favored, ranked Falcons regrouped, jumping out 9-0 in game five, all on the serving of Hannah Vaalemoen. R-P made it respectable, but FC prevailed 15-9. They won in five sets (21-25, 25-15, 25-14, 11-25, 15-9). Hellickson (15 kills, 21 digs, 20-21 serving, 6 aces) and Vaalemoen (8 kills, 23 assists, 4 digs, 5 aces) had big all-around matches. Madi Zwart (18 kills) was FC’s biggest hammer, Josie Corson (23 digs) the top defender. Aubrey Daniels (22 assists, 9 digs), Nagel (12 digs, 15-16 serving, 4 aces), and Lauren Dahly (4 kills, 5 digs) helped. R-P was led by Ava Helgemoe (9 kills, 4 total blocks), who was a big presence at the net, and strong defender Addison Drinkall (25 digs, 3 aces). Torryn Schneider (5 kills, 9 digs, 12-12 serving), Kayla Magin (10 assists, 8 digs), Ekern (11 assists, 14 digs), Shelby Tesch (8 kills), and Skalet (24-24 serving) helped. FC had 16 aces to R-P’s five and 51 kills to R-P’s 29, but 27 hitting errors to the Trojans’ 14. FC then went 3-1 at the Chaska Tourney, losing to Stewartville 0-2 (17-25, 16-25), beating AAAA Chaska 2-1 (25-21, 11-25, 15-13), AAAA Bemidji 2-0 (25-16, 25-11), and #10 in AA Belle Plaine 2-0 (25-16, 25-21). Falcon tourney leaders were Hellickson (28 kills, 42 digs), Zwart (29 kills), Corson (63 digs), Vaalemoen (13 kills, 52 assists), Daniels (34 assists, 36-36 serving, 6 aces), and Nagel (12 kills, 25 digs). FC (9-1, 21-6) finishes in second place in the TRC behind league-champ #5 in AA Caledonia (10-0, 23-5). Class AA #4 Chatfield (8-2, 21-7) takes third ahead of R-P (7-3, 17-5). FC is 1A’s 1-seed, will host 16-seed Hayfield (4-18). The Trojans are 1AA’s 8-seed, will host 9-seed Dover-Eyota (18-10).
Southeast Conference Volleyball (10/13)
Spring Grove 1, Southland 3 > 21-25, 22-25, 25-7, 22-25, (SG: Brinley Middendorf 15 kills, 3 aces; Kylie Hammel 11 kills, 3 blocks; Hailey Normann 9 kills; Jada Strinmoen 7 kills, 16 digs, 13-13 serving, 2 aces; C. Sherburne 5 kills, 42 assists, 6 digs; Madison Lile 4 kills; Carlie Halverson 15-15 serving, 3 aces; I. Kaufmann 24 digs. Spring Grove had more kills, more blocks, more ace serves and therefore more total points, but Southland won.)
Houston 1, LeRoy-Ostrander 3 > 15-25, 25-12, 25-22, 25-19 (L-O: M. Stevens 31 assists, 16 digs; Miranda Nagel 13 kills, 6 digs, 3 aces; T. Lewison 22 digs; Maria Almaraz-Nolt 10 kills, 17 digs; Madi Stern 5 kills; Kendall Olson 5 kills; Keira Lewison 5 kills, 7 digs, 16-16 serving, 2 aces. H: O. Yohe 19 assists, 22 digs; Cadence Koehler 15 digs; Emmie Melbo 12 digs; Jorja Meyer 8 kills, 8 digs; Averie Evanson 9 kills; Lydia Pedretti 8 kills; Mary Srock 6 digs.)
Schaeffer Academy 2, Kingsland 3 > 25-13, 22-25, 21-25, 26-14, 15-13 (K: P. Robinson 33 digs; Emma Howard 3 kills, 27 assists, 16 digs, 3 aces; Jill Moore 16 digs; Kalyn Stier 7 kills, 14 digs, 3.5 blocks; Sydney Wendt 13 digs; Caisa Kolling 7 kills, 4 digs, 3 aces, 3 blocks; Aliyah Holland 5 kills; Kaelynn Howard 4 kills, 4 aces.)
Lanesboro 3, Glenville-Emmons 0 > 25-20, 25-14, 25-13 (L: Emma Ruen 24 assists, 10 digs, 4 aces; Kaylee Gilbertson 4 kills, 19 digs; Hailey Erickson 8 kills, 3 aces; Sari Rein 7 kills, 4 digs; Cora Mayer 6 kills; Ellie Howard 11 digs, 3 aces; Irelynn Papenfuss 4 digs, 5 aces.)
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