Volleyball (11/10)

Volleyball: #4 Chatfield Tops #5 Caledonia for 1AA Title  

The top two seeds in Section 1AA held true until the finals.  The top two teams, #5 in AA Caledonia (1-seed) and #4 Chatfield (2-seed) squared off to go to state.  Both won 3-1 in the quarters, 3-0 in the semis. 

Warriors Fend Off D-E, Avenge 2024 Loss to Cotter 

In a rematch of one of the two TRC matches in which Caledonia lost a set, the #5 in AA Warriors (1-seed, 24-5) fended off Dover-Eyota (9-seed, 19-10) in the 1AA quarters.  It again took four games.  At one point, a fifth seemed entirely possible.  It was a ying-yang match.  Caledonia started game one up 7-1.  The Eagles then scored 11 of the next 16 points to tie it at 12.  Dan Reinhart’s Warriors then scored 10 of 13 points to lead 22-15, as they prevailed 25-18.  But the Eagles, behind hard-hitting Shelby Clark, blitzed to a 25-12 win in game two.  The senior had eight kills and was up to 14 after two sets (unofficially).  Caledonia responded by taking game three 25-13.  D-E then led game four, 23-21.  Said set had 10 ties.  But the Warriors finished with four straight points.  Notably, frosh Ashlyn Reinhart directed down back-to-back bad Eagle passes, then ended the match with a kill.  The Warriors moved on by 3-1 final (25-18, 12-25, 25-13, 25-23).  Avery Augedahl (25 assists, 15-16 serving, 2 aces), Reinhart (10 kills, 11 digs), Aubrie Klug (13 digs, 14-15 serving, 2 aces), and Elsa Blum (7 kills, 13 digs) led the way.  Adrienne Lange (6 kills), Kensey King (5 kills, 3 blocks), and Paizley Lange (5 kills, 11 digs) helped.  D-E (19-11) was led by Clark (18 kills, 14 digs) and setter Lauren Peck (21 assists, 7 digs).  Aubrey Foster chipped in 13 digs.  

Caledonia (1-seed, 25-5) and Cotter (4-seed, 25-7) then played in one 1AA semifinal.  A year ago, the Ramblers posted a 3-1 win (25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23) in the same spot.  Team Cal already avenged said loss with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20) TRC victory on September 16.  But they avenged it on a bigger level to move on to the section finals.  The Warriors gave the Ramblers headstarts of 7-1 and 14-8 in game one.  But Caledonia fought back for ties at 18 and then 19.  Caledonia then finished with a 6-1 run for the steal, 25-20.  The Warriors had three blocks in the final seven points.  Caledonia then never trailed in game two, starting 18-9, prevailing 25-17.   Cotter battled in game three, leading at one point 15-13.   Caledonia answered with four straight points to go up 17-15, but the set had ties at 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 17.  Cotter’s top hitter Camrie Macal scored with a kill late to make it 22-21 Warriors.  But an Elsa Blum kill and back-to-back Rambler hitting errors gave Caledonia the set and match.  They prevailed 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-22).  Caledonia out-blocked the Ramblers 7 to 1.  Reinhart led the Warriors offensively (9 kills, 5 digs, 3 aces).  King (7 kills, 2.5 blocks), Blum (6 kills, 15 digs), and A-Lange (5 kills) had their spikes too.  The junior setter Augedahl had 29 assists, senior libero Klug 17 digs (14-14 serving, 2 aces).  Macal (11 kills, 9 digs), Savy Repinski (25 assists, 11 digs, 15-15 serving), Sydney Repinski (16 digs), and Emily Blumers (7 kills) led Cotter.   The Ramblers (25-8) had a 11-match win streak snapped.  

Gophers Hammer Past Z-M, Sweep Pine Island 

In another 1AA quarterfinal, #4 in AA Chatfield (2-seed, 22-7) used its powerful hitting duo of Cora Bicknese and Trindy Barkeim, the savvy setting of Harper Goldsmith, to dismiss Zumbrota-Mazeppa (10-seed, 14-14).  The Cougars took a set though.  Z-M was able to overcome being down set point, 24-23, in game two.  They ended the game scoring three straight points by kill, all by different attackers, for the 26-24 win.  Said set was the most competitive with nine ties.  But in the other three sets, Chatfield controlled things.  They rolled in game one 25-12, then rallied with a 25-21 win in game three.  Chatfield led said set 18-10 and 23-17.  Kristi Rindels’ Gophers closed it out with a 25-16 win in game four for the 3-1 win (25-12, 24-26, 25-21, 25-16).  The senior Barkeim (19 kills, .310 hitting, 13 digs) and the junior Bicknese (18 kills, 24 digs) combined for 37 kills.  Z-M had 34 as a team.   Senior setter Goldsmith (8 kills, 40 assists, 12 digs, 20-21 serving) notched a season-high assist tally and tied her season-best kill effort.  Senior libero Hannah Tweten had a match-high 29 digs including eclipsing 1,000 for her career.  Grace Schroeder chipped in 7 kills, Amaya Harmening 3 kills and 4 total blocks.  Designated servers Grace Patten, Zaylee Boyum and Maizee Priebe were a combined 32 of 33.  Bicknese had Chatfield’s most spectacular play, getting denied big on a hard attack, but, while falling, saving the ball with a kick in game three.  The Gophers later won the point in a great rally.  The Cougars (14-15) were led by libero Charlee Morken (18 digs) and setter Addie Liffrig (17 assists, 14 digs).  Six different Z-M hitters had between four and seven kills. 

In a 1AA semifinal, #4 in AA Chatfield (23-7) took on Pine Island (6-seed, 22-7).  The Panthers reverse swept Red Wing (3-seed, 19-5) in the quarters, coming back from down 0-2 (21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 15-12).  Game one was the set they probably needed to have to keep up that momentum.  The Islanders built a 10-5 lead, but a 5-0 run got the Gophers back to even at 10-10.  With it tied 21-21, the Panthers offered up a service error.  Gopher Bicknese then scored with a roll-shot kill, H-Goldsmith a second-hit, setter kill, and Schroeder ended the set with a kill.  Chatfield got the 25-22 game one win and it was the only truly competitive set in the match.  The Gophers jumped out 17-6 in game two and rolled 25-14.  They jumped out 17-8 in game three.  PI made it more respectable but Chatfield prevailed 25-19.  Kristi Rindels’ group got the sweep (25-22, 25-14, 25-19) to move back to their second straight 1AA final while ending a Panther 13-match win streak.   The Gophers stars did their thing.  Setter Goldsmith (3 kills, 31 assists, 12 digs, 18-18 serving, 2 aces, 2 ace blocks) was her exceptional self.  Hitters Barkeim (13 kills, 8 digs) and Bicknese (13 kills, 16 digs, 2.5 blocks) hammered down shots (albeit hitting .191).  Tweten had a match-high 19 digs.  Schroeder added 7 kills (.368 hitting), tying a season-high.   Teagan Barnett (12 kills, 7 digs) and Ruby Severson (3 kills, 15 digs) led the Panthers.  Chatfield out-killed PI 41 to 21 (unofficially).  

Gophers Top Warriors 3-1 to Repeat as 1AA Champs 

And thus, in the Section 1AA finals, top-seed #5 in AA Caledonia (26-5) squared off with 2-seed #4 in AA Chatfield (24-7).  When the teams played in September, it was a Warrior sweep.  But every set was 25-23.  The rematch was a battle between Chatfield’s powerful hitting, led by Bicknese and Barkeim, and Caledonia’s defense and savviness.  Chatfield jumped out 9-4 in game two only for the Warriors to get even at 16-16.  But the Gophers then ended the match on a 9-1 run.  Barkeim had four kills in the spurt.  Chatfield won the game 25-17.   Team Chat was again in the lead in game two.   The Gophers took the lead for good at 7-6.  Their largest lead thereafter was just four though, and Cal was within one 10 times.  With it 22-21, Schroeder scored with a key block and Bicknese followed with a kill to make it 24-21.  The Warriors staved off one match point but, via hitting error, fell 25-22.  Chatfield took a 2-0 lead.  But resilient Caledonia responded.  They took the lead in game three at 8-7 and then never trailed.  Five blocks helped key the attack, as Caledonia grabbed the set 25-18.  In game four, Chatfield again reasserted control, never trailing.  Caledonia was down one nine times, but with it 13-12, Chatfield spurted 7-1.  Bicknese served five of those points.  Up 20-13, Chatfield smelled it, but Caledonia had one last surge.  They closed to down 20-18.  But then Chatfield All-State setter Harper Goldsmith scored with a quick, one-hand setter flip-attack.  It was the second time she tried the same move.  Warrior All-State libero Aubrie Klug dove to save the first seconds earlier.  They key point ended the Warriors 5-0 run, putting Chatfield up 21-18.  The final point was a Bicknese shot that was blocked out of bounds.  Despite the Warriors scoring with their best kill-effort of the match, 13, Chatfield took the game 25-20, and the match 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20).  They snatched their second 1AA title and trip to state.  Barkeim (21 kills on .306 hitting, 14 digs) and Bicknese (17 kills, 23 digs) combined for 38 of the Gophers 48 kills.  Goldsmith (season-high 41 assists, 9 digs, 3 total blocks) had just one kill, but it was a big one.  Tweten (27 digs) led the defense.  Schroeder added six kills.  For Caledonia, which plays just two seniors, the frosh Reinhart (15 kills, 13 digs) and junior Blum (13 kills, 9 digs) led the offense with help from 6’0” senior Kensey King (9 kills), who was again a menace at the net (4.5 ace blocks).   Klug (27 digs) led the defense.  Augedahl (36 assists, 8 digs, 16-16 serving, 3 aces) set the table.   Chatfield had 48 kills, Caledonia 42.  The Warriors had 10 blocks and 4 aces, Gophers 6 blocks and 5 aces.  Chatfield had 85 digs, Caledonia 67.  The Warriors (26-6) finish as 1AA runner-up.  King and Klug are the seniors.  Chatfield (24-7) is the 3-seed at state, will play 6-seed Esko (24-4).  

Volleyball: #4 Fillmore Central Romps to 1A Title

For a second straight year, Fillmore Central volleyball is 1A champ.  FC posted a 12-1 set record in winning four playoff matches.  They romped to the title winning both semifinals and finals affairs in decisive sweeps.  

State-ranked #4 Fillmore Central (1-seed, 22-6) took on Spring Grove (8-seed, 16-12) in a 1A quarterfinal.  In game one, the Falcons trailed 12-9, but got a kill, then a five-point service run from junior Lauren Dahly, to lead 15-12.   After going ahead 16-14, FC led by at least two the rest of the way in winning 25-19.  In game two, FC jumped out 9-4, but SG rallied to lead 16-14.   The Falcons then got a five-point service session from Aubrey Daniels to go ahead 20-17.  Kyla Hellickson served the final four points for the 25-18 win. Game three was the Lions’.  They had nine blocks for the match, four in the third set.  Back-to-back aces by Carlie Halverson put SG up 12-6.  FC then got within one at 22-21, but a Brinley Middendorf kill and ace back-to-back made it 24-21.  Lions prevailed 25-22.  It was the only playoff set the Falcons yielded.  Game four saw FC lead the majority, but they did so with eight service errors (seven straight servers with a miscue).  Junior Hannah Vaalemoen hitting opposite was key.  She had 11 kills for the match, all in the final three sets.  Madi Zwart, a 6’0” middle, slammed down four straight kills to end it.  FC took game four 25-17, the match 3-1 (25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17).   Zwart (20 kills, .317 hitting) and Hellickson (14 kills, 25 digs) joined Vaalemoen (also 20 assists) in topping 10 kills.  Josie Corson had a team-, and season-high tying, 35 digs.  Daniels had a team-best 30 assists (9 digs, 19-20 serving, 2 aces) including going over 2,000 for her career.  Norah Nagel (7 kills, 17 digs) helped.  FC won despite 16 service errors versus SG’s eight.  But they had 55 kills to SG’s 23.  The Lions (16-13) were led by libero Izabel Kaufmann (22 digs) and setter Claire Sherburne (3 kills, 19 assists, 8 digs).  Hailey Normann (6 kills), Middendorf (5 kills, 4 total blocks), Kylie Hammel (4 kills, 3 total blocks), Halverson (12 digs), Jada Strinmoen (11 digs), and Ella Berns (10 digs) helped.  

A year ago in the playoffs, Fillmore Central (6-seed) came back from down 2-1 to beat Alden-Conger (3-seed) in the 1A quarters.  It was step two as the upstart Falcons surprisingly won the section.  The teams rematched in the 2025 1A semis only it was a dominating performance by #4 FC (1-seed, 23-6).  The Knights (4-seed, 23-6) had only one stretch of competitive ball, a spurt in game one.  The Falcons started up 5-1 and 11-5 only for A-C to rally to down 13-12.  But the Falcons then had a 5-0 run to lead 18-12.  A-C was essentially never again in it.  FC took game one 25-17.  Alden-Conger had one lead the entire match, 1-0 in game two.  But FC started the game 7-1 and later led 20-7.   It was a blitzkrieg 25-9 win.  FC then started game three 4-1 and 14-5.  The Falcons led 24-13 before prevailing 25-17.  Travis Malley’s group got the sweep, 25-17, 25-9, 25-17.  Zwart had 15 kills (.440 hitting) and 3.5 blocks.  Hellickson (11 kills, 10 digs) added a double-double.  Vaalemoen (7 kills, 18 assists, 14-15 serving, 3 aces) and Daniels (19 assists, 5 digs, 14-14 serving) split the setting.  Corson (12 digs), Nagel (3 kills, 11 digs), and Lauren Dahly (3 kills, 3 aces) also did work.   FC’s only bugaboo was 12 service errors, but they also tallied 10 aces and the Knights were rarely in system offensively.   Macy Mattson (8 kills) and Alyvia Newman (7 kills, 11 digs) led their effort.  Alden-Conger scored with 19 kills versus 15 hitting errors.  FC hit .344 as a team (40 kills, nine errors).  

It put the #4 Falcons (1-seed, 24-6) in their third straight 1A final, this time against #7 Kenyon-Wanamingo (3-seed, 24-4).  After one set, you could kind of just tell it was the Falcons’ match to win.  Outside hitter Hellickson was powering down shots, as was middle hitter Zwart.  Hellickson and libero Corson were stealing points defensively.  The Falcons collective strong serving got the Knights off balance.  And FC’s other ancillary parts chipped in too.  FC won game one 25-19, but they led 23-13.  From there, FC had to just be FC and a second straight 1A title was theirs.  Mission accomplished over sets two and three.  K-W led twice, 8-7 in game one, 1-0 in game three.  First to 20 points, FC led 20-13, 20-13, and 20-7.  By the third game, the Knights checked out.  Falcon junior Lauren Dahly served nine straight points for a 22-7 FC lead.  Zwart hammered down the match and title deciding kill.  Wearing a different shoe than last year’s 3-1 upset of two-time defending 1A champion Mabel-Canton, the Falcons lived up to their top-seed for a dominating 3-0 sweep (25-19, 25-16, 25-12).   Hellickson (14 kills, 19 digs, 2 blocks), a senior fifth year starter, and Zwart (13 kills, 2 blocks) had for 27 of FC’s 37 kills.  Vaalemoen (17 assists, 4 aces) and Corson (18 digs) were also big.  Daniels (15 assists), Dahly (5 kills) and Nagel (11 digs) helped.  FC finished with 9 aces and 8 blocks.  K-W had three and zero.  FC had 37 kills, K-W 22.  Freshman standout Mali Quam (7 kills, 18 digs) led the Knights.  The Falcons (25-6) are seeded third at state, will take on Ada-Borup West (6-seed, 23-8).

1A Quarterfinal Volleyball (10/28)

5-seed Grand Meadow 0 (22-6), 4-seed Alden-Conger 3 (22-6) > 14-25, 21-25, 19-25 (GM: Kendall Jack 8 kills, 6 digs; Hallie Hendrickson 3 kills, 6 digs, 22 assists; Gracie Foster 7 kills, 10 digs; Cheyenne Bakken 19 digs; Rylee Holst 6 digs; Regan Schaalma 5 digs; Claire Munson 4 kills.  AC: Alyvia Newman 14 kills, 10 digs, 3 aces; Macy Mattson 11 kills, 6 digs; Peyton Harpham 20 digs.  The Superlarks finish a strong year at 22-7) 

7-seed NRHEG (20-7) 3, 2-seed #6 in A Mabel-Canton (29-3) 1 > 25-15, 22-25, 23-25, 20-25 (M-C: Kinley Soiney 15 kills, 13 digs; Gwen Rein 31 assists, 20 digs; Braylee Stortz 7 kills, 11 digs; Lauren Burke 10 digs, 15-15 serving; Livia Garness 12 digs; Ella Halverson 7 kills; Tylar Wenthold 4 kills; Kaci Wangsness 22-23 serving.  NRHEG: Camryn VanMaldeghem 16 kills, 13 digs; Gabrielle Schlaak 14 kills, 9 digs; Adalyn Stadheim 39 assists; Chloe Riewer 14 digs.  NRHEG unofficially had 42 combined hitting and service errors while M-C had 33, but the Panthers scored with 46 kills to M-C’s 39.  The overall score was 90-90.  NRHEG had nine hitting errors and six service errors in losing game one.  Game two was tied 19-19 before the Panthers scored four straight to lead 23-19.  M-C then got three straight kills from Soiney to trail 23-22, but a Panther kill and an M-C hitting error gave NRHEG the set.  In game three, the Panthers took the lead for good at 12-11.  M-C trailed 24-21 and staved off two set points but the Panthers finished it with a kill.  Game four, M-C led 16-15 before a 6-0 run gave the Panthers a 21-16 lead.  The Cougars had four straight hitting errors.  M-C finishes at 29-4.)