Volleyball (11/11)

6-seed Fillmore Central Tops #2 Mabel-Canton For 1A Title

The 1A volleyball tournament was denoted by a six and a seven-seed winning in the quarterfinals. The team to come out of the section does so with a 17-15 record. Playing their best volleyball of the year, 6-seed Fillmore Central earned its second ever state berth by beating top-seed Mabel-Canton in the finals. 

Falcons Comeback Versus Alden-Conger in Quarters, Sweep Goodhue in Semis 

The right-handed side of the 1A bracket was all about quarterfinal upsets. Right after 7-seed Goodhue (17-12) took down 2-seed Spring Grove (22-7) in five sets, Travis Malley’s Fillmore Central Falcons (6-seed, 14-15) played Alden-Conger (3-seed, 25-4). For three-plus sets, it was a battle. Game one had 12 ties. The Falcons had a 4-0 run where they went from down 22-20 to up 24-22. The Knights staved off defeat once but got called for a double-hit and it gave the Falcons the set, 25-23. Set two was tied 16-16 before A-C had a 4-0 run. It led to a 25-21 win. Game three was tied 13-13 before a 5-1 Knight run and an 18-14 lead. The Falcons closed to down 23-22 but a couple errors gave A-C the 25-22 win, the 2-1 lead. Set four was then tied at 15. But the Falcons then won 25 of the final 32 points total. They finished game two 10-2, to take the set 25-17, then jumped out 8-1 in the fifth. Junior Kyla Hellickson served with five points including two aces in the final set. Hannah Vaalemoen added two aces. FC took game five 15-5, the match 3-2 in comeback fashion (25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 25-17, 15-5). The Knights led on points 88-83 prior to FC’s 25-7 end spurt. Katelyn Scheevel (19 kills, .314 hitting) had a big night in the middle. Third-year veterans Hellickson (4 kills, 25 digs, 25-28 serving, 6 aces) and Aubrey Daniels (3 kills, 33 assists, 19 digs) kept the Falcons battling. Frosh Maddie Zwart (9 kills, .292 hitting), Annika Mensink (8 kills), and Ella Dahly (8 kills, 13 digs) were key offensively. Vaalemoen (14 assists, 11 digs), Josie Corson (19 digs) and Lily Miller (14 digs, 20-23 serving, 4 aces) all helped. A-C was (unofficially) led by Alyvia Newman (18 kills, 21 digs), Madison Hendrickson (33 assists, 20 digs), and Charlotte Reindal (20 digs). FC out-aced A-C 13 to four. 

In the semifinals FC (6-seed, 15-15) took on Goodhue (7-seed, 18-12). The Falcons (aptly) flew around defensively, and spread it around offensively. It was too much for the Wildcats. FC never trailed in game one and led by as many as five (16-11). Goodhue was as close as 20-19, but FC then scored three straight, winning the set 25-20. The Falcons then broke a 9-9 tie in game two with a 13-3 run for a 22-12 lead. Included was a three-ace, five-point service session by Vaalemoen. FC prevailed 25-17. Game three was tied 13-13. But the Falcons spurted 7-2 for a 20-15 lead. Up 21-19, but FC scored the final four. Winning the third set 25-19, they took the match 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-19) to earn their second straight, and fourth overall, trip to the 1A finals. It was a team effort. Ten Falcons played in all three sets. Seven had at least five digs. FC tallied 75 in a three-set match. Hellickson (8 kills, 17 digs) and Mensink (8 kills, 6 digs) were the top attackers. Scheevel (7 kills) and Zwart (6 kills) gave FC four with at least six kills. Daniels (16 assists, 11 digs) and Vaalemoen (16 assists, 7 digs, 4 aces) split the setting. E-Dahly (3 kills, 14 digs) and Corson (9 digs) did a lot of defensive work. Goodhue was (unofficially) led by Shelby Vogel (9 kills, 3 aces), Avy Agenten (16 assists, 14 digs), and Kate Carlson (17 digs). 

#2 Mabel-Canton Progresses to 1A Final 

Meanwhile, #2 in A Mabel-Canton (1-seed, 32-2) started its week facing Grand Meadow (8-seed, 16-13) in the 1A quarterfinals. M-C swept the first two meetings between the teams in a mostly controlling fashion (25-18, 25-19, 25-19 and 25-18, 25-20, 25-20). In the third matchup, M-C went beyond mostly controlling. After GM built an early 5-2 lead, the Cougars ended on a 23-4 run and then started game two up 7-0, a 30-4 overall spurt. The Cougars got the 3-0 sweep (25-9, 25-9, 25-14). Sahara Morken (5 kills, 32 assists, 12 digs) spread the wealth around to Kinley Soiney (13 kills, 5 digs, 3 total blocks), Saijal Slafter (10 kills), Tylar Wenthold (5 kills, 6 digs), and Kailey Ingvalson (5 kills). Lydia Vatland added 7 digs. GM was led by senior Lauren Queensland (7 kills, 7 digs), Cheyenne Bakken (11 digs), and setter Hallie Hendrickson (13 assists). The Larks’ season ends at 16-14. 

In the semis, the #2 Cougars (1-seed, 33-2) took on Kenyon-Wanamingo (4-seed, 21-6), which beat Faribault B.A. 3-2 in the quarters. The Knights entered having won 15 of 16 including topping eventual Class AAA champ Stewartville. K-W got five first set kills from Addy Lindell, a three-ace service session from 2,000-assist setter Carmen Nerison (to take the lead for good), and a couple blocks from Audrey Haugen to rarely trail in the game one. M-C struggled to pass, inhibiting the offense, resulting in a 25-18 loss. To start the second set, K-W bolted out 8-2. But M-C came back, scoring 10 of 14 points to tie the match 12-12. It was the first of 14 ties (including 20 thru 29). M-C flirted with going down 0-2, staving off set points at 25-24 and 29-28. K-W staved off 24-23, 26-25, 27-26, and 28-27. Finally, the Knights hit the net with an attack and it just careened out. Kailey Ingvalson scored with a kill and M-C exhaled, evening the match 1-1 with a 30-28 win. Kinley Soiney had 11 kills in the set after just three in game one. M-C then cruised 25-13 in game three. But in game four, Lindell scored with a trio of early kills, Haugen had a couple of blocks, and M-C’s serve receive allowed a couple more aces. K-W led 10-2. The Cougars chipped away, tying the match at 17-17. With it 20-20, M-C scored the final five. Overcoming multiple rough starts and a strong defensive Knight squad, the Cougars survived the upset by 3-1 tally (18-25, 31-29, 25-13, 25-20). Soiney (23 kills, 15 digs, 7 total blocks) and Morken (53 assists, 16 digs, 16-16 serving, 3 aces) did big work. Slafter (16 kills, .400 hitting, 11 digs), Ingvalson (season-high 11 kills), and Ava Jacobsen (team-best, season-high 19 digs) were also key. Vatland (11 digs), Hope Erickson (6 kills) and Wenthold (6 kills, 5 total blocks) helped. K-W was led by Lindell (13 kills), Nerison (44 assists, 19 digs, 14-14 serving, 3 aces), 8th grader Mali Quam (12 kills, 21 digs) and Haugen (8 kills, 8 total blocks). The Knights had 95 digs, M-C 84. 

Big Runs Stoke Momentum and FC Upset of #2 M-C 

And thus, in a rematch of last year, #2 in A Mabel-Canton (1-seed 34-2) took on Fillmore Central (6-seed, 16-15) for the 1A title. By all measures, M-C came in the favorites. But somebody forgot to tell the Falcons, who entered playing great volleyball, finding a strong rotation late in the season. That said, the two-time defending champions led set one 20-13. Falcon Kyla Hellickson then served nine straight points. M-C could not get a good pass, and thus into their offense. With every point, FC gained fire and momentum. They ended the set on a 12-1 run for a shocking 25-21 win. The Cougars righted the ship in game two, jumping out 10-3 and never trailing for a 25-12 win. The third game was tied 8-8 before FC returned the blitzing favor, outscoring M-C 17-4 to the end! Hellickson had another nine-point serving run, as FC posted a 25-12 win. The Falcons’ balanced hitting and hustling defense put pressure on the Cougars big time. And it continued in game four. But the question became, could FC, a relatively young unit, take down the state-credentialed senior-laden Cougars? The answer was yes. The fourth set had 16 ties. M-C led 20-18, but a service error and a Katelyn Scheevel kill evened the match. After an exchange of kills, the Falcons scored three straight to get to match point at 24-21. M-C’s Kinley Soiney ended the run with a kill, then a block, making it 24-23. But after going to Annika Mensink twice for kills leading up to it, FC went middle to Scheevel. The frosh pounded a shot off a triple block out-of-bounds. The Falcons exulted with an improbable, 3-1 win (25-21, 12-25, 25-12, 25-23)! They took down the favorites while clinching their second trip to state (2013). Hellickson led the way (6 kills, 5 assists, 21 digs, 29-31 serving, 6 aces). Scheevel (18 kills, .486 hitting) was a force. Mensink (9 kills), Maddie Zwart (9 kills), and Ella Dahly (7 kills, 7 digs) gave FC five with seven of more kills. Aubrey Daniels (25 assists, 13 digs) and Hannah Vaalemoen (17 assists) split the setting. Josie Corson added 11 digs. Soiney (28 kills, 11 digs) and Sahara Morken (7 kills, 40 assists, 10 digs) carried a heavy load for M-C. Saijal Slafter (10 kills, 8 digs) was the only other Cougar with more than three kills. Ava Jacobsen (12 digs) and Lydia Vatland (7 digs) helped. Each team had 52 kills. FC hit .318, M-C .265. FC had 70 digs, M-C 56. The win put Travis Malley’s group (17-15) with tickets to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Eleven of their 15 losses came to Class AA, AAA, or AAAA teams. M-C’s season ends at 34-3 as 1A runner-up. Coach Lonnie Morken’s group featured eight seniors, regulars Morken, a 4,000-assist setter and his youngest daughter, Slafter, a 1,000-kill hitter, Ingvalson, Jacobsen, Vatland, and Hope Erickson plus Lainey Hosting and Chloe Murray. Two-time state participants, said group got the state monkey off the program’s back. To fall short as seniors was an upsetting, unfitting end. Maybe the pressure of being the favorites was a burden. Or maybe having beaten FC 3-0 in last year’s 1A title game had an impact. Or it was just FC’s day. The Falcons, second place in the TRC this year, are not a slouch. They are now 8-0 versus 1A foes (and beat AA runner-up Cotter). FC is seeded sixth at state, will play 3-seed #7 New Life Academy (18-12). 

#3 Chatfield Fulfills Destiny, Sweeps to 1AA Title.

Chatfield volleyball fulfilled their destiny with a sweeping section tournament run. The #3 in AA Gophers (1-seed, 25-4) started by taking on Medford (9-seed, 13-15) in the 1AA quarterfinals. Kristi Rindels’ group rarely trailed. Quick sets from Harper Goldsmith to Jaelyn LaPlante were key to the Gophers offense in game one. The duo has connected about 900 times in their careers, and did so nine more times in the game, a 25-15 victory. Game two was even more lopsided, a 25-11 win. Chatfield briefly trailed in game three, took the lead at 4-3, and never looked back. They took the final set 25-14 and the match 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-14). Goldsmith (36 assists, 9 digs) set her two biggest hitters LaPlante (17 kills, .485 hitting) and Trindy Barkeim (10 kills, 6 digs) the most. Cora Bicknese (5 kills, 15 digs, 23-24 serving) and Hannah Tweten (15 digs) helped. Kylin Schroeder (4 kills) and Grace Schroeder (3 kills) combined for seven kills. Medford was led (unofficially) by top hitter Addison Vandereide (10 kills, 7 digs), setter Hailey Hemann (21 assists, 9 digs) and libero Lexi Laue (10 digs). 

Chatfield (1-seed, 26-4) then took on Zumbrota-Mazeppa (5-seed, 15-14) in the 1AA semifinals. It was the #3 Gophers third straight section semi. The previous two ended with 3-0 and 3-2 losses to Cannon Falls. Chatfield had to expel those demons, and the first set was the exorcism. The Gophers had six service errors. Chatfield looked up at a 19-15 deficit, having trailed for much of the set. But Z-M then had three straight hitting errors and Gopher Barkeim embarked on a massive game. Chatfield’s 1-B to 1,000-kill attacker LaPlante’s 1-A, Barkeim flexed her muscles on a court that featured two 1,000-kill gals (Z-M’s Ella Chandler got to her milestone in the game). The 5’8” junior put down three straight kills. The Gophers spurted 7-1. A 19-15 deficit became a 22-20 lead. Chatfield closed out the set 25-22. They then controlled game two, a 25-17 win. And the writing was on the wall midway through game three. Z-M could not keep up. The Gophers had a 9-1 run to turn a 11-10 lead into a 20-11 advantage. For the first time since 2013, Chatfield advanced to the section finals. They did so by 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-17, 25-13). Barkeim finished with season-high 19 kills (plus 9 digs), hitting .515 hitting. LaPlante (11 kills, 11 digs) and Bicknese (10 kills, 7 digs) gave the Gophers more firepower than Z-M. Only Chandler (9 kills, 6 digs), ye of 588 on the year, neared double-digit kills for the Cougars. Goldsmith (37 assists, 8 digs, 3 aces) and Tweten (13 digs, 3 aces) also did their parts. Paislee Peterson (18 assists, 6 digs) and Syd Preston (10 digs) helped Chandler for Z-M. 

In the finals, the #3 Gophers (1-seed, 27-4) took on Winona-Cotter (2-seed, 24-4). In the teams’ regular season August opener, Chatfield won 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 26-28, 25-21). In the re-match, team Chat jumped their last state hurdle. They have been the top team in 1AA all season, the school with the most returning from last year’s semifinalists. And short of the first set and the end of the third set, the Gophers controlled things versus the Ramblers. Cotter fell behind 11-6 in game one, but then caught back up at 12-12, the first of four ties. The Ramblers would lead 18-16. Chatfield’s big players then turned it on. LaPlante put down a kill. Goldsmith scored with a setter-attack and a block in succession. LaPlante followed with an ace, then Barkeim a kill. The 5-0 run put Chatfield up 21-18, leading to a 25-20 win. The Gophers then started game two 7-2 and ripped to a 25-10 win. Tweten served the last seven points. The writing then was on the wall in the third set, as Chatfield built a 22-12 lead. But just three points from state, a phenomenon that has occurred before happened. Chatfield had to keep playing to get those three points despite being the better team! Cotter scored six of seven to close to down 23-18. But Chatfield can pass, Goldsmith can surely set, and LaPlante can surely hammer down points. All that happened twice to give the Gophers the last two points. Via a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-10, 25-20), they completed a 12-0 set-sweep thru sections to grab the 1AA title. Goldsmith (6 kills, 25 assists, 6 digs), LaPlante (11 kills, 17 digs, 5 total blocks), Barkeim (8 kills, 6 digs), Bicknese (8 kills, 13 digs), and Tweten (21 digs, 15-16 serving, 3 aces) did big work. Goldsmith, a junior setter, racked up her 2,000th career assist. Cotter was led by Clarissa Sauer (6 kills, 11 digs, 5 total blocks), Savy Repinski (4 kills, 20 assists), and Sydney Repinski (15 digs). It is the Gophers first ever trip to state in volleyball. Chatfield (28-4) is seeded second at state and will play 7-seed Rush City (28-3).

#5 Caledonia Falls in 1AA Semifinals 

Defending section 1AA champion #5 in AA Caledonia fell one win short of defending its title. Dan Reinhart’s Warriors (3-seed, 21-9) made the semifinals but no further. Versus Pine Island (6-seed, 20-9) in the quarters, the Warriors took the first two sets 25-18 and 25-14. Cal trailed in game one 9-5, but rallied with a 7-0 run to take the lead for good at 12-9. But the Panthers then jumped out 7-1 in game three. The Warriors came back to lead momentarily, but gave up a 7-0 run to fall back 23-17, and then lose 25-20. The win allowed PI to start grabbing momentum. The Warriors again generally played from behind in game four, but the match also had five ties. Caledonia evened the score 23-23 on a net violation, only to cede a point to the same infraction. A Warrior hitting error then gave the Panthers the set 25-23. Suddenly after controlling the first two, Caledonia was going five sets. But unlike the games they lost, team Cal started well in the final set. Jumping out 6-0 righted the ship and physique. The Warriors then cruised to a 15-5 set win, the 3-2 match win (25-18, 25-14, 20-25, 23-25, 15-5). Liv Myhre (21 kills, 5 total blocks, 7 digs) had at least four kills in every set. Aubrie Klug (17 kills, 20 digs) had the best all-around game. Elsa Blum (10 kills, 9 digs) and Sienna Augedahl (10 kills, 4 total blocks, 16-16 serving, 4 aces) gave the Warriors four with double-digit kills. Avery Augedahl racked up 47 assists with 14 digs. Lauren Goetzinger (19 digs) and Paizley Lange (16 digs, 26-27 serving, 3 aces) helped elsewhere. The Panthers were (unofficially) led by Jade Severson (14 kills, 12 digs, 3 blocks), Peyton Barnett (32 assists, 12 digs), Kylie Passow (9 kills, 13 digs), and Teagen Barnett (8 kills, 18 digs). Cal out-killed PI 63 to 35 but also had 37 hitting errors (hit .142). 

The Warriors (3-seed, 21-9) then faced Cotter (2-seed, 23-4) in the 1AA semis. When the Warriors hit well, they won or it was close. When they had a lot of errors, Cotter won. The Ramblers controlled game one for a 25-18 win, as the Warriors had seven kills and eight hitting errors. The Warriors then controlled game two for a 25-19 win, scoring with 16 kills against five hitting errors. In game three, Cotter led by as many as five (15-10). Caledonia closed to down one three times but could not get over the hump, falling 25-20. They had eight kills and ten hitting errors. Set four was then the best volleyball. The Warriors started 8-3 but then lost the lead for good at 19-18. They came back to tie it at 23-23, but a Claire Heiring kill and a hitting error ceded the Ramblers the match. In a competitive match with multiple long volleys, Cotter moved on to the section final by 3-1 tally (25-18, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23). Myhre (18 kills), Klug (7 kills, 27 digs), and A-Augedahl (36 assists, 8 digs) were the statistical leaders for the Warriors. Blum (7 kills, 7 digs, 3 aces), Lange (19 digs), Goetzinger (18 digs), Ashlyn Reinhart (11 digs), and S-Augedahl (7 kills, 3 total blocks) helped. Cotter was unofficially led by Savy Repinski (6 kills, 26 assists, 19 digs), who thrice dove into inanimate objects to save points, Clarissa Sauer (12 kills), Camrie Macal (11 kills, 14 digs), and Sydney Repinski (26 digs). The Warriors season ends at 21-10. It was good showing coming off a state run, where a lot graduated. Myhre and S-Augedahl are the only seniors to play routinely on this year’s squad.

Volleyball Playoffs (10/28)

7-seed Goodhue (17-12) 3, 2-seed Spring Grove (22-7) 2 > 18-25, 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 13-15 (SG: Joelle Halverson 19 kills; Jordis Neeley (14 kills, .300 hitting); Kendal VanMinsel 4 kills, 47 assists, 24-25 serving, 4 aces; Emerson Ingvalson 8 kills, 24 digs; Sydney Holland 22 digs. Both teams came from behind, but Goodhue did it twice. The Lions outscored the Wildcats by five points, but Goodhue won the two closest sets, the last two. Goodhue had its best hitting (12 kills) while taking set one. Wildcat hitting then sagged (10 kills, 7 kills) while SG hitters established rhythm (12 kills, 14 kills) while sweeping the next two sets. In set four, which was tied 10 times, a six-point run put the Lions ahead, 19-14. But a six-point Wildcat run tied it at 20. Goodhue, which served 88 times with only two aces, broke a 23-23 tie with two aces to require a fifth set. SG led 11-6 before the ‘Cats claimed 9 of the final 11 points. Goodhue won the deciding set by two points with a two-point edge in blocks (3 to 1))