Volleyball: Chatfield Makes State Title Match, Falls in Five
It was a remarkable season for Chatfield volleyball. Chatfield advanced further than any squad before it (and as far any school currently covered by the Fillmore County Journal ever has dating back to 1974). Chatfield got so close in the championship match, up 2-0. But the Gophers ended up as Class AA State Runner-Up.
The #4 in AA Gophers (3-seed, Section 1A Champ, 24-7) began their state experience taking on Esko (6-seed, Section 7AA Champ, 24-4) in the quarterfinals. Kristi Rindels’ group controlled two sets but had to battle hard in the other two. Chatfield looked like the state-experienced club in the first game. In their second straight state tourney, the Gophers scored eight of 10 points to turn a 10-10 tie into an 18-12 lead. It helped foster a 25-17 win, as Esko played in their first tourney since 2011. Seniors Amaya Harmening and Trindy Barkeim each had 5 kills. Chatfield outkilled Esko 16 to 6. But the next two games were fights. In game two, Chatfield had just one lead, 3-2. Down 22-18, they rallied to tie it 22-22. But Esko, devoid of a nickname (per Eskomos not being deemed politically correct), scored the last three points, two by Gopher error. Via a 25-22 win, they evened the match at 1-1. Chatfield again had 16 kills, Esko 14. But the Gophers had eight hitting errors, Esko three. Game three was also a battle. The Gophers fought back from down 6-2. The match had 10 ties up to 18-18. But Chatfield then had a 3-0 run. Though small, that 21-18 lead became a 25-20 win. Game four was close early. A Gopher run put them ahead 12-8. Chatfield then outscored Esko 13-6 to the close, including getting a five-point service session from Grace Patten late. Chatfield grabbed the set 25-14, the match 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 25-14). Barkeim (18 kills, .410 hitting, 13 digs) had her normal big game. Harmening (10 kills, .304 hitting, 2.5 ace blocks) was great with a (then) season-high kill-total. Cora Bicknese (12 kills, 15 digs) and Grace Schroeder (8 kills) gave Chatfield offensive balance, albeit neither hit well (.044 and .062 respectively). Harper Goldsmith (3 kills, 36 assists, 20 digs, 24-25 serving, 3 aces) was super-busy. Hannah Tweten added 23 digs and 3 aces (15-15 serving). Offensively, the hitting duo of Clara Swanson (16 kills, 18 digs) and Maren Bailey (11 kills, 14-14 serving, 3 aces) led the team formerly known as the Eskimos. Maya Johnson added 31 assists, Paige Hanson 15 digs.
In the semifinals, the #4 Gophers (Section 1A Champ, 25-7) rematched with #2 in Albany (Section 6A Champ, 28-3). A year ago, at state, Chatfield fell 3-0 (14-25, 22-25, 20-25) to the Huskies in the third-place game. They also fell to Albany 2-1 (25-19, 21-25, 14-16) at this year’s Class AA Showcase. The Gophers got double-redemption with probably the program’s biggest win. Setter Goldsmith got Chatfield out fast by serving the first six points. But Albany was back to even quickly at 10-10. It was the first of seven ties. The Huskies later led 17-13 only for a 5-1 Gopher run and an 18-18 tie. With 22-22, Chatfield used an Albany service error, then two Barkeim kills to win the set, 25-23. A 5 to 1 ace advantage was key in the win. Goldsmith recorded her 3,000th career assist on a Bicknese kill late in the set. Game two saw the Huskies start 4-1, but Chatfield was back to even quickly at 5-5. It was one of five ties, the last at 14-14. But Schroeder than had back-to-back kills. Harmening added another for a 17-14 lead. Chatfield led by at least two the rest of the way, taking the set 25-20 for the 2-0 lead. The Gophers had 16 kills, Albany 8. Barkeim notched six. Game three had the Gophers ahead big early, 10-4. Albany rallied to within one at 13-12, but Chatfield closed it out. Barkeim had five kills in the last eight Gopher points. Via 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-20, 25-17), Chatfield moved on to its first ever volleyball state final! Seniors Goldsmith (4 kills, 32 assists, 14 digs, 18-18 serving, 3 aces), Barkeim (19 kills, .325 hitting, 9 digs), and Tweten (29 digs) led the way with Bicknese (13 kills, 19 digs) not far behind. Schroeder added 6 kills. Brynn Panek (14 kills), an All-State pick, Lillian Van Heel (24 assists, 14 digs), and Addison Brickweg (15 digs) led Albany. Chatfield had 44 kills, Albany 31. The teams combined for 144 digs; Chatfield 77, Albany 67.
The state Class AA finals thus pitted the #4 Gophers (Section 1A Champ, 26-7) versus #1 Hawley (Section 8AA Champ, 31-2). The Nuggets entered as the defending state champ. Included was beating the Gophers in last year’s semifinals 3-2 (after trailing 2-1). For two sets, the Gophers out-hit Hawley and their serving kept the Nuggets off-balanced. Chatfield ripped to a 7-0 start in game one on Goldsmith’s serving, but Hawley rallied, getting back to even at 14-14. Chatfield then scored seven straight points including Barkeim serving six. They went ahead 21-14. The Gophers took game one 25-20. Chatfield had 16 kills, the Nuggets 9. In set two, Chatfield went ahead at 12-11 and then never trailed or faced a tie. The lead was just 23-21 late via Huskie Katie Vetter’s kill, but a Hawley net violation and hitting error in succession fostered a 25-21 Gopher win, a 2-0 lead. Chatfield was one set win away from a state title. The Gophers then struggled to sniff the lead the final three sets. The Nuggets, which swept New London-Spicer 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-15) and #6 in AA New Life Academy 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-23) in the first two rounds of state, found themselves up against it. They played zero five set matches all season. Their two losses were both in three sets at tournaments. It was as if the Nuggets only played at 75% in the first two sets, having not had to up their game thus far at state, while Chatfield played at 95%. Hawley upped their game to 100% and Chatfield pressed to keep up over the final three games. The Nuggets jumped out 5-1 in game three and never trailed, building a 22-10 lead. Chatfield had a 5-0 run late, but it was not near enough in a 25-17 loss. Game four saw Chatfield score the first three points; about the only light they had in the final three sets. Hawley then spurted 10-1 to lead 10-4. The again ripped to a 25-16 win to tie the match 2-2. And the Nuggets started game five 9-2. Led by their defense and a varied and steady offensive attack that saw six girls record at least five kills, Hawley won the game 15-8, and grabbed the state title in five sets (20-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-16, 15-8). They outscored the Gophers 65-41 over the final three games. Vetter (15 kills, 22 digs), speedy libero Hannah Stotts (27 digs), setter Sella Fleming (5 kills, 41 assists, 8 digs, 15-15 serving, 3 aces), and Annaka Johnson (12 kills) did the biggest damage. Only Fleming did not make All-State of the group. McKenna Walker (7 kills, 14 digs), Jocelyn Schenck (13 digs), Audrina Liebenow (6 kills), and Kendallynn Hill (5 kills) helped. Chatfield was led by Barkeim (16 kills, 14 digs), Harmening (season-high 15 kills on .462 hitting), Goldsmith (44 assists, 22 digs, 3 aces), and Tweten (26 digs). Bicknese (15 kills, 28 digs) also put up numbers, but had a tough hitting match. Schroeder chipped in 8 kills. Hawley hit .168 as a team with 50 kills, 19 errors. Chatfield hit .095 with 55 kills, 36 errors. They had just 10 hitting errors in the first two sets, but 26 the final three respectively. Both defenses had 90-plus digs, Chatfield 109, Hawley 92. But Goldsmith getting 22 digs meant she did not set 22 times, which most certainly was not the best situation for Chatfield. Hawley also had 10 total blocks, Chatfield 4. Hawley middle hitter Annaka Johnson: “After the second set I said (in the huddle), ‘Let’s just go out and treat it like it is the beginning of the game. We have to win these next three. Let’s just treat it like it is the start and we are going to go 3-0 and be done!’” She continued, “It was our first five set match of our entire season. It was like, ‘Guys, we get one five-set match, we might as well just go win it!’”
Chatfield Coach Kristi Rindels: “I give a lot of credit to Hawley. They did not fall after going down two sets. They easily could’ve. They turned around and said were going to fight back, and they absolutely fought back.” Speaking about her seniors, “This group is incredible. Yes, they have a lot of athletic talent. But they are great human beings. The leadership they have brought to this program. There’s little girls that look up to them every single day. This group of seniors leaving the program is going to be a really tough group to lose.”
Junior outside hitter Cora Bicknese: “The legacy that we have built the last two years have made Chatfield volleyball something little girls can look up to.” Bicknese continued, “The most important thing is this team all has these memories that they can take with. I’m just so proud of everyone.”
The Gophers finish at 27-8. Goldsmith, Barkeim, and Bicknese each made the All-Tourney team. As grade school kids, this year’s group saw some lean years of Chatfield volleyball, including squads from 2016 thru 2018 that amassed a total of 16 wins. But the last five years, the Gophers have gone 19-9, 26-3, 26-3, 29-6, and now 27-8. The last four years have been the program’s best span, including two state trips, back-to-back TRC titles in 2023 and 2024, and the four best win totals ever. Coach Rindels has led the last three teams, going 82-17. Goldsmith was key five of those years, Barkeim and junior Bicknese four, Tweten for three. Alongside, Jaelyn LaPlante, who graduated last year, they are a fivesome who will long be remembered by Gopher volleyball fans. Harmening, Schroeder, Patten, and Julia Goldsmith round out a tremendous seven-girl senior class. Only three other times has a volleyball program currently covered by the Fillmore County Journal ever made the state finals. Chatfield (2025) joins Caledonia (2012, 2016) and Fillmore Central (2013) in finishing as state runner-up.
Volleyball: Falcons Claim Consolation Title at State
It is not what they hoped for. It is an aptly named reward. Fillmore Central volleyball’s 2025 ended at state with a win, albeit not a state championship or even third place. The Falcons fell in the quarterfinals in a tough loss but rebounded with back-to-back controlling sweeps to end the season with a pair of wins. In the school’s third state trip, they were the consolation champions (fifth place). A trio of program-impactful seniors went out with a win and with a couple trophies. Falcon volleyball continued its strong play under Travis Malley.
Fourth-ranked Fillmore Central (3-seed, Section 1A Champ, 25-6) started its state journey versus unranked Ada-Borup-West (6-seed, Section 8A Champ, 23-8) in the quarterfinals. It was a very competitive, hard-hitting match. In the end, FC was at set point in two of the three sets they lost, but could not close. Game one was the first. The Falcons had to contend with the height of A-B-W’s 6’5” Malayna Syverson and 5’11” All-State pick Morgan Engel, seniors who are both committed to North Dakota State. In a volleyball rarity, they went back-and-forth exchanging setting and hitting positions. The first set had 14 ties. The team’s big hitters exchanged kills with Syverson and Engel each getting seven, FC’s Kyla Hellickson 10. The Falcons were at set point twice, 24-23 and 25-24. But the Cougars ended the game with the final three points, one by Syverson kill, another by ace, and the last by Falcon hitting error. Ada-Borup-West got the 27-25 win. They hit with just three errors to FC’s eight, off-setting the Falcons’ 18 to 14 edge in kills. FC also served up three errors to A-B-W’s one. The lower seeded Cougars then rode that momentum in set two, jumping out 11-6. FC did not lead until rallying back to up 20-18. The set again was competitive at the end with ties at 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23. FC never got to set point, and took the loss when Syverson again scored with a kill and Macie Thornton ended the match with an off-the-net ace. A-B-W went ahead 2-0 with the 25-23 win. But FC rallied to blitz the Cougars in set three. Included was an eight-point Lauren Dahly service session to put FC up 16-6. They prevailed 25-13. Game four was again back to super-competitiveness with 10 ties. FC led the majority. With it 21-21, Madi Zwart authored up a block, Norah Nagel a kill, and Hannah Vaalemoen an ace in succession. The Falcons seemed primed for a fifth set, up 24-21. But Syverson was at the outside hitter position. The tall senior put down four kills in the game’s final five points. A Falcon hitting error was the fifth. The Cougars won the set from near death 26-24, the match 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 13-25, 26-24) with all wins coming by the point-minimum. Syverson (25 kills, 17 assists, 12 digs, 15-15 serving) and Engel (19 kills, 21 assists, 13 digs, 3 blocks, 20-20 serving) both scored with triple-doubles, a rarity. They combined for 44 of A-B-W’s 48 kills. Libero Avery Johnson and Leighton Odden tied Engel for a team-high with 13 digs. FC’s Hellickson had a career-kill effort (25 kills, .279 hitting, 27 digs) while Zwart (19 kills, 6 ½ blocks) was also big. Josie Corson (23 digs) led the defense. Vaalemoen (4 kills, 27 assists, 8 digs), Aubrey Daniels (4 kills, 30 assists, 17-18 serving, 3 aces), Norah Nagel (7 kills, 15 digs), and Lauren Dahly (6 kills, 19-21 serving, 2 aces) helped. FC hit .238 with 67 kills but 24 hitting errors while the Cougars hit .271 with 48 kills but 18 errors. The Falcons also had 10 service errors to A-B-W’s two. The Falcons won total points 97 to 91.
Fillmore Central (3-seed, 25-7) then rallied from the opening loss, taking out some vengeance on Nevis (Section 5A Champ, 23-8) in the consolation semis. The Falcons jumped out on the Tigers early in set one, leading 15-6. But Nevis rode a five-kill set from Ava Forbes, getting back to even at 19-19. Much of the comeback was on Falcon errors, as they had seven in Nevis’ run. But FC steadied the ship. Senior Hellickson put down a kill and Corson then served up an ace and two more points for a 23-20 lead. With it 23-22, Hellickson put down the last two kills to give the Falcons the set 25-22. It was the only close game. With it 7-7 in game two, the Falcons scored 13 consecutive points. Twelve came as Hellickson served. Nevis struggled to get a good pass. A 20-7 lead became a 25-13 win. And the Falcons rolled even more in game four, jumping out 11-2. An injury to both Nevis’ setter, who came back in, and another starter, who took a hard spike to the face, then appeared to have shock or concussion-like symptoms a couple plays later, sapped the Tigers’ focus. FC took the set 25-6 for the 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-13, 25-6). Junior Lauren Dahly (11 kills) was an offensive focal point to go along with Zwart (12 kills). Corson (22 digs, 14-14 serving, 2 aces), Nagel (7 kills, 7 digs), Hellickson (7 kills, 11 digs, 22-23 serving), Vaalemoen (5 kills, 11 assists), and Daniels (23 assists) made it a team effort. Forbes (6 kills), Brenna Lindow (15 assists), and Clair Isaacson (11 digs) led Nevis.
For the consolation finals, the Falcons (3-seed, 26-7) played Cleveland (5-seed 27-7). The teams met at the Class A Showcase earlier in the year, Falcons winning 2-0 (25-18, 25-20). In the rematch, the Clippers battled for two sets, but FC found the plays late in each to pull off wins. They fought off their own miscues too. FC had 12 hitting errors in the first game, but, semi-normal for them, they still led most of the set. The sophomore Zwart particularly struggled with six errors and zero kills. And thus, when FC put it down, they led. But when a few went wayward, Cleveland came back. The set was tied 22-22 before a Clipper net violation. Falcon sophomore Norah Nagel then ended the set with back-to-back kills for the 25-22 win. Game two was similar. The Falcons built a 14-10, but Cleveland kept battling and tied the set 17-17. Sixteen of the last 19 combined points were earned. A 3-0 mini-spurt turned a 19-19 tie into 22-19 Falcon lead. Zwart got going. Her fifth kill (on eight attacks with just one error) made it 24-22. Nagel then blocked down game point for another 25-22 victory. And FC rolled in game three. A 10-4 start became a 19-10 lead and then a 25-14 win. FC pulled its second state-level sweep (25-22, 25-22, 25-14). It was a team-effort offensively. Hellickson (13 kills, 21 digs), Zwart (12 kills), Nagel (10 kills, 23 digs), and Dahly (8 kills) all amassed eight or more put-downs. Libero Corson dove around, as she has been known to do, for 20 digs plus 3 aces (16-16 serving). Setters Vaalemoen (14 assists, 9 digs) and Daniels (15 assists, 8 digs) spread the wealth around. Cleveland was led by Melia Sathoff (10 kills, 15 digs), Taylor McCabe (8 kills, 16 digs), and Jocelyn Kortuem (22 assists). The Falcons won aces 8 to 1 and kills 44 to 26. FC finishes the season at 27-7. It is the program’s second-best effort behind 2013’s state runner-up (35-3). Hellickson (team best 45 kills, .248 hitting, team second-best 59 digs, 47-50 serving) was named to the All-Tourney team. The Falcons graduate just three seniors, Hellickson, Daniels, and Cora Britton. They lay claim to making state as both juniors and seniors. Hellickson, a five-year starter, notably finishes with well over 2,000 career digs while turning into an All-State all-around player. Daniels, a four-year starter, notably finishes with over 2,000 career assists. They will be missed. Five other heavily-relied upon assets will return next year including Zwart, who was named All-State.
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