Class AA State Volleyball Tournament – Thursday, November 20 in Rapid City
No. 1 Harrisburg 3, No. 8 Mitchell 0 (25-8, 25-9, 25-18)
Top-seeded Harrisburg moved into the Class AA semifinals with a straight-set win over Mitchell on Thursday at the Monument, controlling the match start to finish behind a dominant offensive showing from senior outside hitter Gabi Zachariasen.
Zachariasen delivered 19 kills and added four aces to lead the Tigers (33-2). Harrisburg hit .400 as a team and totaled 12 service aces, running out to large leads in the first two sets before closing the match 25-18 in the third.
Setter Josalyn Samuels paced the attack with 30 assists and added two aces. Bergen Stiff finished with seven kills, while Julia Masselink and Kya Keegan each added three.
Mitchell (16-9) found more rhythm in the third set after managing just 17 combined points in the first two, but could not slow Harrisburg’s offense for extended stretches. The Kernels were led by Kenzie Hetland’s three kills and two blocks, while Audrey Miller added five kills. Setter Addie Siemsen had eight assists.
Mitchell totaled seven team blocks and two aces, but Harrisburg’s pressure from the service line and efficiency at the net kept the match tilted heavily in the Tigers’ favor.
Harrisburg advances to Friday’s semifinals, while Mitchell moves to the consolation bracket.
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No. 5 Watertown 3, No. 4 Sioux Falls Lincoln 2 (25-21, 25-21, 12-25, 25-27, 15-12)
Fifth-seeded Watertown advanced to the Class AA state semifinals Thursday with a five-set win over No. 4 Sioux Falls Lincoln, holding off the Patriots 15-12 in the final set.
Watertown (22-9) controlled the opening two sets with identical 25-21 scores before Lincoln (19-6) responded sharply, dominating the third set 25-12 and edging the fourth 27-25 to push the match the distance.
The Arrows steadied late. Siri Bach, Kali Elllis, Carighan Klatt and Reese Munger combined for 36 kills, while Anna Hirtz led all Watertown attackers with 16 kills. Setter Kynsee Russell distributed 48 assists and added a service ace.
The Arrows produced nine service aces as a team, four of them from Jordan Remmers, and finished with 10 block assists at the net. Munger and Klatt each contributed two block assists.
Lincoln matched Watertown point for point for long stretches, led by 13 kills apiece from Hannah Baron and Camila Langenfeld and 10 more from Mallory Schneider. Schneider also tallied 41 assists, while freshman Evlynn Carney added nine kills and two aces.
The Patriots out-blocked Watertown 11–8 and had 10 total aces, but could not close out the fifth. Watertown broke a 10–10 tie with a 3–0 run and closed the match on a Klatt swing from the right side.
Watertown advances to Friday’s semifinals, while Lincoln moves to the consolation bracket.
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No. 2 Brandon Valley 3, No. 7 Sioux Falls Washington 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-17)
The Lynx (26-3) were led by 12 kills from Abby Gruber, while Jersie Melcher added eight and Jayaunna Stroh seven. Setter Logan McGuire guided the offense with 27 assists, 16 digs, an ace and three kills. Defensively, Brandon Valley posted 58 digs and four total blocks, with Ashley Ertelt contributing four block assists.
Washington (17-8) got 11 kills from Chloe Peterson, nine from Jade Jere, and six from Dana Harpe, who also led the Warriors with 19 digs. Hannah Nesdahl added 16 digs and delivered all three of Washington’s aces, while Emily Akkerman recorded 25 assists.
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No. 3 O’Gorman 3, No. 11 Sioux Falls Jefferson 0 (25-15, 33-31, 25-16)