Class AA State Volleyball Tournament – Friday, November 21 in Rapid City
No. 4 Sioux Falls Lincoln 3, No. 8 Mitchell 2, (26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 20-25, 15-9)
Lincoln (20-6) leaned on a balanced attack, finishing with 53 kills. Ella Smith led the Patriots with 14 kills, while Hannah Baron and Mallory Schneider each added 11. Setter Mallory Schneider also tallied 35 assists and two aces. Mitchell (16-10) pushed the match to a decisive fifth set behind standout performances from Addie Siemsen (11 kills, 26 assists, 6 aces) and Kambyl Wede (10 kills, 3 blocks). Audrey Miller added nine kills and Nia Talley finished with eight. Both teams totaled 10 blocks, but Lincoln’s late-set execution proved decisive as the Patriots closed the match on a 6–1 run in the fifth.
No. 7 Sioux Falls Washington 3, No. 11 Sioux Falls Jefferson 0, (25-20, 25-18, 25-18)
Washington (18-8) finishd with 35 kills, while adding 14 aces at the service line. Jade Jere powered the Warriors with 11 kills and four aces, while Dana Harpe and Aubrielle Perry each added seven kills. Setter Emily Akkerman dished out 30 assists and added four aces as Washington controlled momentum throughout all three sets. Jefferson (12-14) got 10 kills from Sienna Sabers and six from Addison Warnke, but the Cavaliers struggled to match Washington’s efficiency despite posting seven team blocks.
No. 1 Harrisburg 3, No. 5 Watertown 0, (25-18, 25-12, 25-11)
Harrisburg (34-2) dominated on both sides of the net, finishing with 37 kills, while also serving up 13 aces. Gabi Zachariasen powered the Tigers’ offense with 13 kills and four aces for a match-high 18 points. Bergen Stiff added eight kills, and Kya Keegan chipped in six. Setter Josalyn Samuels directed an efficient attack with 32 assists, adding two aces and four block assists. Watertown (22-10) totaled 17 kills, led by Siri Bach and Reese Munger with four apiece, but the Arrows struggled to match Harrisburg’s pressure. The Tigers also out-blocked Watertown 10–1 and held the Arrows to 18 points or fewer in every set. Harrisburg advances to Saturday’s championship looking for its fourth straight state title. The Tigers have won 91 consecutive matches vs. Class AA teams and 96 straight vs. South Dakota teams.
No. 3 O’Gorman 3, No. 2 Brandon Valley 2, (19-25, 25-21, 25-14, 22-25, 14-13)