Class B State Volleyball Tournament – Thursday, November 20 in Rapid City
No. 1 Chester 3, No. 8 Herreid/Selby Area 0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-13)
Chester advanced to the Class B state semifinals with a dominant sweep of Herreid/Selby Area on Thursday in Rapid City, winning 25-12, 25-18, 25-13 while delivering one of the most efficient offensive performances of the tournament.
The Flyers finished with 37 kills. Emmerson Eppard led with 11 kills, Jacy Wolf added 10, and setter Lily Van Hal contributed six kills along with 19 assists. Chester also finished with eight blocks—three each from Van Hal and Gracie Mersch—and collected 60 digs over the three sets.
Herreid/Selby Area was led by Jordyn Rossow with 11 kills and Breanna Jochim with seven. Setter Katie Allbee finished with 20 assists, and the Wolverines totaled 38 digs, but they couldn’t match Chester’s consistency at the net or in serve-receive.
Chester improves to 32–1 and moves into Friday’s semifinals. Herreid/Selby Area, now 26–7, heads to the consolation round.
No. 5 Bennett County 3, No. 4 Parkston 1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21)
Bennett County secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Parkston Thursday afternoon in the Class B State Volleyball Tournament at Rapid City’s Monument.
The Braves took the first set 25-18, but Parkston responded with a 25-22 win in the second set to even the match. Bennett County then pulled away, winning the third and fourth sets 25-20 and 25-21, respectively.
Bennett County’s offense was led by Reagan O’Neill with 21 kills and Peyson O’Neill adding 19. Setter Macy Claussen was a key playmaker with 48 assists, keeping the offense running smoothly throughout the match. The Braves also showcased strong defense with eight team blocks, including four from Peyson O’Neill.
Parkston’s attack was paced by Keeara Oakley’s 22 kills and Berkley Ziebart’s 16. Setter Finley Bogenreif contributed 40 assists, but Parkston was unable to maintain momentum late in the match despite solid defensive efforts with 70 digs.
Bennett County improves to 37-5 on the season and advances to the semifinals.
No. 2 Northwestern 3, No. 7 Gayville-Volin 2 (22-25, 25-12, 25-22, 18-25, 15-10)
Northwestern (36-2) leaned heavily on standout hitter Ashley Haven, who delivered 25 kills, seven block assists and 24 digs for 29.5 points. Breelyn Satter added nine kills, while Lila Johnson chipped in seven. Setter Ella Boekelheide finished with 43 assists, as the Wildcats totaled 50 kills and 18 team blocks, including eight block assists from Kylee Henjum.
Defensively, Northwestern posted 100 digs, led by Haven’s 24, Johnson’s 19 and Boekelheide’s 20. The Wildcats also added seven aces, including five from Brenna Halvorson.
Gayville-Volin (30-5) countered with a balanced, efficient attack. Maia Achen had 14 kills, Paisley Dimmer added 13, and Jolie and Aliza Westrum each recorded eight. Setter Kendra Beeck distributed 39 assists, while Dimmer contributed a block and an ace for a team-high 15 points.
GV’s defense kept them in every set with 135 digs, led by Jolie Westrum’s 32, Dimmer’s 22, Achen’s 23 and Aliza Westrum’s 10. The Raiders also finished with four team blocks.
No. 3 Warner 3, No. 6 Harding County 0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-13)
Warner’s balance was overwhelming, with five hitters finishing between five and 11 kills. MaKenna Leidholt led the Monarchs with 11 kills, while Jaycee Jung added 10 and Kaydee Mackner had seven. Miah Leidholt recorded six kills and four aces, and setter Reagan Wood finished with 20 assists and two aces. Warner also totaled 3.5 blocks.
Harding County (28-4) was paced by Kamry Padden’s five kills. Kaydence Gilbert added three kills and an ace, and Mya Glines tallied two kills and seven assists. The Ranchers were held to 13 total kills.