MITCHELL, S.D. — With a state tournament berth on the line, the Mitchell Kernels delivered one their most complete performance of the season.
Playing in front of a loud home crowd Thursday night, No. 8 seed Mitchell swept No. 9 Spearfish 25-12, 25-15, 25-22 in the Class AA SoDAK 16, earning the program’s first trip to the state volleyball tournament since 2018.
The win sends the Kernels (16-8) to Rapid City for the Class AA State Volleyball Tournament, set for November 20–22.
Mitchell wasted no time taking control. Behind efficient attacking from an array of hitters, the Kernels hit .376 as a team while committing just four errors on 85 swings. Eighth-grader Nia Talley continued her breakout season with a team-high 11 kills and a .440 hitting percentage. Senior Addie Siemsen added nine kills on .368 hitting, along with 26 assists.
Senior Kambyl Wede (5 kills, .455) and junior Charleigh Collins (4 kills, .667) also provided steady offense.
Mitchell’s serving pressure played a major role as well, producing 10 aces against just five errors. Senior Kenna Soulek delivered three aces, while Siemsen and sophomore Londyn Hajek added two more.
Defensively, the Kernels frustrated the Spartans at the net. Mitchell finished with nine total blocks, including six from junior Kenzie Hetland, who posted three solo blocks and three assists. Talley, Wede and Siemsen each chipped in multiple blocks as the Kernels controlled the middle throughout the night.
Soulek anchored the back row with 11 digs, while Talley added nine and Hajek finished with six. In total, Mitchell recorded 44 digs in the three-set sweep.
The victory also continued a long stretch of dominance in the series: Since 2007, Mitchell has now won 21 of the last 25 meetings with the Spartans.
The Kernels now turn their attention to Rapid City, where they will make their first state tournament appearance in seven years.
Class AA SoDak 16 – Thursday, November 13
No. 1 Harrisburg 3, No. 16 Sturgis 0 (25-5, 25-11, 25-8)
No. 8 Mitchell 3, No. 9 Spearfish 0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-22)
No. 4 Sioux Falls Lincoln 3, No. 13 Yankton 0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-13)
No. 5 Watertown 3, No. 12 Huron 0 (25-23, 28-26, 25-13)
No. 2 Brandon Valley 3, No. 15 Rapid City Central 0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-20)
No. 7 Sioux Falls Washington 3, No. 10 Aberdeen Central 0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-17)
No. 3 O’Gorman 3, No. 14 Brookings 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-16)
No. 11 Sioux Falls Jefferson 3, No. 6 Rapid City Stevens 1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18)
Class AA State Volleyball Tournament – Thursday, November 20 in Rapid City
No. 1 Harrisburg vs. No. 8 Mitchell, Noon CST on KORN News Radio FM 101.3/AM 1490
No. 4 Sioux Falls Lincoln vs. No. 5 Watertown, 1:45 pm CST
No. 2 Brandon Valley vs. No. 7 Sioux Falls Washington, 6 pm CST
No. 3 O’Gorman vs. No. 11 Sioux Falls Jefferson, 7:45 pm