HURON, S.D. — The Mitchell Kernels volleyball team finished 2-2 at the Huron Invitational on Saturday, earning straight-set victories over Brookings and Sturgis Brown while falling to Dell Rapids and perennial Class B powerhouse Northwestern. With the split, the Kernels moved to 3-2 on the season.
Mitchell opened the day with a convincing 2-0 win over Brookings, controlling both sets with balanced offense and strong serving. Senior Audrey Miller led the way with eight kills, and junior C. Collins added four. Senior setter Addie Siemsen contributed 13 assists and nine digs, while the Kernels served at a 91.8% clip with eight aces in the match.
The Kernels ran into trouble in their second match, falling 2-0 to No. 1 ranked Dell Rapids of Class A. Despite a solid performance from Miller, who led the team with six kills and hit .417, Mitchell managed only nine kills as a team and hit just .019 overall. Siemsen again led the setting effort with seven assists, and Kenna Soulek and Nia Talley each collected six digs.
Mitchell rebounded in the third match of the day with a 2-0 sweep of Sturgis Brown. Siemsen turned in a strong all-around performance with five kills, 15 assists, and eight digs. Talley and Miller each added four kills, and Soulek anchored the defense with 13 digs. The Kernels hit .246 as a team and recorded seven aces in the win.
In their final match, Mitchell faced a stiff test against No. 3 ranked Northwestern of Class B and fell 2-0. The Kernels were held to just 10 kills and struggled to find offensive rhythm. Wede paced the attack with three kills on a .300 hitting percentage, while Siemsen led with 12 assists and six digs.
Mitchell returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 7, when the Kernels host Pierre at 2:30 p.m. in the annual Kernel Bowl match.