MITCHELL, S.D. — A trip to the Class AA state volleyball tournament is on the line Thursday night when the No. 8 seed Mitchell Kernels host the No. 9 seed Spearfish Spartans in the SoDAK 16. The winner advances to the Class AA State Volleyball Tournament, set for November 20–22 in Rapid City.
Mitchell enters the postseason at 15-8, its best record since 2018 — the same year the Kernels last qualified for state. It’s a sharp turnaround for a program that went 3-20 a year ago and 6-17 in 2023, missing the SoDAK 16 in both seasons.
The Kernels have been especially strong at home, posting an 8-2 record this fall. They’ll look to replicate their performance from October 4, when they swept Spearfish 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-17) on the road. Since 2007, Mitchell has dominated the series, winning 20 of 24 matchups against the Spartans.
Spearfish, which finished the regular season 20-12, brings experience and balance but has struggled against top-tier competition. The Spartans are 4-10 this season against teams with a winning record and 10-7 overall versus Class AA opponents.
The matchup will feature a Mitchell team seeking its first state berth in seven years against a Spearfish squad aiming to play spoiler on the road. Match time is to be determined.