RAPID CITY, S.D. — Sioux Falls Lincoln had to withstand every punch Mitchell threw its way, but the fourth-seeded Patriots delivered in the decisive moments, outlasting the Kernels 26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 20-25, 15-9 in a tightly contested Class AA state tournament consolation semifinal Friday at The Monument.
The win sends Lincoln (20-6) into Saturday’s fifth place match vs. SF Washington, while Mitchell’s will play SF Jefferson for seventh place tomorrow at Noon CST.
Lincoln’s attack was remarkably clean and balanced throughout the match with 53 kills Ella Smith led the way with 14 kills, while Hannah Baron and Mallory Schneider each added 11. Camila Langenfeld chipped in eight, and Elsa Basel contributed four more, giving Lincoln four players with at least eight points.
Schneider played a central role offensively and defensively, recording 35 assists, two aces, and three block assists. Libero Julia Blom anchored the back row with 21 digs and added three aces.
After Lincoln took the opening set 26-24, Mitchell answered with a tight 25-23 win in set two, capitalizing on strong serving and extended defensive rallies. The Kernels’ offense ran through Addie Siemsen, who finished with 11 kills, 26 assists, and six aces, accounting for a match-high 17.5 points. Kambyl Wede added 10 kills and three block assists, while Audrey Miller tallied nine kills and two blocks.
Lincoln controlled the third set behind a 9-2 run and steady hitting but couldn’t close out the match in the fourth as Mitchell responded with one of its best defensive sets of the night. The Kernels forced a fifth set thanks in part to standout back-row play from Nia Talley, who collected a match-high 24 digs to go along with eight kills.
Both teams finished with 10 total blocks, and the match featured a combined 174 digs.