Volleyball State Tournament: Day 4 Recap

Four champions were crowned at the 2021 Volleyball State Tournament on Saturday, November 13. Mayer Lutheran won in Class A and Sauk Centre won in Class AA. Marshall took the top spot in Class AAA and Wayzata claimed the inaugural title in Class AAAA.

Class A

Top-seeded Mayer Lutheran (32-2) lived up to its billing, defeating the two-time defending champions from Minneota 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-18). This was the third time these teams met this season; the Crusaders won the season opener 3-2 and later defeated the Vikings 2-1 in tournament play.

This was the fourth championship for Mayer Lutheran. They won previously in 1982, 2016 and 2017.

Minneota came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed and finished with a season record of 31-5.

Junior Gabrielle Wachholz led Mayer Lutheran with 11 kills and 10 digs. Senior Brooke Sauter added 12 digs for the Crusaders. Senior McKenzie Tolk and sophomore Lyzah Sussner posted 16 and 14 digs, respectively, for Minneota and junior Ireland Stassen had a game-high 13 kills.

Junior Kate Trump led No. 4 Bethlehem Academy to a 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 25-22, 25-16) third-place victory over unseeded Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. Trump finished the game with 13 kills and 26 digs.

In the consolation final, No. 3 Legacy Christian Academy defeated unseeded Breckenridge 3-1 (24-26, 25-19, 25-21, 25-21). Senior Tezra Rudzitis went 28-of-74 on kill attempts and finished with 14 digs for the Lions.

Class A All-Tournament Team

• Tezra Rudzitis, Legacy Christian Academy, OH
• Aubrey Morrison, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley L
• Kate Trump, Bethlehem Academy, OH
• Natalee Rolbiecki, Minneota, OH
• McKenzie Tolk, Minneota, L
• Ireland Stassen, Minneota, S
• Emma Lade, Mayer Lutheran, S
• Gabrielle Wachholz, Mayer Lutheran, OH
• Lilly Wachholz, Mayer Lutheran, MH
• Madeline Guetzkow, Mayer Lutheran, OH

Class AA

The Sauk Centre Mainstreeters (33-1), who came into the tournament as the No. 3 seed, captured their first title. They faced down No. 4 Jackson County Central 3-1 (13-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-19) in the title match. The Streeters and Huskies did not meet during the regular season.

Senior Emma Kittelson and junior Jenna Gapinski-Vogt each had 11 kills for Sauk Centre. Gapinski-Vogt and ninth-grader Cierra Kortan added 18 digs apiece. Senior Sadie Voss played an outstanding game for Jackson County Central (29-7), finishing with 22 kills and 26 digs. Maci Farmer, a junior, had a game-high 50 assists for the Huskies.

In a battle of unseeded teams, Hawley outlasted Mounds Park Academy 3-2 (29-27, 12-25, 22-25, 31-29, 19-17) for third-place honors. Senior Faith Rustad paced the Nuggets with 22 kills on 74 attempts. Seniors Grace Fleming and Alexandra Eilertson had 30 and 28 digs, respectively, for Hawley.

Senior Estelle Haugen had 18 kills and 12 digs for Southwest Christian as the top-seeded Stars knocked off No. 2 Cannon Falls in the consolation finale. The final score was 3-1 (25-18, 25-19,25-16).

Class AA All-Tournament Team

• Jaci Winchell, Cannon Falls, S
• Estelle Haugen, Southwest Christian, OH
• Kaija Kunze-Hoeg, Mounds Park Academy, OH
• Lola Pilon, Mounds Park Academy, OH
• Alexandra Ellertson, Hawley, S/RH
• Faith Rustad, Hawley, OH
• Emma Kittelson, Sauk Centre, MH
• Cierra Kortan, Sauk Centre, OH
• Sadi Voss, Jackson County Central, OH
• Maci Farmer, Jackson County Central, S

Class AAA

In the Class AAA title match, No. 1 Marshall (33-2) made short work of No. 2 seed Kasson-Mantorville (31-3). The Tigers dismissed the KoMets 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-16). This was the first meeting between Marshall and Kasson-Mantorville this year.

This was seventh title for the Marshall Tigers. They won previously in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Senior Tessa Gannott put on another stellar performance for Marshall, finishing with a 46.4 kill percentage on 28 attempts. Junior Caitlyn Christenson and senior Cassie Hoover added 17 and 14 digs, respectively. Junior Whittney Deno had seven kills and 15 digs for Kasson-Mantorville.

Behind 18 kills and 11 digs from senior Anna Molsad, New Prague defeated Grand Rapids 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-21) to claim the third-place hardware. New Prague was the No. 3 seed and Grand Rapids was No. 5.

The Monticello Magic, who entered the tournament at No. 4, defeated unseeded Chisago Lakes for consolation honors. Senior Natalie Emmerich had 14 kills, three service aces and 11 digs as the Magic moved past the Wildcats 3-1 (19-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-17).

Class AAA All-Tournament Team

• Peyton Konz, Monticello, RS
• Braya LaPlant, Grand Rapids, S
• Emerson Dillon, New Prague, L
• Anna Molstad, New Prague, OH
• Ellie Ask, Kasson-Mantorville, OH
• Annika Larson, Kasson-Mantorville, OH
• Madelyn Converse, Kasson-Mantorville, S
• Caitlyn Christensen, Marshall, L
• Maysa Gillingham, Marshall, S
• Tessa Gannott, Marshall, OH

Class AAAA

Wayzata (34-0), the defending champion in Class AAA, earned the inaugural Class AAAA title after defeating East Ridge 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19). This was the second meeting for the Trojans and Raptors this year; Wayzata won the first match 3-0 in mid-September.

This was also the second overall title for the Trojans, who came in as the top seed this year. East Ridge (23-10) was the No. 3 seed.

Sophomore Avery Jesewitz led Wayzata with 14 kills and seniors Sierra Moore and Katy Riviere added 13 apiece. Riviere also had 12 digs for the Trojans. Senior Britt Carlson tallied a team-high 15 kills for East Ridge and junior Ellenor Crimmins had 19 digs.

In the third-place game, No. 2 Eden Prairie outlasted No. 5 Rogers 3-2 (33-31, 22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-13). Senior Kendall Minta finished the game with a 21 kills for the Eagles and senior Katelyn Jensen added 24 digs.

Lakeville North, the No. 4 seed, defeated unseeded Bloomington Jefferson 3-1 (25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17) in the consolation final. Senior Kaitlynn Peterson had 20 kills and 14 digs for the Panthers.

Class AAAA All-Tournament Team

• Cassandra Sieling, Bloomington Jefferson, OH
• Kaitlynn Peterson, Lakeville North, OH
• Anya Schmidt, Rogers, OPP
• Kendall Minta, Eden Prairie, MB
• Britt Carlson, East Ridge, OH
• Mikayla McDougall, East Ridge, OH
• Ella Voegele, Wayzata, L
• Stella Swenson, Wayzata, S
• Katy Riviere, Wayzata, RS
• Emma Goerger, Wayzata, MH