It was a BarnBurner! Jaguars Volleyball State-Bound...Again! 3-1 Throttling of the Pine River-Backus Tigers in the Section 5A Championship

The Jaguars volleyball team displayed great heart and stamina in their fourth straight section championship match tonight, at the Bertha-Hewitt High School. Facing Pine River-Backus out of the north half of Section 5A, the Jaguars stormed back from a 0-1 deficit in games to run the table and advance to the state tournament for the second time in three years.

The Tigers and Jaguars entered the match with combined 52 wins between both, against a combined 5 losses.

After the match began at 7:07, the Tigers took game one 25-19. The Jaguars did not look like a shadow of their usual form. In game two the Jaguars came out firing and after overcoming an early deficit to tie it at 9-9, then buried them the rest of the way with a 25-14 win to even the match at 1-1.

A see-saw game three went to the Jaguars 25-17.

After beginning at 8:08, game four went to the Jaguars as well by a 25-18 score. They were in control the whole way in the final frame and left no doubt what the outcome would be.

It was a truly grueling match, and though the Jaguars have rarely played longer than one hour at a time on "game night", they were more than up for the task. With no doubt they will advance as the best team from Section 5A.

The Class 1A seventh-ranked Jaguars, 27-3 on the season overall, will face sixth-ranked Mayer Lutheran (17-13 overall) out of Section 4-1A at 3:00 on Thursday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center in St.Paul.

Before the evening was over, the volleyball team was greeted by a rousing reception at the high school parking lot and the auxiliary gymnasium in the high school. Complete with blaring firetrucks and the Belgrade police, the team and coaches met with around 100 parents and fans to celebrate the school's second section championship in B-B-E history.

At the high school, Coach Weller talked about the team's incredible comeback after dropping the first game to the Tigers. The team made three goals back in August, and they have met two (perfect Central Minnesota Conference season, and a state tournament berth).

This week they will go for goal number three.

Stay posted for information regarding pep fests and the "send-off" on Wednesday morning, when the team and coaches will depart for St.Paul.

****Fresh update on Monday at 1:28=

A pep fest will take place at the high school on Wednesday morning at 10:15. The team and coaches will depart for St.Paul once the pep fest is complete.

Coach busses are being offered for $11 on Thursday and $11 on Friday for fans not interested in fighing Twin Cities' traffic on both days. They would leave the elementary school at 11:00am, and the high school at 11:15. Approximate return time would be 7:15pm.

Sign-up deadline is NOON on Wednesday at either school building.

Class will not be in session on Thursday and Friday.

More photos will be posted on my sports photos website throughout today. I have 195 to go through from last night, and I'm still not through the 185 I took up at Brainerd on Tuesday night.

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