Step III: Sub-Section Volleyball Champions! Check that off the list

Miriah DeKok on the attack tonight in Pierz.

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team won a nailbiter in game three 25-23 to advance to their 9th straight section final in volleyball. Upsala's season ends with a terrific 26-7 overall record.

Overall, Saturday will be the 10th appearance in a section final volleyball match for B-B-E, who improved to 25-7 with tonight's win.

The Jaguars led 14-6 in game one before the Cardinals used a 4-1 run to whittle it down to 15-10. Two Upsala errors started a rally by B-B-E that got them up to a 24-15 lead. Brittany Roelike's kill ended game one in favor of the Jaguars 25-17.

B-B-E led 3-0 and then fell into a 5-5 tie early in game two. They went up 8-5, and just before you knew it, the Cardinals had pulled in front 10-8. They eventually were leading the Jaguars 16-12 and 20-16 before the wheels fell off. Coming out of a B-B-E timeout, Kendra Braegelman knocked down a kill into a block to jump start a 7-1 run that safely gave the Jaguars control. A kill by Becca Gruber to the right sideline ended game two by a 25-22 score.

Game three was just as much a cliffhanger as game two. More on that will follow later. 

Up next: bring on Nevis! Wow! What an intense rivalry this has turned into! These two teams have met every year in the Section 5A championship since 2008. They've actually taken turns advancing to state consecutively since then, beginning with B-B-E winning the section title in 2008. (B-B-E won it in 2007 as well after beating Pine River-Backus 3-1 in the finals.)

Tonight at Pierz in the Sub-Section 5A-East championship, 6th-ranked Nevis hammered Braham 25-8, 25-18, 25-8. The Tigers are 23-8-1 overall with two losses against Class A schools (Mayer Lutheran and Wabasha-Kellog) and one tie against a Class A school (Henning).

Henning lost in their sub-section semifinal game on Tuesday in Section 6A to Wheaton/Herman-Norcross.

Nevis went as far as the Class A finals last year and finished as state runners-up, representing Section 5A with incredible distinction in the process. They edged Minneota 3-2 in the semifinals.

Here's a glimpse of the post-game interviews on Smooth Magic 107 FM...

The Jaguars accept their trophy tonight!

Sauk Centre beat Albany 3-0 in Sub-Section 6AA-North.

Area volleyball playoff scores tonight:
Underwood 3, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 2
Marshall Area 3, Montevideo 0
Minneota 3, Dawson-Boyd 0
Maple Lake 3, Breck 1 (Irish make the section finals again, way to go Coach Kiebel and crew!)
BOLD 3, Springfield 1 (Warriors upset the #1 seed in Sub-Section 2A-North)
Southwest Christian 3, Mayer Lutheran 0

More will follow later on tonight.