NOTE: two more videos were added here on Saturday morning...along with a more complete break down of game five plus the complete area scoreboard at the end of the blog post.
After a see-saw battle played out across four sets of heated playoff volleyball, the B-B-E Jaguars put the hammer down and cruised past upset-minded Brandon-Evansville in the fifth set to claim their sixth straight sub-section championship berth. After missing the sub-section finals in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Jaguars have now made it to a championship playoff match every year since. The exception is 2020, when the volleyball season did not have playoffs. The first season with a sub-section championship berth was 1994, when the Jaguars blazed their way to the Sub-Section 5A-3 finals before losing an excruciating heartbreaker 3-2 to Sauk Centre.
The Jaguars hit just 7 percent in a sluggish game one where they fell 25-23 after being unable to overcome an initial 4-0 deficit. They came alive in the second set and hit a whopping 46 percent while winning 25-15. They kept up the pace and took game two by a 25-22 score. The Chargers came back to win game four 25-19 after the Jaguars held a 19-18 lead.
Game five final score: B-B-E 15, Brandon-Evansville 7. The Jaguars found their spark just in the knick of time. The Chargers got a kill for the first point of the set, but Kadynce Haider smashed one away to tie it. The Chargers got an ace block and a kill to take a 3-1 lead, but that was all the juice they had as the Jaguars took over from that point. Kamie Fischer's ace tip and then a kill by Kacey Fischer tied it at 3-3. The Chargers got a kill for a 4-3 lead, but Kacey Fischer's shot to the back corner tied it. A hitting error put the Jaguars down 5-4, and Brooklyn Fischer had three straight kills to put the Jaguars up 7-5. Out of a Chargers timeout, Kenna Lieser's kill made it four straight points. A kill from Adley Hagen and an ace block by Brooklyn Fischer later put the Jaguars up 12-6 as the Jaguars cruised down the stretch to take the match.
What was clearly illustrated by this night was how nothing is ever promised to you in the playoffs. It can all come to and end just like that. To persevere through a tough match like the Jaguars did tonight was a special sight to take in!! I'm still working through my video clips. The game five footage is really fun to watch.
NEXT: the Jaguars (22-5-1) travel to Fergus Falls senior high school on Thursday, November 2 in the late match that will likely start between 7:30 and 8 p.m. Their opponent will be No. 2-seeded West Central Area (21-9). Please spread the word!! This is HUGE!!! For WCA, a volleyball match at Fergus Falls is as close to a home match in an away gym as you can get. It's a short drive up Highway 59 for the WCA Knights, while it's basically a 1 1/2 hour drive for B-B-E fans.
*Here's my 8th fall sports show of 2023!
*Here's action from early in game one where the Jaguars had fallen behind 3-0...
In game one, the Jaguars fell back 4-0 right away but then scored four straight to tie it up. The Chargers later took early leads of 8-6 and 9-7 before the Jaguars tied it at 9-9. An ace serve by Kylie Weller lifted the Jaguars ahead 11-9.
*Here's action from late in game one:
Here's a video from the last points scored in game two...
The No. 2-seeded WCA Knights defeated No. 3-seeded Parkers Prairie tonight in their semifinal match held at Barrett. They are an outstanding team that played in what was a very good West Central Conference this fall. This year the WCC held multiple very good teams such as BOLD, Sauk Centre and Melrose Area. In the WCC, the WCA Knights went 9-5 while tying Melrose Area for third place.
Big news out of the Sub-Section 6A-North tournament...the No. 5-seeded Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Comets earned their second upset of the playoffs as they beat No. 1-seeded Breckenridge 3-1 to move onto the championship. They won 3-0 at Park Christian in Moorhead in the quarterfinal round. In other North semifinal match, No. 2-seeded Underwood beat No. 6-seeded New York Mills by a score of 3-2.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to B-B-E Class of 2023 graduate Tiyana Schwinghammer for her guest appearance tonight in the drum corps of B-B-E's Pep Band!! It was an honor to play with her in the band as she also helped coach my daughter on one of the drum sets during some of the songs. Her college basketball career begins in November! The season opener for her Northland College Pioneer's women's basketball team is on Friday, November 10 at the Anoka-Ramsey tournament, where they take on St. Cloud Technical and Community College at 5 p.m. in Coon Rapids.
Area volleyball playoff scores on October 27:
K-M-S 3, Eden Valley-Watkins 0
Marshall Area 3, Willmar 0
New London-Spicer 3, Montevideo 1
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 3, Litchfield 0
Russel-Tyler-Ruthon 3, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 0
MACCRAY 3, Central MN Christian 0
Canby 3, Lakeview 0
Renville County West 3, Wabasso 0
Minneota 3, Dawson-Boyd 0
Maple Lake 3, Kimball Area 1
Browerville 3, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 0
Ogilvie 3, Braham 2
Sebeka 3, Bertha-Hewitt 2
Verndale 3, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 0
Swanville 3, Hill City 0
