Lady Jays finish well for fifth at national volleyball tournament

The Minnesota West Lady Jays bounced back strong from a Thursday night loss at the NJCAA Division 3 Volleyball Tournament and won their final two matches and earn a fifth-place finish.

Minnesota West capped off its tournament run by sweeping Sandhills 3-0 on Saturday afternoon by scores of 25-18, 25-22, 25-20. Aleah Wagner and Ally Nelson led the way offensively with eight kills apiece while Sadie Krahling and Raya Van Beek contributed six each. Kadyn Paulson had 23 digs and Wagner 17, and Kate Slettum passed for 31 set assists. Paulson led the way in serving with three aces and Krahling had two aces.

The Lady Jays were able to secure a spot in the fifth-place match by defeating Butler County 3-1 on Friday. Game scores were 25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 25-13. 

Krahling topped the squad with 13 kills, Wagner chipped in with 12 kills and Nelson had 10. Paulson had 15 digs and Wagner 14, and Slettum passed for 37 set assists.

Minnesota West accumulated 16 aces in the match, with Lydia Moore picking up six, Slettum four and Krahling two. Nelson had eight block assists and Ellyana Sand four.

Krahling, a Lady Jays sophomore and an Adrian-Ellsworth graduate, was named to the All-Tournament Team. Dallas College Eastfield won its third straight national title, sweeping Dallas College Brookhaven — which dealt Minnesota West its lone loss in the tourney — in the finals.

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Roman Voss put on another show Friday, and the Jackson County Central football team is one win away from a second straight Class 2A state championship.

Voss ran for four touchdowns, passed for two more and also picked off a pass as the Huskies dominated Eden Valley-Watkins in a 38-0 semifinals triumph at U.S. Bank Stadium. Voss had rushing TDs of 13, six, 40 and three yards and had scoring passes of 44 and 18 yards. 

Unbeaten and top-ranked JCC will meet undefeated and fourth-ranked Goodhue at 4 p.m. Friday for the state title.

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Undefeated Breckenridge moved to 13-0 on the season and ended Murray County Central's postseason football run by topping the Rebels in a Class A semifinal clash Saturday, 28-21. MCC, which lost its first two games of the year and then won nine in row, finishes its fall at 9-3.

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The Minnesota West men's basketball team is off to a 4-0 start after earning a pair of road victories over the weekend. The Bluejays held off Northland 81-76 on Friday night and then beat Minnesota North-Itasca 89-82 on Saturday.

Minnesota West had a balanced scoring attack in its Friday win, as Keion Irvin's 17 points led six Bluejay players in double figures. Zach Hayenga led the team in rebounds with eight. On Saturday, Calvin Flood poured in 25 points in the triumph and Irvin contributed 19 points and a game-best nine rebounds.

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The Lady Jays, meanwhile, split their weekend games, losing 73-68 at Northland and routing Minnesota North-Itasca 110-36.

Payton Riemers had 20 points for Minnesota West in the Friday game, while Maddie Kamm had 18 points and seven assists and Katrina Schutz a game-best 12 rebounds. On Saturday, Reimers put up 25 points while also chipping in with eight assists, seven steals and six rebounds. Schutz added 24 points and a game-high eight boards, and Izzy Klumper contributed 20 points.

The Lady Jays are now 2-2 on the season.