Lady Jays return home, earn three more volleyball victories

The Minnesota West Lady Jays went 3-0 over the weekend, winning once Friday and twice Saturday on their home floor.

Minnesota West, now 14-1 and currently ranked third nationally, outlasted Rochester 3-2 on Friday night, with game scores of 25-10, 19-25, 25-17, 24-26, 15-8. On Saturday, the Lady Jays earned a pair of 3-0 sweeps, as they beat Western Tech 25-17, 25-16, 25-23 and Central Lakes 25-12, 25-12, 25-13. Every Minnesota West player got in for both of Saturday's matches.

A pair of Lady Jays set career team records during the Rochester match, as Kaydn Paulson became the school's all-time digs leader and Ally Nelson its all-time blocks leader.

Cumulative statistics for the weekend had Sadie Krahling leading Minnesota West in kills with 28. Aleah Wagner totaled 54 digs and Paulson 53. Wagner also had a team-high five ace serves, with four of them against Western Tech. Nelson accumulated five blocks, and Kate Slettum passed for a combined 94 set assists.

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Minnesota West was plagued by turnovers Saturday afternoon and dropped to 1-2 on the season with a 38-20 home football loss to North Dakota State College of Science.

The Bluejays turned the ball over seven times on the afternoon. Minnesota West trailed by just 21-20 in the early stages of the fourth quarter, but the visitors scored the game's final 17 points.

The Bluejays are back at home this coming Saturday to face Mesabi Range. 

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The Worthington High School football team lost a heartbreaker at home Friday night as the Packers edged the Trojans, 14-13.

WHS quarterback Isaiah Schroeder connected with Austin Gruis on an 87-yard scoring pass play as the Trojans took a 7-0 advantage halfway through the second quarter. Austin knotted things up on a 9-yard TD pass with just over a minute left before halftime.

A 27-yard TD strike from Elias Arndt to Jamison Bastyr — their second scoring connection of the game — made it 14-7 Austin. Schroeder later led a Worthington drive that he capped with a 7-yard touchdown run with 3:02 left in the fourth quarter. The Trojans went for two, but Schroeder's pass fell incomplete.

WHS made Austin go three-and-out on its next possession, but the Trojans would get no closer. Worthington was plagued throughout the game by missed opportunities.

Schroeder passed for 196 yards in the contest, and Gruis finished with three catches for 121 yards. Miguel Moreno was the leading rusher with 10 carries for 40 yards. Brayden Raymo and Jack Schmitz each had seven total tackles on defense; Schmidt had a pair of sacks and Raymo was credited with 1 ½ tackles for loss and also recovered a fumble.

The 0-3 Trojans will host Albert Lea for Homecoming on Friday.

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In area high school football Friday:

Hills-Beaver Creek 50, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 15

Red Rock Central 46, Renville County West 6

Edgerton 60, Mountain Lake Area 8

Adrian-Ellsworth 58, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 14

Springfield 68, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 18

Martin County West 48, Madelia 6

Murray County Central 35, Sleepy Eye United 0

Pipestone Area 28, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 7

Jackson County Central 77, Sibley East 0

Luverne 49, Windom Area 14

Waseca 21, Fairmont 14

Marshall 41, Willmar 7

Sheldon 34, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 14

Western Christian 22, Spencer 21

Spirit Lake 35, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 7

West Lyon 35, Unity Christian 0

Kingsley-Pierson 69, Harris-Lake Park 0

West Sioux 35, Sibley-Ocheyedan 14

Okoboji 42, Emmetsburg 26

In area high school volleyball Saturday:

Adrian-Ellsworth 2, Luverne 0

Adrian-Ellsworth 2, Triton 1

Adrian-Ellsworth 2, Windom 0

Jackson County Central 2, Adrian-Ellsworth 1

Jackson County Central 2, Martin County West 0

Jackson County Central 2, St. James Area 0

Jackson County Central 2, Estherville-Lincoln Central -

Martin County West 2, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 0

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 2, St. James Area 0

Triton 2, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 0

Martin County West 2, Red Rock Central 0

Estherville-Lincon Central 2, Red Rock Central 0

Luverne 2, Red Rock Central 1

Triton 2, Luverne 0

New Ulm 2, Luverne 1

Kenyon-Wanamingo 2, Fairmont 0

NRHEG 2, Fairmont 0

Glencoe-Silver Lake 2, Fairmont 1

Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 2, Fairmont 0

MACCRAY 2, Southwest Minnesota Christian 0

Wabasso 2, Southwest Minnesota Christan 0

Redwood Valley 2, Southwest Minnesota Christian 0

BOLD 2, Southwest Minnesota Christian 0

Pipestone Area 2, BOLD 0

Pipestone Area 2, Springfield 0

Central Minnesota Christian 2, Pipestone Area 0

MACCRAY 2, Pipestone Area 0

Murray County Central 2, New Ulm 1

Murray County Central 2, St. James Area 0

Triton 2, Murray County Central 1

Windom 2, Murray County Central 1

Windom 2, Martin County West 0

Windom 2, New Ulm 0