Trojans surge back from 0-2 hole for volleyball win over SW Minn Christian

The Worthington High girls volleyball team pulled off a reserve sweep Thursday night, rallying from a 0-2 deficit in games to knock off Southwest Minnesota Christian by game scores of 25-27, 20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-7.

The Trojans, playing at home on Senior Night in their final match of the regular season, were two days removed from a five-set triumph on the road over a 20-8 Mankato East team. On Thursday, facing an Eagles squad that came in at 8-15, WHS was slow to get going.

While Worthington did lead by as many as six points in game one, Southwest Minnesota Christian rallied to win it. The Trojans also had a narrow edge midway through game two, but the Eagles were undeterred.

In game three, Worthington was on the verge of getting swept, as it trailed 23-21, but then reeled off the final four points to stay alive in the match. The Trojans then fell behind 8-4 in game four, surged to a 19-11 advantage, then fended off an attempted Southwest Minnesota Christian rally. WHS then rolled to its game-five triumph to improve to 16-13 overall on the season.

Ava Schutz had 13 kills, Mara Thier 11 and Kinley Riemersma and Talia Nasers nine each for the Trojans. Kamryn Olson contributed 24 digs and Mackenzie Platt added 17. Mia McNab paced WHS with 26 set assists. Platt was 13-for-14 serving, Olson 14-for-15 and McNab 18-for-20.

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As expected, Jackson County Central is the No. 1 seed and has a quarterfinal-round bye in the Section 3AA football tournament that kicks off Tuesday.

Quarterfinal matchups include No. 7 Windom Area at No. 2 Lake Crystal -Wellcome Memorial, sixth-seeded Sibley East at No. 3 Minnesota Valley Lutheran and No. 4 Pipestone Area hosting No. 5 LeSueur-Henderson. Those games all start at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Huskies will then meet the Pipestone Area and LeSueur-Henderson winner at 3 p.m. Saturday in Jackson. The final is at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at Southwest Minnesota State University.

In Section 3A, top-seeded Springfield and No. 2 Sleepy Eye United each have quarterfinal byes. Tuesday games have third-seeded Murray County Central hosting No. 6 BOLD and fourth-seeded Russell-Tyler-Ruthton entertaining No. 5 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton.

More pairings are expected to be announced Friday.

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The fifth-seeded St. Peter Saints boys soccer team completed a Cinderella run to the state tournament Wednesday night, capturing the Section 2A title by winning a penalty-kick shootout against second-seeded Southwest Minnesota Christian.

The Saints and Eagles ended 80 minutes of regulation tied at two-apiece, and then played a pair of 10-minute overtime periods during which no one scored. St. Peter then went on to take the penalty-kick battle, 6-5, to qualify for state. 

The Saints went to a penalty-kick shootout in all three of their sectional playoff games, winning each of them to advance to the state tourney for the first time. 

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In area high school volleyball Thursday night, it was:

Adrian-Ellsworth 3, Luverne 0

Marshall 3, Jackson County Central 0

Murray County Central 3, Pipestone Area 0

Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Windom 1

Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 3, Canby 0

Western Christian 3, Spirit Lake 0

Unity Christian 3, O-A/BC-IG 1 

In area high school volleyball Wednesday night:

Hinton 3, Sibley-Ocheyedan 0

Boyden-Hull 3, George-Little Rock 0

South O’Brien 3, Trinity Christian 0

Central Lyon 3, Akron-Westfield 0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-15)

MMCRU 3, West Lyon 2