SIOUX FALLS Most of the time, the No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup in a state tournament is one-sided. However, when the No. 8 seed has won 13 of the previous 17 Class A State titles – including the last seven in a row, it all goes out the window.
The top-seeded Miller Rustlers ran into a buzz saw called Sioux Falls Christian Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the 2024 Class A State volleyball tournament, falling in straight sets to the defending champion Chargers, by scores of 25-14, 25-17, 25-11.
The Rustlers scored the first point of the match and, after a 4-0 SFC run, never saw the positive side of the scoreboard the remainder of the day. A 5-0 run early in the first set, led by kills from Addisen Barber, Camdyn Mulder and an ace by Brietta Tims pushed the lead to 10-3.
Miller rallied, as Aleah Schlechter got two kills to fall and Paige Werdel caught the line for an ace serve.
Another short run, with kills from Barber and Tims pushed the lead back to five, 18-13 as the set entered its end phase, and the lead was expanded by three straight hitting errors from the Rustlers and SFC cruised home to the 25-14 win, with Tims collecting the final two points.
Miller struggled early in set two, but a kill from Schlechter and ace by Kate Lichty cut the Charger lead to four points, at 9-5.
A kill by Rachel Dieleman got the serve back for SFC, and sophomore Meredith Nelson made the most of her opportunity. When she stepped to the line, the Chargers led by five points and when she left – after three aces in the rotation – the lead was nine and stayed there throughout the remainder of the set. Miller got back-to-back aces from Werdel and a block kill from Lichty, but the hill was too much for the Rustlers to climb and they fell 25-17.
Needing a quick start, the Rustlers instead quickly found themselves down 5-0 in the third set. A kill by Kaihlyn Anderberg got the Rustlers within two, at 7-5, after a 5-2 Miller rally, but kills from Nelson, Mulder and Barber pushed the lead back to six points and the Rustlers never got closer.
Miller had difficulty in serve receive as the Chargers collected seven aces on the day, but forced the Rustlers into difficult passes and poor kill opportunities.
Tims had 17 kills in the match and Mulder added seven. Nelson had three aces and added three kills in the match.
Barber was credited with 28 set assists and 11 digs in the match, while libero Chloe Bosma led the defense with 26 digs.
Miller got five kills each from Schlechter and Anderberg. Werdel had three aces and Olivia Resel had 15 set assists. Jolie Palmer led the Rustlers with 11 digs and Schlechter added nine.
Miller, which falls to 28-2 with the loss, will move into todays consolation semifinals, where the Rustlers will tangle with Mount Vernon/Plankinton.
SFC takes the step toward an eighth-straight title and will take a record of 26-12 into tonights championship semifinal against Dakota Valley.
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