Photo by Jake McNeill The Marshall Tigers volleyball team lifts up the Section 2AAA Championship trophy following their 3-0 win over St. Peter in Marshall Thursday night

MARSHALL — The Tigers volleyball team defeated the St. Peter Saints in straight sets in the Section 2AAA Championship in Marshall Friday night. The win gives the Tigers their second consecutive section tournament win and their 30th state tournament berth, the most of any school in Minnesota.

The Tigers struggled early in the first set and trailed 5-4. The crowd volume was deafening, with friends, family, and fans of both teams cheering loud enough to nearly shake the gym when their respective teams scored a point.

Then, Marshall rattled off a 7-1 run to take control of the first set and silenced any doubt about which team was in control. The Tigers went on to dominate each of the next two sets.

Lauren Wherry tallied a team-high 30 set assists in the match, putting her over the 1,000 career assists milestone.

The Tigers looked their strongest in set two. They carried all of their momentum from the first set into the second and scored 8 unanswered points to start it off. They eventually extended their way to a 16-1 opening run. The Tigers finished set two with a final score of 25-6.

Brielle Riess had a big night up front, finishing the match with four blocks, while Randi Wendorff added another three. Riess finished the match second in kills with eight, trailing only Leah Jones’ 15.

Caitlyn Christianson made some tough plays en route to a 12-dig performance on the night. She also finished with three aces, tied with Jones for a team-high.

The Tigers started the third set strong, though St. Peter fought back more than the second set. Still, the Tigers walked away with a 25-13 win.

The Tigers will resume play Wednesday, when they start their quest for a second consecutive state championship.

Marshall l3, St. Peter 0

MAR 25 25 25

StP 14 6 9

Kills: Marshall (Jones 15; Riess 8; Brook Andries 7; Wendorff 4)

Digs: Marshall (Christianson 12; Lexie Bednarek 7; Kennedy Drake 2; Grace Ehlers 2)

Set assists: Marshall (Wherry 30)

Serving (aces): Marshall (Christianson 3; Jones 3; Wherry 2; Ehlers 2)