Photo by Jake McNeill: Minneota middle blocker Leah Coequyt (10) celebrates with teammates Eden Meagher (right) and Autum Anderson after a block during the 3A North subsection volleyball championship against MACCRAY on Thursday.

MARSHALL — After taking part in its ninth consecutive 3A North subsection championship match on Thursday, the top-seeded Minneota volleyball team is a win away from heading back to the state tournament. The Vikings overcame a 25-21 first-set loss with three consecutive wins, 25-21, 25-20, 25-20, to take down the No. 3 MACCRAY and secure their spot in Saturday’s 3A championship.

Despite some struggles in the middle of the first set, Minneota got into a groove early in the second set. A kill from Leah Coequyt, two more from Jaylyn Coequyt and a combined block between the two helped the Vikings claim each of the frame’s first 4 points.

After kills from Emma Thein and Ruby Hultgren trimmed Minneota’s lead to 13-7, the Vikings started to pull away. Eden Meagher picked up a kill and combined for a block with Leah Coequyt, while a pair of errors on the Wolverines allowed the Vikings to stretch their lead to double figures, 17-7.

MACCRAY was able to keep pace with the Vikings briefly but couldn’t cut into the lead, and a pair of kills from Gruenes after a MACCRAY timeout gave the Vikings the 25-15 win.

Trailing 11-9 in the first set, MACCRAY found a rhythm to surge ahead. A pair of Viking attacking errors tied up the set and a pair of Eva Swenson aces helped the Wolverines pull ahead for a 14-11 lead when the Vikings called timeout.

MACCRAY’s lead hovered around 4 points until a block from Samantha Hultgren and Swenson prompted a Minneota timeout trailing 21-17.

A pair of Thein kills helped the Wolverines set up game point, leading 24-18. The Vikings found some momentum late in the set with a Sarah Gruenes service ace and kills from Sophie Gillund and Meagher, prompting the Wolverines to call a timeout, but a blocking error by Minneota after the timeout secured MACCRAY’s 25-21 win.

Minneota took its first lead of the opening set when consecutive hitting errors on the Wolverines put the Vikings up 3-2. The two teams battled back and forth from there, with MACCRAY taking a 9-8 lead before three consecutive Eden Meagher kills put the Vikings on top.

With their backs against the wall after dropping two of the first three sets, the Wolverines claimed 4 of the first 5 points in the fourth before Minneota started to turn things around.

A pair of Meagher kills with a MACCRAY attacking error sandwiched in between tied up the set at 7-all. An error on the Vikings gave the Wolverines their lead back, but the two teams oscillated between 1-point leads until a Meagher kill gave the Vikings an 11-9 edge.

Leah Post tied up the set again at 12 points apiece before Jaylyn Coequyt came up with a kill and a block to put the Vikings back in command. Another pair of attacking errors against MACCRAY prompted the Wolverines to call their first timeout trailing 16-12, and Minneota continued to push toward victory when the Wolverines called their second after an Autum Anderson service ace made the score 20-15.

After the timeout, Gruenes and Meagher combined for a block and Meagher added a kill, bringing the score to 22-16. Yet, the Wolverines weren’t ready to go home yet. A pair of Minneota attacking errors and a kill from Ruby Hultgren prompted a Minneota timeout, and Thein served up an ace to make it a 2-point game.

Still, an attacking error and a Jaylyn Coequyt kill set up match point at 24-20. The Wolverines briefly celebrated another point as Minneota prepared to go back to the service line, but the emotions quickly shifted after the officials ruled the point in Minneota’s favor due to a net violation to seal the win.

Facing a narrow 4-3 deficit early in the third set, Gruenes came up with a tying kill and MACCRAY committed an attacking error to give the Vikings the lead.

Gruenes and Meagher continued to build the lead with a kill each. After Swenson came up with a kill for the Wolverines, a combined block from Leah Coequyt and Meagher and a Sarah Gruenes ace prompted a MACCRAY timeout trailing 10-5.

Jaylyn Coequyt contributed a trio of kills and combined with Meagher for a block to help the Vikings bring their lead up to its apex of 11 points, 23-12, when MACCRAY started to cut into the deficit. A pair of attacking errors on the vikings and kills from Thein and Ruby Hultgren prompted a Minneota timeout, and the Vikings committed consecutive attacking errors after the break before calling their second timeout leading 23-19.

After the second break, Meagher ended MACCRAY’s stretch of 7 unanswered points with a kill. Thein answered with one of her own, but Leah Coequyt spiked away the 25-20 set victory.

Minneota improves to 27-6 with the win and now prepares for the Class A state tournament. Seeding will be announced on Saturday, with quarterfinal matchups slated to be held at Grand Casino Arena — formerly the Excel Energy Center — on Thursday at 5 and 7 p.m.

MARSHALL — After taking part in its ninth consecutive 3A North subsection championship match on Thursday, the top-seeded Minneota volleyball team is a win away from heading back to the state tournament. The Vikings overcame a 25-21 first-set loss with three consecutive wins, 25-21, 25-20, 25-20, to take down the No. 3 MACCRAY and secure their spot in Saturday’s 3A championship.

Despite some struggles in the middle of the first set, Minneota got into a groove early in the second set. A kill from Leah Coequyt, two more from Jaylyn Coequyt and a combined block between the two helped the Vikings claim each of the frame’s first 4 points.

After kills from Emma Thein and Ruby Hultgren trimmed Minneota’s lead to 13-7, the Vikings started to pull away. Eden Meagher picked up a kill and combined for a block with Leah Coequyt, while a pair of errors on the Wolverines allowed the Vikings to stretch their lead to double figures, 17-7.

MACCRAY was able to keep pace with the Vikings briefly but couldn’t cut into the lead, and a pair of kills from Gruenes after a MACCRAY timeout gave the Vikings the 25-15 win.

Trailing 11-9 in the first set, MACCRAY found a rhythm to surge ahead. A pair of Viking attacking errors tied up the set and a pair of Eva Swenson aces helped the Wolverines pull ahead for a 14-11 lead when the Vikings called timeout.

MACCRAY’s lead hovered around 4 points until a block from Samantha Hultgren and Swenson prompted a Minneota timeout trailing 21-17.

A pair of Thein kills helped the Wolverines set up game point, leading 24-18. The Vikings found some momentum late in the set with a Sarah Gruenes service ace and kills from Sophie Gillund and Meagher, prompting the Wolverines to call a timeout, but a blocking error by Minneota after the timeout secured MACCRAY’s 25-21 win.

Minneota took its first lead of the opening set when consecutive hitting errors on the Wolverines put the Vikings up 3-2. The two teams battled back and forth from there, with MACCRAY taking a 9-8 lead before three consecutive Eden Meagher kills put the Vikings on top.

With their backs against the wall after dropping two of the first three sets, the Wolverines claimed 4 of the first 5 points in the fourth before Minneota started to turn things around.

A pair of Meagher kills with a MACCRAY attacking error sandwiched in between tied up the set at 7-all. An error on the Vikings gave the Wolverines their lead back, but the two teams oscillated between 1-point leads until a Meagher kill gave the Vikings an 11-9 edge.

Leah Post tied up the set again at 12 points apiece before Jaylyn Coequyt came up with a kill and a block to put the Vikings back in command. Another pair of attacking errors against MACCRAY prompted the Wolverines to call their first timeout trailing 16-12, and Minneota continued to push toward victory when the Wolverines called their second after an Autum Anderson service ace made the score 20-15.

After the timeout, Gruenes and Meagher combined for a block and Meagher added a kill, bringing the score to 22-16. Yet, the Wolverines weren’t ready to go home yet. A pair of Minneota attacking errors and a kill from Ruby Hultgren prompted a Minneota timeout, and Thein served up an ace to make it a 2-point game.

Still, an attacking error and a Jaylyn Coequyt kill set up match point at 24-20. The Wolverines briefly celebrated another point as Minneota prepared to go back to the service line, but the emotions quickly shifted after the officials ruled the point in Minneota’s favor due to a net violation to seal the win.

Facing a narrow 4-3 deficit early in the third set, Gruenes came up with a tying kill and MACCRAY committed an attacking error to give the Vikings the lead.

Gruenes and Meagher continued to build the lead with a kill each. After Swenson came up with a kill for the Wolverines, a combined block from Leah Coequyt and Meagher and a Sarah Gruenes ace prompted a MACCRAY timeout trailing 10-5.

Jaylyn Coequyt contributed a trio of kills and combined with Meagher for a block to help the Vikings bring their lead up to its apex of 11 points, 23-12, when MACCRAY started to cut into the deficit. A pair of attacking errors on the vikings and kills from Thein and Ruby Hultgren prompted a Minneota timeout, and the Vikings committed consecutive attacking errors after the break before calling their second timeout leading 23-19.

After the second break, Meagher ended MACCRAY’s stretch of 7 unanswered points with a kill. Thein answered with one of her own, but Leah Coequyt spiked away the 25-20 set victory.

Minneota improves to 27-6 with the win and now prepares for the Class A state tournament. Seeding will be announced on Saturday, with quarterfinal matchups slated to be held at Grand Casino Arena — formerly the Excel Energy Center — on Thursday at 5 and 7 p.m.