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ST. PAUL -- The Minneota volleyball team opened its run in the Class A state tournament Thursday, sweeping Pine River-Backus in three sets to advance to the state semifinals.
The top-seeded Vikings earned a 25-14, 25-10, 25-11 victory at Grand Casino Arena, improving to 29-4 on the season. Pine River-Backus finished the match with a 29-4 record.
Minneota controlled the match offensively, recording 47 kills on 86 attempts for an impressive .442 hitting percentage. The Vikings also finished with 45 assists, six service aces, 49 digs and three team blocks.
The victory marked Minneota’s ninth consecutive win, with each of those victories coming in straight sets. Libby Sussner credited the coaching staff’s preparation and the contributions of the bench players for helping the team maintain its momentum.
“We can attribute a lot of the success to the coaching staff, but also the bench players. Those groups keeping us going is huge,” Sussner said.
Sussner also pointed to the coaching staff’s preparation, including having scouting reports ready for the team heading into each match, as an important part of the Vikings’ continued success.
Head coach Kaley Buysse said the team’s recent success has come from players understanding their individual responsibilities and executing them when needed.
“We have really been working hard recently with everyone knowing our role,” Buysse said. “It takes each one of us individually, playing our role, to be as successful as we are. The girls are all stepping up and doing things well at the right times. We are trying to stay one game at a time and not look far ahead past the point we are on.”
Eden Meagher led the Vikings with 14 kills on 22 attempts, hitting .545. She also added nine digs.
Jaylyn Coequyt and Leah Coequyt each contributed 10 kills. Jaylyn hit .588 on 17 attempts and added four digs, while Leah hit .600 on 15 attempts.
Sophie Gillund directed the offense with 23 assists, adding five kills and 11 digs. Brek Fier chipped in four kills, while Minneota’s defensive effort helped limit Pine River-Backus to 18 kills and a .059 hitting percentage.
The Vikings held Pine River-Backus to 14 points in the opening set before pulling away in the second and third sets, allowing just 21 combined points over the final two sets.
Minneota will face fourth-seeded Sacred Heart in the Class A state semifinals Friday at 1 p.m. Sacred Heart advanced with a three-set sweep of Chisholm. The top-seeded Vikings will earn a spot in the state championship match with a win.