Imperials, Lions heading to Region 3 title match

Linton-Hazleton-Moffit-Braddock’s front row was just too overpowering for the Ellendale Cardinals at the Region 3 volleyball tournament in Linton on Tuesday night.

The Lady Lions’ big three up front, seniors Lacey Ryckman and Christa Nagel and sophomore Kayln Schneider, were all over the net as the trio combined for 31 kills in the final semifinal matchup of the night. Ellendale was simply unable to answer back as Linton-HMB won in straight sets 25-14, 25-10, 25-16.

The Cardinals sprang out of the gate in the first set to take a 5-1 lead, but the advantage wouldn’t last long. An 8-0 run with Nagel serving slammed the door on the Cards and put the Lions up 13-8. Nagel scored both of her two aces in the match during the run.

Nagel went on to hammer home a pair of kills to help the Lions pick up the set victory. Nagel posted 12 kills during the match, upping her season total to 193.

Ryckman took over set No. 2. The 6-foot-0 middle hitter delivered five of her 12 kills to help the Lions blow out to a 12-5 advantage. The Lions kept the pressure on, as back-to-back kills by Robin Weber and Jessica Weiser helped close it out 25-10.

Ryckman leads Linton-HMB this season with 241 kills.

Ellendale hung around in the final frame, as a kill by Kinsey Holm helped the Cards to a slim 5-4 early lead. Holm ended the match leading Ellendale with eight kills.

But a flurry of kills by Schneider — three in all — put the Lions back out front at 11-7. Nagel warmed up again late in the set posting a string of four straight kills, helping to send Linton-HMB to Thursday’s championship match with a 25-16 set win.

The Lions’ Katie Kalberer led all scoring with 25 assists, while Ellendale’s Kiley Fuller tossed up 18 for the Cards.

The Lady Lions will be meeting up with Napoleon in the title game, after the Imperials took down Kidder County 3-0 in the first semifinal match of the night.

Shenille Laber posted 15 kills and four blocks as the Imperials cruised 25-23, 25-18, 25-20. Napoleon’s Amber Piatz produced 21 assists.

Kidder County was paced by Eli Benz with 20 kills and four blocks, while Shalee Martin posted 15 assists and 12 digs.

Kidder County will face Ellendale at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Linton for third place, with the championship match to follow.

Region 3 Tournament in Linton

Semifinal matches

Napoleon 3, Kidder County 0

Napoleon 25 25 25

Kidder Co. 23 18 20

Napoleon — Kills: Shenille Laber 15, Chasity Fettig 9, Sheridan Dewald 7, Alicia Rodlund 4. Aces: Dewald 3, Rodlund 3, Fettig 1, Stephanie Gross 1. Assists: Amber Piatz 21, Megan Hilzendeger 8, Kayla Gross 1, Laber 1, Jenna Gross. Blocks: Laber 4, Fettig 2. Digs: J. Gross 4, Dewald 3, Hilzendeger 2, K. Gross 2, Rodlund 2, Laber 1.

Kidder Co. — Kills: Eli Benz 20, Kelsey Dockter 3, Shalee Martin 3, Amber Rangeloff 1, Tina Haibeck 1, Bailie Ziesch 1. Aces: Dockter 3, Haibeck 3, Martin 1, Kristen Eckroth 1, Benz 1. Assists: Martin 15, Haibeck 6. Blocks: Benz 4, Samantha Rangeloff 1. Digs: Martin 12, Benz 6, A. Rangeloff 5, Dockter 4, Haibeck 4, Danielle Bosch 4, Ziesch 2, Alex Schmidt 1.

Linton-Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock 3, Ellendale 0

Linton-HMB 25 25 25

Ellendale 14 10 16

Linton-HMB — Kills: Christa Nagel 12, Lacey Ryckman 12, Kayln Schneider 7, Robin Weber 4, Alexis Jasper 4, Jessica Weiser 2, Whitney Gerving 1. Aces: C. Nagel 2, Paula Nagel 2, Ashlee Feist 1, Katie Kalberer 1, Gerving 1. Assists: Kalberer 25, Gerving 10. Blocks: Ryckman 2, Schneider 2, Jasper 1. Digs: P. Nagel 23, Sarah Nagel 11, Kalberer 9, Gerving 9.

Ellendale — Kills: Kinsey Holm 8, Kelsey Mertz 6, Meg Martin 5, Audri Orwig 1, Sarah Johnston 1. Aces: Kiley Fuller 2, Johnston 1. Assists: Fuller 18. Blocks: Holm 2, Johnston 2, Martin 1. Digs: Martin 2, Fuller 2.

Quarterfinal matches

Monday

Napoleon 3, Litchville-Marion-Montpelier 2

L-M-M 23 25 21 25 13

Napoleon 25 22 25 22 15

L-M-M — Kills: Amanda Valenta 16, Shelby Ringsaker 11, Sophie Miller 9. Blocks: Miller 7, Valenta 4. Assists: Carly Van Bruggen 40. Digs: Miller 19, Krista Jansen 14, Valenta 14. Aces: Valenta.

Napoleon — Kills: Shenille Laber 18, Chasity Fettig 14, Brenna Schmidt 6. Blocks: Laber 4, Fettig 3. Assists: Amber Piatz 22, Megan Hilzendeger 18. Digs: Kayla Gross 6, Alicia Rodlund 6, Schmidt 6. Aces: Sheridan Dewald 2, Rodlund 1.

Kidder County 3, Valley City 0

Kidder Co. 25 25 25

Valley City 11 20 18

Kidder Co. — Kills: Eli Benz 22, Kelsey Dockter 4, Kristen Eckroth 2. Blocks: Benz 6. Assists: Shalee Martin 11, Tina Haibeck 5. Digs: Martin 12, Danielle Bosch 9, Benz 8. Aces: Haibeck 5, Benz 3, Dockter 1.

Valley City — Kills: Mataya Olson 7, Mattie Cruff 5, Jenna Jacob 5. Blocks: McKenzie Schweitzer 2, Olson 2. Assists: Stephanie Braunagel 5, Samantha Johnson 4. Digs: Tori Enstad 5. Aces: Braunagel 3, Johnson 2.

Linton-Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock 3, Pingree-Buchanan-Kensal 0

Linton-HMB 25 25 25

P-B-K 13 20 8

Linton-HMB — Kayln Schneider 13, Christa Nagel 8, Lacey Ryckman 7, Alexis Jasper 7, Robin Weber 6. Aces: Nagel 2, Whitney Gerving 2, Katie Kalberer 1, Lindsey Hulm 1. Assists: Gerving 24, Kalberer 12, Jasper 3. Blocks: Schneider 4, Nagel 1, Ryckman 1, Jasper 1, Jessica Weiser 1. Digs: Paula Nagel 16, Gerving 9, P. Nagel 6.

P-B-K — Jackie Thomas 5, Kirsten Albrecht 2, Kelly Carlson 1, Sierra Sand 1, Cierra Steele 1, Jenna Vigessa 1. Aces: Carlson 4, Thomas 2. Assists: Vigessa 6. Blocks: Thomas 3, Steele 3, Sand 1. Digs: Albrecht 7, Maria Simonsen 7, Thomas 5, Carlson 4, Sand 3, Tara Uehran 2, Vigessa 2.

Ellendale 3, South Border 2

Ellendale 24 25 25 17 20

South Border 26 19 19 25 18

Ellendale — Kills: Meg Martin 18, Kelsey Mertz 10, Ashley Herman 10, Kinsey Holm 7, Audri Orwig 6, Kiley Fuller 4. Aces: Martin 1, Mertz 1, Fuller 1, Holm 1. Assists: Fuller 33, Martin 1, Orwig 1, Holm 1. Blocks: Martin 4, Herman 1, Holm 1. Digs: Herman 5, Holm 4, Sarah Johnston 3, Fuller 3, Mertz 3, Orwig 1.

South Border — Kills: Emilee Rath 13, Karly Wald 13, Alissa Bettenhausen 6, Jackie Sayler 5, Kristy Bosch 5, Michel Wishek 5. Aces: Kara Scherbenske 2, Bosch 1, Sayler 1. Assists: Bosch 41, Wishek 2, Rath 2, Bettenhausen 1, Wald 1, Ketterling 1. Blocks: Rath 1. Digs: Ketterling 38, Wald 38, Bosch 38, Sayler 34, Rath 20, Scherbenske 17, Bettenhausen 9, Wishek 2.

Region 4 Tournament

After all four top seeds swept through the quarterfinals on Monday, the sweeps continued at the Region 4 volleyball tourney in Devils Lake.

Harvey used a combined 23 kills from Sheyenne Schneider and Rachel Nyhus to blank Rolla-Rock Lake 3-0 in the first semifinal contest of the evening. Jaclyn Bachmeier tossed up a match-high 32 assists for the Hornets, as Harvey advances to the championship match by dominating the Bulldogs 25-19, 25-15, 25-16.

Rolla-Rock Lake was led by Amber Volanti with 11 kills and 12 digs, while Heather Carlson produced 22 assists.

In the second semifinal matchup, Langdon rolled past Carrington in straight sets 25-16, 25-12, 25-23.

McKenzie Hart racked up an impressive 20 kills for the Langdon, while teammates Breanna Mack and Mercedes Stein recorded 22 digs and 29 assists, respectively.

Emily Thompson posted 10 kills and two blocks for Carrington in the match. Carrington’s Kali Kurtz and Charlsey Kessler combined for 20 assists.

Carrington will go against Rolla-Rock Lake for third place at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Devils Lake Sports Center. The championship match between Harvey and Langdon will follow.

Langdon will be making a bid at its 12th straight Region 4 championship.

Region 4 Tournament in Devils Lake

Semifinal matches

Harvey 3, Rolla-Rock Lake 0

Harvey 25 25 25

Rolla-RL 19 15 16

Harvey — Kills: Sheyenne Schneider 13, Rachel Nyhus 10, Maggie Lorenz 6, Amy Buxa 6, Elizabeth Schmeets 6. Assists: Jaclyn Bachmeier 32. Blocks: Buxa 2, Schmeets 2. Digs: Caitlyn Arnold 8, Nyhus 7, Buxa 5.

Rolla-RL — Kills: Amber Volanti 11, Jayde Guilbert 8, Britta Boe 3. Assists: Heather Carlson 22. Blocks: Guilbert 3, Boe 2. Aces: Jessica Munro 2, Guilbert 1. Digs: Ariel Parisien 13, Volanti 12, Carlson 7.

Langdon 3, Carrington 0

Langdon 25 25 25

Carrington 16 12 23

Langdon — Kills: McKenzie Hart 20, Rachael Bachman 10, Shannon Overby 5, Abbey Braaten 3. Assists: Mercedes Stein 29, Overby 3. Aces: Hart 2, Breanna Mack 1, Braaten 1, Overby 1. Digs: Mack 22, Hart 19, Justina Klindt 12. Blocks: Hart 3, Braaten 1.

Carrington — Kills: Emily Thompson 10, Sierra Rosenau 7, Lyndsi Hesch 3, Noelle Braaten 3. Assists: Kali Kurtz 11, Charlsey Kessler 9. Blocks: Thompson 2, Breana Barton 1. Digs: Hope Carr 12, Rosenau 10, Kurtz 6.

Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja can be reached at (701) 952-8461 or by email at mikes@jamestownsun.com

Tags: high school, region 3, sports, volleyball