SoDak 16: Lincoln advances to Class AA state volleyball tournament
Perhaps a new coach, a new system and a new idea was just what Sioux Falls Lincoln needed.
Coming off a 9-20 record a year ago, the Patriots had seen their fair share of 1-0 deficits, but this wasn’t the Lincoln team of old.
The sixth-seeded Patriots watched a 10-point lead vanish on their home floor in the opening set of Thursday night’s Class AA SoDak 16 showdown against 11th-seeded Rapid City Central, but they never wavered, rallying to win 3-1 (21-25, 25-12, 25-23, 25-21) and qualify for next week’s state tournament.
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“It’s really such a blessing to see them go to state,” Patriots first-year coach Erinn Temple said. “It’s what they deserve.”
Sydni Wietfeld finished with 11 kills and 23 assists to lead the way for Lincoln (14-9), which opened up a 15-5 lead in Set 1 before RCC (12-20) responded with a resounding 20-6 surge that ended on a kill by Adison Young.
“That was huge for us because a lot of times we just give up if we get behind,” Cobblers coach Jeanne Deming said.
A kill by Wietfeld capped a 13-3 swing for the Patriots in the second set that gave the hosts a 16-6 lead. The Cobblers weren’t able to draw closer than eight points for the remainder of the set, as Anna Engels and Baily Plourde combined for a block to close it out and even the match at 1-1.
“We started off really strong in the first set, but then we started to get timid,” Temple said. “We started to tip and roll, and we are not that kind of team. We are a strong, power-hitting team, so to bring them back to their natural state of setting the outside and setting the middle and just pounding the ball, it was good to see.”
In the third set, there were five ties and three lead changes before either team was able to eclipse 10 points, however, things didn’t truly get interesting until the final points. A kill by Caelyn Taylor gave Lincoln a 24-18 lead, but the Patriots faced set point five times before closing it out at 25-23.
“It’s all about how you play in the 20s — if you’re going to play aggressive and want to win or if you’re going to play scared and just hope you win,” Temple said. “We came out and wanted to win, and we made a statement tonight.”
Lincoln trailed in the final set before using a 5-1 run to build a 20-16 advantage. RCC wasn’t able to draw closer than two points the rest of the way, with Annika Joyce providing the match-ending point on a block that sent the Lincoln faithful into a much-anticipated celebration.
“This is the first year where it just feels right,” Taylor said. “We’ve worked for it and earned it, and it just feels great to be going.”
Taylor finished with a match-high 12 kills for the Patriots, while Plourde added 10. Chloe Brown chipped in 22 assists for Lincoln, and Brynn Kirsch notched 19 digs.
For the Cobblers, Ramsey Deming had a match-high 28 assists, while Rhiannon Nez contributed 10 kills and led all players with four blocks. Young had 15 digs for RCC, and Sydney Belitz contributed 20 digs.
“We just kept letting them get too far ahead of us, and then it was just hard to score points and come back. … The girls hustled. They had a great season,” Jeanne Deming said. “Our record didn’t show, in my opinion, how successful they were this season.”
The Patriots will continue their quest for a state title when the state tournament begins next week in Rapid City. They’ll open it up with a matchup against No. 3 Huron.
Temple just wants her players to soak in the experience.
“These seniors have gone to state when they were freshmen, but they haven’t been there since,” she said. “It was only one class then, and to be there with all three classes, it is electrifying to see the greatest volleyball in the state of South Dakota. And you get to be a part of it.
“You just want to live in it all week and just stay there, no matter what.”