RAPID CITY – It was a breeze, then a cliffhanger, but it was a hard-fought win in the end for Miller.
Miller couldn’t hold a two-set lead over Wagner, then won in five sets Thursday 25-23, 25-18, 11-25, 22-25, 15-12 in the first round of the SDHSAA Class A State Volleyball Tournament at the Summit Arena at The Monument.
Miller (29-6) used its deft hitting and sharp serving to take a two-set lead over a Wagner team with a taller front line than the Rustlers. The Red Raiders then took the next two sets with the advantage at the net.
Wagner (26-7) then had a three-point lead early in the deciding set before Miller came back. WIth a 13-12 Rustler lead, Gracen Werdel then had a kill and assisted on a scoring block for the match’s last two points.
Paige Werdel had 20 kills for Miller. Shaylee Anderberg had 16 kills and 14 digs. Jolie Palmer played excellently defensively with 31 digs. She also served two aces. Journey Palmer had six aces.
Ashlyn Koupal had 21 kills for Wagner.
Miller advanced to the semifinal round for the second straight year. The Rustlers on Friday will play Rapid City Christian, who also needed five sets to win their first round match over Dakota Valley. Coverage will begin Friday at around 7:15 PM on 94.5/100.5 KPLO and at the KPLO page at the DRG News app & drgnews.com.
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