Jamestown outlasts Fargo North in 5 sets to advance to ND Class A volleyball state semifinals

FARGO — It wouldn’t be a state volleyball tournament without at least one match going to a decisive fifth set.

And on Thursday, Jamestown and Fargo North had the honor of playing the first one of the North Dakota Class A volleyball state tournament quarterfinals at the Fargodome.

The Blue Jays outlasted the Spartans 28-26, 18-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-9 and advanced to the state semifinals for the second year in a row.

West Region No. 2 seed Jamestown (29-6) will face East No. 1 West Fargo Sheyenne (26-10) in Friday’s first semifinal at 5 p.m.

North, the No. 3 seed out of the East, dropped to 30-6 and will play West No. 4 Bismarck (25-10) in the consolation semis at 1 p.m. Friday.

Junior Leah Trumbauer recorded the final kill for Jamestown and finished her day with 11.

“It felt so good,” Trumbauer said of the final kill. “It was such a blast, just a fun game. It was just awesome.”

The pressure of a five-set match is palpable, Trumbauer said.

“A lot of emotions,” Trumbauer said. “It’s nerves, it’s excitement, and then it just feels so good getting that last point.”

Perhaps fun for spectators, but five-setters aren’t as much fun for Blue Jays head coach Sara Hegerle.

“I don’t enjoy it at all, actually,” Hegerle said. “Unless you get a good little lead, but even then, you feel like North is such a good team and that they could still come back. I think in set four, (North) scored seven or eight points in a row so you just never know when it’s such a good team.”

However, it was the Blue Jays stringing together points when it mattered most. Tied 7-7, Jamestown used a seven-point scoring run to suddenly get to match point and put the Spartans on their heels. North managed two more points before Trumbauer’s kill sealed it.

“Just solid serving and confidence,” Hegerle said. “I felt like … don’t go up to the ball and push it with two hands. Just go up and swing at the ball, be aggressive, be offensive and have confidence.”

Blue Jays senior Makenna Nold provided the highlight of the match, finishing with a game-leading 39 kills to break the single-match state tournament kills record. The record was previously held by Grand Forks Red River’s Hadley Steffen, who recorded 32 kills in a state match in 2012.

Trumbauer added three aces to lead Jamestown in that category while junior Edie Hegerle finished with 36 digs. Hegerle also finished with 53 assists while senior Kinley Anderson finished with two blocks.

Sophomore Audrey Rydell paced North with 18 kills and junior Solei Berg added 15. Senior Evy Berg led the Spartans with 62 digs while senior Betsy Schiltz finished with 47 assists.

Rydell and senior Kira Olson each fronted the North block party with 1.5 blocks each. Rydell, Solei Berg and Evy Berg each recorded an ace.