Four teams in Class 4A played Thursday morning for a trip to Saturday’s state championship. Two were victorious: Lakeville South and Prior Lake.

Others in 4A continue their seasons in the consolation bracket.

Also Thursday, the quarterfinals begin for the smaller schools. See the schedule below.

Follow live scoring of each game on Strib Varsity. View brackets for the state tournaments here, or catch up on what happened on the opening day of the tournament Wednesday.

All games are streamed live on NSPN.

Thursday’s schedule

Class 4A semifinals: 9 a.m. Lakeville South 3, Roseville 0; 11 a.m.: Prior Lake 3, Apple Valley 1

Class 2A quarterfinals: 1 p.m. Hawley 3, New London-Spicer 0; New Life Academy 3, Southwest Christian 2; 3 p.m. Albany 3, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 2; Chatfield 3, Esko 1

Class 1A quarterfinals: 5 p.m. Mayer Lutheran 3, North Woods 0; Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 3, Cleveland 1; 7 p.m. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 3, Nevis 0; Ada-Borup-West 3, Fillmore Central 1

Extra reading: All-Minnesota girls volleyball team; Predicting the state tournament winners.

Friday’s schedule

Class 3A semifinals: 9 a.m. Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Marshall; 11 a.m. Stewartville vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

Class 1A semifinals: 1 p.m. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa vs. Mayer Lutheran; 3 p.m. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton vs. Ada-Borup-West

Class 2A semifinals: 5 p.m., New Life Academy vs. Hawley; 7 p.m. Albany vs. Chatfield

Saturday’s schedule

Class 1A championship: 2:30 p.m.

Class 2A championship: 3 p.m.

Class 3A championship: 6:30 p.m.

Class 4A championship: 7 p.m. Prior Lake vs. Lakeville South

Updates from Class 1A quarterfinals

4th Set: Ada-Borup-West 26, Fillmore Central 24. Ada-Borup-West wins the match 3-1. Malayna Syverson and Morgan Engel had 25 and 19 kills, respectively, for Ada-Borup-West. Kyla Hellickson had 25 kills for Fillmore Central.

3rd Set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25, Nevis 21: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton wins the match 3-0. Sara and Paisley Thooft led Russell-Tyler-Ruthton with 14 and 12 kills, respectively.

Updates from Class 1A quarterfinals

2nd Set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25, Nevis 21: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton leads the match 2-0.

3rd Set: Fillmore Central 25, Ada-Borup-West 13: Ada-Borup-West leads the match 2-1.

Updates from Class 1A quarterfinals

1st Set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25, Nevis 20: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton leads the match 1-0.

2nd Set: Ada-Borup-West 25, Fillmore Central 23: Ada-Borup-West leads the match 2-0.

Updates from Class 1A quarterfinals

1st Set: Ada-Borup-West 27, Fillmore Central 25: Ada-Borup-West leads the match 1-0.

Third Set: Mayer Lutheran 25, North Woods 19

Mayer Lutheran wins the match 3-0

The first step for Mayer Lutheran in returning to its third championship in five years was taking care of the opening match. The Crusaders hope they were challenged enough to be ready for their next opponent after North Woods never folded in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

The Grizzlies were down double digits but cut it to 22-17 late in the third set. Courtney Tuttle and Ada Hahn combined for the last four kills to finish the night off. Hallie Hunter, Tuttle and Hahn combined for 36 kills.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Mayer Lutheran 12, North Woods 3

Mayer Lutheran leads match 2-0

The Crusaders were tired of letting the Grizzlies hang around Thursday. The first two sets were tightly contested throughout, but not the third. Mayer Lutheran’s five straight points forced North Woods to call a timeout midway into the set. Hard to change the game plan at this point in the match. Mayer Lutheran started off hitting on 8-of-13 shots.

– Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Mayer Lutheran 25, North Woods 17

Mayer Lutheran leads match 2-0

Defending Class 1A champion Mayer Lutheran probably didn’t expect to get tested by No. 8 seed North Woods in Thursday’s quarterfinals. But the first two sets took some effort to pull away. In the second set, North Woods got within 16-13, but the Crusaders used a 9-4 run to close it out. All-state senior setter Izzy Keaveny made sure to balance the offense with 18 assists through two sets. Her twin sister, Clara, also led the way with 11 digs.

– Marcus Fuller

4th Set: Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 25, Cleveland 17

BBE wins the match 3-1

The Jaguars, making their first appearance at state since 2022, had only dropped two sets in nine of their last 10 matches entering Thursday’s quarterfinals. Cleveland, in the program’s first trip to state, proved it belonged here after trailing 17-6 in the fourth set. The Clippers used a 7-1 run to make things interesting, but it wasn’t enough. Kacey Fischer finished with 19 kills and Kamie Fischer added 41 assists for BBE. Taylor McCabe led Cleveland with 23 kills.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Mayer Lutheran 25, North Woods 19

Mayer Lutheran leads the match 1-0.

4th Set: Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 13, Cleveland 3

BBE leads in match 2-1

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa decided to just let the Fischer sisters take over the match. Junior Kamie Fischer scored three straight points, including two aces. Senior Kacie Fischer, an all-state outside hitter, had back-to-back kills to give the sisters their own 5-0 run.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 25, Cleveland 15

BBE leads in match 2-1

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa was more efficient offensively in the third set, but it was the sloppy hitting of Cleveland that separated the two teams. The Jaguars saw an 8-5 advantage turn into a double-digit win when the Clippers committed eight attack errors and hit just .030 in the set.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 16, Cleveland 8

Match tied 1-1

The Jaguars jumped out to a 6-0 lead to put their stamp on the match after dropping the second set. Cleveland went on a 4-1 run, but it wasn’t enough to grab the momentum. Taylor McCabe is up to 16 kills in the match, but Kacey Fischer was Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s answer offensively. She’s in double figures with 11 kills.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Cleveland 26, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 24

Match tied 1-1

The Clippers saw their six-point lead evaporate late in the second set. The score was tied three times in the final stretch, including Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa getting a big block to make it 24-24. Cleveland respond with a kill from Malie Meissner to get the critical side out. The set ended with an attack error from Kacey Fischer.

– Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Cleveland 20, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 18

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa ahead 1-0

The Jaguars used a 7-3 run to put pressure on the Clippers late in the second set. Kacey Fischer, who had nearly 400 kills entering the tournament, got the rally going.

– Marcus Fuller

4th Set: Chatfield 25, Esko 14

Chatfield wins the match 3-1 and will face Albany in the 2A semifinals.

2nd Set: Cleveland 15, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 9

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa leads the match 1-0

The Clippers weren’t able to pull out the first set against No. 4 seed Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, but they started with momentum in the second set. Taylor McCabe leads the way with 11 kills in the match.

– Marcus Fuller

How Albany advanced to the 2A semifinals

Albany avoided being the second No. 2 seed to lose in the state volleyball quarterfinals this year, but the players already knew what suffering an upset here felt like from the previous season.

The Huskies (28-3) lost in the Class 2A semifinals as the top seed last year, but they kept their state championship hopes alive Thursday with a 25-12, 20-25, 25-18, 24-26, 16-9 win against No. 7 seed Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted at Grand Casino Arena.

Albany will play Chatfield at 7 p.m. Friday in the 2A semifinals.

“Once you go into the fifth set, it’s equal,” said senior Brynn Panek, who finished with 23 kills. “You have to push it as much as you can and don’t let them get on too much of a run.”

On Wednesday, Apple Valley upset East Ridge to reach the Class 4A state semifinals. This wouldn’t be a repeat performance, but the Lakers (22-8) had a formidable lineup, which included Arizona State commit Isabelle Scheuch.

In the fourth set, Albany had a 21-16 lead, but Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted forced a fifth set with a 10-3 run led by Scheuch and Alaina Koch, who finished with a combined 30 kills.

The Huskies figured out their best defense was more offense.

“As the match went on, players were getting tired,” Albany coach Brian Hines said. “They weren’t getting up as much, so I felt like that pressure and hard swing was really working for us.”

3rd Set: Chatfield 25, Esko 20

Chatfield leads the match 2-1. Esko won the second set 25-22. Chatfield won the first set 25-17.

5th Set: Albany 15, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 9

Albany wins match 3-2

The second-seeded Huskies weren’t expecting to find themselves on the verge of being knocked out of the championship round early, but they responded when tested by the seventh-seeded Lakers. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted got within 11-8 in the fifth set, but Albany responded with Brynn Panek’s block and kill on back-to-back plays. Josie Dingmann’s cross shot helped her team avoid the upset. Panek finished with 23 kills.

— Marcus Fuller

How New Life Academy advanced to the 2A semifinals

New Life Academy coach Dede Lawson’s program is making its fourth straight state tournament appearance, but three of those years were in Class 1A.

New Life Academy found out how difficult it would be to play up in class on the biggest stage Thursday afternoon when it trailed by two sets against Southwest Christian.

The fifth-seeded Eagles relied on their big-game experience to come from behind to win 22-25, 16-25, 26-24, 25-21, 17-15 against the Stars in the Class 2A quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena.

“Clearly, we’re the smallest 2A school in the top eight,” Lawson said. “It was definitely a challenge and a new experience, but we’ve always played up in our season schedules against 3A schools and 4A schools. … The experience of having players who have been here and knew what it felt like was helpful for the younger ones.”

The Eagles (27-4) trailed 14-11 in the fifth set, but they went on a 6-1 run to advance to their first state semifinal Friday against top seed and defending champion Hawley.

Ryleigh Schelhaas finished with 21 kills and Alexa Lilly and Marisa Michaelis added 13 kills apiece for New Life Academy. Vana Jensen made 50 assists.

Earlier this season, New Life Academy got swept by Hawley and Southwest Christian in the Minnesota Volleyball Warehouse Showcase, but the Eagles have won 13 of the past 14 matches.

The Stars (18-15), who were state runners-up last season, pulled off the upset of the Class 2A state tourney last season, taking down the top-seeded Albany to reach the championship match.

4th Set: Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 26, Albany 24

Match is tied 2-2

Seventh seed Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted pushed back in the fourth set and sent the match to set No. 5. Albany, the No. 2 seed, also lost the second set.

5th Set: New Life Academy 17, Southwest Christian 15

New Life Academy wins match 3-2

Southwest Christian had a two-set lead to start the match, but that wasn’t enough to tear down the spirit of New Life Academy. The Eagles trailed 14-11 in the fifth set, but they went on a 6-1 run to advance to the semifinals for the first time. Ryleigh Schelhaas finished with 21 kills, and Alexa Lilly and Marisa Michaelis added 13 kills apiece. Vana Jensen had 50 assists.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 25, Albany 20

Match is tied 1-1

No. 2 seed Albany was shocked in the second set by No. 7 seed Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted after winning the first set 25-12. The Lancers, making their first state tournament appearance, had 17 kills combined from Ava Fiecke, Alaina Koch and Izzy Scheuch. They survived Brynn Panek’s 11 kills in the opening set.

— Marcus Fuller

5th Set: Southwest Christian 8, New Life Academy 6

Match is tied 2-2

Southwest Christian got big back-to-back kills from Lydia Johnson to take a brief lead after trailing early in the final set.

— Marcus Fuller

4th Set: New Life Academy 25, Southwest Christian 21

Match is tied 2-2

The Eagles used clutch defense to force a fifth set in Thursday’s Class 2A quarterfinal. The Beckering sisters were tough to stop all match, but two late blocks were huge to extend the match. Grace Baur, Ryleigh Schelhaas and Jada Mitchell recorded key rejections for NLA.

— Marcus Fuller

4th Set: New Life Academy 18, Southwest Christian 16

SW Christian leads match 2-1

Nothing is more dangerous than a team with its backs against the wall. New Life Academy looked like it was playing freely with no pressure in taking a 17-12 lead in the fourth set. But the Stars wouldn’t let them pull away. Avery Beckering is up to 18 kills.

— Marcus Fuller

4th Set: New Life Academy 13, Southwest Christian 9

SW Christian leads match 2-1

New Life Academy carried its momentum from the third set to take a 6-3 lead, but Southwest Christian answered with four straight points. The Eagles would’ve folded earlier if they lost the lead so quickly. Not this time. Alexa Lilly’s up to 13 kills. Jada Mitchell’s two aces give her team the biggest lead of the set.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: New Life Academy 26, Southwest Christian 24

SW Christian leads match 2-1

New Life Academy had several weapons it could go to down the stretch to keep from getting swept in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Stars tied it 24-24, but the Eagles kept their match alive with big points from Jada Mitchell and Vana Jensen, who weren’t among their three kill leaders in the match. Talk about balance.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: New Life Academy 22, Southwest Christian 20

SW Christian leads match 2-0

A tremendously even third set between Southwest Christian and New Life Academy has seen both teams make only four attack errors. Ryleigh Schelhaas became the third NLA player with double figures in kills to give her team the narrow advantage late.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Southwest Christian 11, New Life Academy 11

SW Christian leads match 2-0.

The Eagles trailed 4-1 to start the third set, but Marissa Michaelis got her offense going to spark her teammates. They were 8-for-16 to open the set, getting the New Life Academy section energized.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Southwest Christian 25, New Life Academy 16

SW Christian leads match 2-0

Southwest Christian never let New Life Academy get closer than a few points in the second set. The Stars have been formidable at the net behind Breanna and Avery Beckering, who enter the third set with a combined 20 kills. The Stars hit an impressive .440% in the second set.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Southwest Christian 16, New Life Academy 9

SW Christian leads match 1-0

During the opening of the second set, the Stars made sure the Eagles didn’t gather any momentum, considering how close it was in the first set. New Life Academy hasn’t been able to get Marisa Michaelis going. She had 300 kills entering the state tournament.

– Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Hawley 25, New London-Spicer 15

Hawley wins match 3-0

The Nuggets started their quest for a second straight state title with a sweep in Thursday’s opening match against New London-Spicer at Grand Casino Arena. They have won four straight matches since the regular season-ending loss against Minnewaska. Katie Vetter had 13 kills and 14 digs. Stella Flemming finished with 29 assists.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Southwest Christian 25, New Life Academy 22

Southwest Christian and New Life Academy were in a back-and-forth first set in the other Class 2A quarterfinal Thursday afternoon. The Stars, who finished as state runner-up last year, led 6-2 early but found themselves behind 19-17 late before going on a 6-1 run led by Breanna Beckering, who had seven kills in the set.

The Eagles got within 23-22, but they couldn’t stop Beckering in the end.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Hawley 17, New London-Spicer 9

Hawley leads match 2-0

The Nuggets started off the third set hitting an impressive .375 while Katie Vetter took control offensively, getting into double figures in kills.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Hawley 25, New London-Spicer 18

Hawley leads match 2-0

The Nuggets had six errors and saw their hitting percentage fall to .207 in the match after a sloppy end to the second set, but they finished strong to take a 2-0 lead. Hawley setter Stella Flemming, who had nearly 800 assists entering the state tournament, spread the ball around to find the hot hand late.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Hawley 22, New London-Spicer 18

Both teams entered Thursday’s quarterfinals on a winning streak, but New London-Spicer really turned its season around with seven consecutive wins after a five-match losing streak. Hawley tried not to let its upset-minded opponent get confident, but the Wildcats scored five straight points just when the second set seemed out of reach.

— Marcus Fuller

How Prior Lake advanced to the 4A final

Prior Lake popped Apple Valley’s dream bubble in the Class 4A volleyball semifinals Thursday, rallying from a first-set loss to win three sets in a row and advance to Saturday’s Class 4A championship match with a 14-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-14 victory.

Apple Valley was making its first state tournament appearance in nearly a quarter-century. The Eagles played what could have been called the highlight match of Wednesday’s quarterfinals, upsetting No. 2 seed East Ridge by rallying in the fourth and fifth set.

The good mojo that propelled them forward the quarterfinals lingered early in the semifinals. The Eagles bolted to a 7-0 lead, forcing Prior Lake coach Mike Dean to call a timeout to help his team regroup.

Prior Lake had defeated Apple Valley in three sets in October. The Lakers players needed to settle in and play the way they did in that previous match.

“That first set, we came out and gave them a little something to feel good about,” Prior Lake coach Mike Dean said.

His well-timed pause appeared to break the spell. Apple Valley went on to win the first set 25-14, but Prior Lake found its usual self in the second set and took control of the match thereafter.

“That really spoke to the maturity and the resilience that this team has,” Dean said.

Prior Lake’s block at the net proved to be a wall Apple Valley couldn’t scale.

“They got a few core touches on the block, so that forced us to modify our offense a little more,” Apple Valley coach Hannah Specktor said.

The loss didn’t diminish what the Apple Valley players accomplished.

“We’re making history at Apple Valley. It’s been 24 years since we’ve been in the state semifinals.” senior hitter Sophie Monson said. “It’s big knowing we were part of the team that brought the state tournament back to our school.”

— Jim Paulsen

2nd Set: Hawley 13, New London-Spicer 2

All-state junior outside hitter Katie Vetter started off strong in the second set with three kills in the first six points for Hawley. The Wildcats were struggling to find consistency on offense, hitting .065 for the match. The Nuggets also dominated with five aces.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Hawley 25, New London-Spicer 18

Hawley leads match 1-0

Hawley led by eight points late in the opening set before it was outscored 4-0 — a little too close for comfort — against New London-Spicer. The Wildcats got within 22-18, but the Nuggets finished with three straight points for the 1-0 lead. Katie Vetter, Annaka Johnson and McKenna Walker were tied with three kills each in a balanced attack.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Hawley 14, New London-Spicer 11

The defending Class 2A champion and top-seeded Nuggets found themselves in a battle from the start against No. 8 seed New London-Spicer, which made the state tournament last season. Hawley rattled off three straight points to get some separation after it was tied 10-10 midway through the first set.

— Marcus Fuller

4th Set: Prior Lake, 25, Apple Valley 15

Prior Lake wins match 3-1

After a slow start, Prior Lake rallied to win the final three sets and advance to Saturday’s Class 4A championship match against Lakeville South. The Lakers used a two-headed attack to pull away from Apple Valley, getting 17 kills from Addison Barbow and 16 from Dylan Raveling.

— Jim Paulsen

3rd Set: Prior Lake 26, Apple Valley 24

Prior Lake leads match 2-1

A kill by Prior Lake’s Dylan Raveling ended a terrific, back-and-forth third set. Raveling and Addison Barbow have 11 kills each for Prior Lake. Apple Valley’s Sophia Cowan is the kills leader for the entire match with 21.

— Jim Paulsen

2nd Set: Prior Lake 25, Apple Valley 22

Match is tied 1-1

The Lakers came back with energy in the second set, matching what Apple Valley was bringing. Prior Lake built a 23-16 lead, then held on through a late Apple Valley rally.

— Jim Paulsen

How Lakeville South advanced to the 4A final

As the defending state champ in Class 4A, and loaded with an enviable cache of volleyball talent, Lakeville South’s plan for repeating included an important lesson, coach Stephen Willingham said: The Cougars were going to be the focus of every team they played this season. Dealing with the extra attention is part of being a champion.

“Our coaches always tell us, ‘You have a target on your backs. Everybody is gonna play their best against you because they want to take that championship,’ ” junior middle blocker Grace Hertaus said.

The Cougars took the best Roseville had to offer and still came away with a 25-13, 25-19, 25-22 victory.

Roseville played fearlessly, even taking a late 21-17 lead in the third set, but bigger Lakeville South wore the Raiders down.

“We’re prepped for that,” Herthaus said. “We’re ready for them to show us their best, but then, we have to give our best game, too.”

Lakeville South’s best proved too much for Roseville, no matter how determined the Raiders were.

“We are so tough and gritty. I think we were so well prepared and we had the right mindset, but we lost a little bit of the special sauce that makes us who we are,” Roseville coach Greg Ueland said.

Romi Chlebecek and Elle Utecht each had 12 kills for Lakeville South, which dominated at the net with 18 blocks, forcing Roseville to work for every point it got. The Raiders had a -.044 hitting percentage.

“It can be daunting, because you work your butts off and it doesn’t quite work,” Ueland admitted. “Lakeville South is a great team. But it can drain you, right?”

— Jim Paulsen

1st Set: Apple Valley 25, Prior Lake 14

Apple Valley leads match 1-0

The Eagles continued their strong state tournament play with a convincing 25-14 victory over Prior Lake. Sophia Cowan was wonderful in the first set, going 10-for-10 on attacks.

— Jim Paulsen

1st Set: Apple Valley 8, Prior Lake 6

Apple Valley picked up right where it left off Wednesday, bolting to a 7-0 lead. The Eagles rallied to win their quarterfinal match over East Ridge with a near-perfect performance in the fourth and fifth set. Prior Lake took a timeout and came back with five straight points.

— Jim Paulsen

3rd Set: Lakeville South 25, Roseville 22

Lakeville South wins match 3-0

Roseville managed to build a four-point lead, 21-17, but Lakeville South responded with terrific defense and solid hitting to pull out the final set. Romi Chlebecek and Elle Utecht each had 12 kills for Lakeville South while Kaelyn Bjorklund had 26 set assists.

— Jim Paulsen

3rd Set: Lakeville South 16, Roseville 14

As has been the case all match, Roseville starts out determined to match Lakeville South point for point, but that’s a tall order for an entire set. A slump or a bad matchup on a rotation and suddenly the Lakeville South lead starts to grow.

— Jim Paulsen

2nd Set: Lakeville South 25, Roseville 19

Lakeville South leads match 2-0

Gotta say this for Roseville: The Raiders are scrappy. They don’t back down. No team owned a lead of more than two points until the end of the set. Roseville actually led 17-16 before a 4-0 run by the Cougars drained the Raiders’ momentum. Romi Chlebecek leads Lakeville South with eight kills.

— Jim Paulsen

2nd Set: Lakeville South 9, Roseville 8

Roseville is changing up its attack, trying to counter Lakeville South’s imposing block by moving the the Cougars side to side. But the Cougars have seen this tactic all year and know how to deal with it. How big is Lakeville South? The Cougars on the floor go 5-11, 5-11, 5-10, 6-1 and 6-2. The only small player is libero Amanda Cullen, who is 5-2.

— Jim Paulsen

1st Set: Lakeville South 25, Roseville 13

Lakeville South leads match 1-0

It was a dominant first set for Lakeville South. Romi Chlebecek and Elle Utecht paced the Cougars’ attack with four kills each.

— Jim Paulsen

1st Set: Lakeville South 16, Roseville 9

The defending Class 4A champion Cougars’ strong game at the net, putting up a block that is giving Roseville difficulty, has resulted in an early Lakeville South lead. Roseville needs to find different routes to hit around the block.

— Jim Paulsen