The Class 4A state championship matchup is set. The semifinals in Class 3A, 2A and 1A are today.

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 and the second day of the tournament on Thursday.

All games are streamed live on NSPN.

Friday’s schedule

Class 3A semifinals: 9 a.m., Marshall 3, Cretin-Derham Hall 0; 11 a.m., Benilde-St. Margaret’s 3, Stewartville 0

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

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. Mayer Lutheran vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Class 2A championship: 3 p.m.

Class 3A championship: 6:30 p.m., Marshall vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

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

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

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1st Set: Hawley 8, New Life Academy 2

Defending Class 2A champion Hawley was surely well aware that Friday’s semifinal opponent went to five sets in the previous match, so it didn’t let up to start against No. 5 seed New Life Academy.

The Nuggets jumped out to a 5-0 start, which included Annaka Johnson and Mckenna Walker teaming up with a block to ignite the student section dressed in red, white and blue.

– Marcus Fuller

4th Set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25, Ada-Borup-West 13

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton wins the match 3-1

The Knights earned a spot in the Class 1A state final on Saturday against first seed and defending state champs Mayer Lutheran.

The navy and white squad completed a 8-0 run to stretch their lead thanks to outside hitter Paisley Thooft’s series of kills.

— Olivia Hicks

4th Set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 10, Ada-Borup-West 7

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton leads match 2-1

The Cougars opened the set looking to own the fourth set and advance to the state finals. But the Knights quickly took back control with a couple of tips that allowed them to briefly gain a lead.

Malayna Syverson completed three kills in a row to keep ABW’s chances alive and the set, yet again, was defined by a chaotic back-and-forth energy with a continuous even score on the board.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd set: Ada-Borup-West 25, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 21

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton leads match 2-1

ABW takes the third set, the point sealed by kill-leader Malayna Syverson. The Knights fell just shy of securing a third set in a row. The team’s last shot came from Dru Ellefson who received the ball from Makenna Hesse.

— Olivia Hicks

How Mayer Lutheran advanced to the 1A final

What motivated Mayer Lutheran’s volleyball squad to complete as many runs as it could in Friday’s Class 1A state semifinal game against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa? Stickers.

Head coach Joelle Grimsley promises any player that secures 10 kills in a row a sticker. Outside hitter and star of the semifinal game Courtney Tuttle was all smiles after the 1 p.m. game. She had won herself not only a shiny sticker, but a shot at repeating the Crusader’s 2024 state title.

“I think personally I stepped up my confidence a lot more and I went out and did what I did,” Tuttle said. The senior’s 12 kills brought the team out on top after a tense back-and-forth game where BBE won the first set due to the Crusaders’ lacking defense.

“Our whole team was like, ‘This definitely is not how we want to start the second game, second set.’ So, we definitely came out there with a bunch more confidence,” Tuttle said.

After the first set, Mayer Lutheran recorded a 14-0 run that fueled the team’s spark and awarded the Crusaders their ticket to the state finals on Saturday.

But the Jaguars, on their first state appearance since 2022, weren’t deterred. BBE’s players kept their heads high and acknowledged Mayer Lutheran’s skill.

“They’re pretty dangerous. … We knew that we had to push a bit harder than yesterday,” head coach Brittany Borgerding said.

But that didn’t mean BBE didn’t have fun.

“[I told them] we are just going to come in and have fun,” Borgerding said. “Just get back to enjoying it. Smiling. I made them pick someone that they were going to look at if they made a mistake, so they could kind of loosen up a little bit and smile.”

The Crusaders will return to the state finals on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. with their sights set on two things: stickers and a state title.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd set: Ada-Borup-West 14, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 11

The Cougars came back with a vengeance and a 4-0 run as soon as the third set began. RTR attempted to shut down further run attempts with their own collection of kills thanks to the Thooft sisters, Sara and Paisley.

Malayna Syverson and Sara Thooft continue to trade kills with 16 and 15 respectively.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25, Ada-Borup-West 17

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton leads match 2-0

ABW attempted to put up a fight against its state semifinals foe but the second set went to RTR to make it 2-0. Both teams went back-and-forth with runs of three before a kill by Morgan Engel, lofted by Malayna Syverson, sealed the set for the Knights.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 14, Ada-Borup-West 12

RTR continues to dominate the state semifinal match but has failed to secure solid runs as the Cougars interrupt any chances at a significant lead. Malayna Syverson remains a standout for ABW with five kills in just this set.

— Olivia Hicks

1st set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25, Ada-Borup-West 12

The RTR Knights take the first set behind Sara Thooft’s hits at the net. Brynn Borresen secured the set-winning point off a pass from Laken Baartman.

The Cougars’ Malayna Syverson is matching Thooft at the net.

— Olivia Hicks

1st set: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 16, Ada-Borup-West 9

The Cougars racked up an early advantage behind senior Malayna Syverson’s three kills, but it was the Knight’s run of seven points, including three kills by Sara Thooft, that brought RTR out on top to lead in the first set.

— Olivia Hicks

1st Set: Ada-Borup-West vs Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Sixth seed Ada-Borup-West and second seed Russell-Tyler-Ruthton are getting ready here at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul for a chance to make it to the Class 1A finals on Saturday. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton won the Class 1A state title in 2023 and will aim to do the same this year on the second court.

— Olivia Hicks

4th set: Mayer Lutheran 25, BBE 18

Mayer Lutheran wins match 3-1.

4th set: Mayer Lutheran 23, BBE 16

The Crusaders completed a 4-0 run in the fourth set before BBE’s Macey Roering ended her team’s scoring dry spell with a ball fed from Kamie Fischer.

— Olivia Hicks

4th set: Mayer Lutheran 8, BBE 5

BBE entered the fourth set with something to prove. The team recorded two points at the start of the set, via a kill from Macey Roering and an attack error by Hallie Hunter. But the Crusaders bounced back with a swift speed as Ada Hahn scored twice.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd set: Mayer Lutheran 25, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 11

Mayer Lutheran leads match 2-1

BBE’s Kadynce Haider gave the Jaguars a shot, but Mayer Lutheran’s form couldn’t be matched. Mayer Lutheran’s Courtney Tuttle increased her team-high kills total after earning the set-winning point.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd set: Mayer Lutheran 19, BBE 7

BBE is running out of time in this set, as the team’s last allotted timeout ticks down. Senior outside hitter Kacey Fischer leads the team with 12 kills while Mayer Lutheran’s Courtney Tuttle offers the Crusaders a shot at returning to the finals with 10 kills.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd set: Mayer Lutheran 13, BBE 5

BBE’s attempts to gain the upper hand have fallen short early in the third set as the Crusaders recorded kill after kill, including a kill from Hallie Hunter that gave Mayer Lutheran a 6-2 lead.

Hunter, Izzy Keaveny and Courtney Tuttle created a gulf in the points as the team led 11-3. BBE’s best chance came in the form of an attack error by Tuttle and a launch by Kacey Fischer.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd set: Mayer Lutheran 25, BBE 14

Match is tied 1-1

Despite falling behind on the scoreboard in the second set, the Crusaders came out on top. Jaguars’ outside hitter Kacey Fischer leads all players with 10 kills total while Mayer Lutheran junior Ada Hahn enters the third set with seven, followed closely by Courtney Tuttle’s six kills.

As both teams clinch a set so far in this semifinal game, the student sections on opposite ends of Grand Casino Arena’s second court stand in anticipation.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd set: Mayer Lutheran 23, BBE 11

After BBE took its last allotted timeout of the set in an attempt to regroup, Mayler Lutheran started the clock with a service ace from junior outside hitter Courtney Tuttle. The Crusaders continued to stretch their lead with a kill by All-Minnesota senior Izzy Keaveny. Macey Roering, with a kill fed from Makenna Roelike, brought Mayer Lutheran up to 20 points in the set.

— Olivia Hicks

How Benilde-St. Margaret’s advanced to 3A final

Benilde-St. Margaret’s seniors were ninth graders watching from the bench when their volleyball program last made the Class 3A championship in 2022.

The second-seeded Knights didn’t think about a state title as the goal to begin the season, but now they’re one win away after Friday’s 27-25, 25-16, 28-26 win against No. 3 seed Stewartville at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

“We had our goals at the beginning of the season to beat Delano [in the section final] and next get to state,” said junior setter Sydney Friedly, who finished with 37 assists and 15 digs. “We never really had a goal of winning a state championship. To get there is so cool.”

Sophomore Avery Minor had a team-high 19 kills, to go with 12 digs. Friedly’s twin sister, Sailor, added 16 kills and 12 digs for the Knights (28-5), who advance to play No. 1 seed Marshall in Saturday’s final.

Adjustments after a poorly-hit first set on both sides allowed Minor to make her presence felt at the net offensively.

“We always like to make the ends a little bit interesting,” BSM coach Michael Becker said. “On this stage, we felt like we had an awesome turnout from our student section and our fans. Maybe just a little bit of an adrenaline bump at the beginning of the match, but they were able to work through it well.”

The Tigers (27-5) got swept by BSM earlier this season, but they were a much-improved team since then. They led early in all three sets Friday, including 22-21 in the first set and 25-24 after an 8-1 run late in the third set.

Stewartville’s five seniors helped the program reach back-to-back state tournaments for the first time in a decade.

“For us to be able to come back being down in set three and finish the way we did was exciting,” Stewartville coach Sammy Pederson said. “We played them once. If anything, I think we were better prepared this time. They’re just good.”

- Marcus Fuller

2nd set: Mayer Lutheran 15, BBE 9

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa leads match 1-0

Mayer Lutheran junior Ada Hahn has revived the Crusaders’ chances. Preslie Hunter followed up with two kills, both assisted by Ellie Shipler, to give them an advantage.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd set: BBE 9, Mayer Lutheran 8

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa leads match 1-0

Mayer Lutheran led in the second set, but a kill by Teagan Dingmann fed from Kamie Fischer brought BBE up to even the scales.

The Fischer sisters continue to smack the ball over the net and lead Mayer Lutheran’s chance at a state finals appearance on Saturday with eight kills between them.

The blue and silver-clad crowd chants “You can’t do that,” to the Crusader squad after an attack error by Mayer Lutheran junior Ada Hahn. Jaguar offensive hitter Macey Roering turned the chant into a cheer by responding immediately with a kill.

— Olivia Hicks

1st Set: BBE 25, Mayer Lutheran 17

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa leads match 1-0

Senior BBE hitter Kacey Fischer tops the charts with five kills as the first set comes to an end. Her sister, junior setter Kamie Fischer, stands second with four kills. Mayer Lutheran’s Ada Hahn and Courtney Tuttle lead the Crusaders with four kills each.

— Olivia Hicks

1st Set: BBE 22, Mayer Lutheran 15

Mayer Lutheran took one of its two timeouts when BBE led 18-13, then took another at 22-15. Sophomore Macey Roering made it 11-8 in favor of BBE early on. The Crusaders ripped a scream from the crowd when Izzy Keaveny, an All-Minnesota selection, responded in an attempt to even the score. BBE’s Kadynce Haider provided her team’s 20th point with a kill from Kamie Fischer.

— Olivia Hicks

1st Set: BBE 10, Mayer Lutheran 7

Top seed Mayer Lutheran rolled into Friday’s semifinal match against fourth seed Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa with an aim to secure a berth in Saturday’s finals. A clean hit to center court began that process, but the Jaguars came back quickly and lead in the first set.

— Olivia Hicks

Pregame: Mayer Lutheran vs. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Class 1A

Skies are gray outside, but it’s bright here under the lights at Grand Casino Arena as the Class 1A semifinals begin. Mayer Lutheran, led by star senior setter Izzy Keaveny, is attempting to repeat last year’s state title run. The Crusaders take on Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in a 1 p.m. game for one of the spots in Saturday’s finals. The Jaguars last made state in 2022; this is Mayer Lutheran’s fifth consecutive appearance.

It’s sister duo against sister duo, with the Keaveny sisters, Izzy and Clara, representing Mayer Lutheran and the Fischer sisters, Kacey and Kamie, repping BBE.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 27, Stewartville 25

BSM wins match 3-0

The Knights’ student section started to thank the seniors before the match ended. They could sense the inevitable. Stewartville trailed 23-17 and extended the match with an 8-1 run. The Tigers even faced three match points but still wouldn’t go away. Matilda Dube’s assisted block gave Stewartville a 25-24 lead, but BSM responded behind Avery Minor. The Knights advance to their first championship match since 2022.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 19, Stewartville 13

BSM leads match 2-0

The Tigers tried to hang around in the third set with Dream Petersohn getting her swing going. Petersohn and Ella Theobald have been the main offensive weapons for Stewartville on Friday, but it has been tough to match the opposition’s hitting prowess.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 25, Stewartville 16

BSM leads match 2-0

So much for the Knights not being efficient early in this Class 3A semifinal match. They played one of their best sets in the tournament so far, hitting .438 with only two attack errors, to take a two-set lead. Avery Minor, who led sophomores in the state with 365 kills entering the tourney, finished off the second with her 10th kill. Sailor Freidly also has nine kills for BSM.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 18, Stewartville 12

BSM leads match 1-0

Stewartville has one of the best middles in the state in senior Matilda Dube, but she needed help limiting BSM’s tandem of Avery Minor and Sailor Freidly, who both had more than 300 kills during the season.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 13, Stewartville 6

BSM leads match 1-0

The Knights started slow for the second straight set, but that didn’t keep them from taking control. Stewartville had to take a timeout after being outscored 9-1 following an early lead. BSM kept up the pace behind .417 hitting at that point with two aces.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 27, Stewartville 25

BSM leads match 1-0

The Tigers went on a 5-1 run to get to their first match point up 24-22, but that wouldn’t be enough to put down Stewartville. The Knights also trailed 25-24 late in the set but rallied with three straight points to take the early match lead. Sailor Friedly leads BSM with six kills, including two clutch swings with her team trailing.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 12, Stewartville 9

In the second Class 3A semifinal Friday, Stewartville’s early 5-1 lead vanished when Benilde-St. Margaret’s used an 11-3 run to surge ahead. Sailor Friedly and Avery Minor opened the match with seven combined kills. These two teams played earlier in the season with the Tigers coming out on top, but this is a bigger stage.

— Marcus Fuller

How Marshall advanced to the 3A final

Marshall volleyball coach Dan Westby doesn’t expect perfection from his team, but this season has been close to that.

Marshall’s only losses were to Lakeville South and Eagan in two of the biggest volleyball tournaments of the regular season.

Westby knew those losses could prepare his players for later in the season when a state championship was on the line.

The top-seeded Tigers (31-2) advanced to their fourth straight Class 3A state final with Friday’s 25-15, 25-16, 25-14 against No. 5 seed Cretin-Derham Hall at Grand Casino Arena.

Last year’s state runner-up finish kept Westby from achieving a four-peat after Class 3A titles from 2021-23, but the Tigers are back as the favorites.

“There have certainly been times when we haven’t been at peak performance. But overall, this team has really been good,” Westby said. “Outside of one set versus Lakeville South at the Apple Valley tournament when we played poorly and one set versus Eagan at the Lakeville [North] tournament when we played poorly. Other than that, it’s been steady all the way through.”

In the third set, Cretin-Derham Hall tied the score 10-10, but Marshall closed the game with a 15-4 run. During one stretch, Caroline Anetipa’s rocket shot was met by a defender who immediately placed the ball beautifully for Reese Drake to hammer it off the block. Two plays later, Avery Fahl dropped a winner at the back corner, out of reach. CDH players could only clap at the precision. Fahl had 10 kills, 12 assists and 14 digs.

“None of those plays are able to be made without all of our teammates,” said Drake, who finished with 16 kills and 15 digs. “We lift each other up and try to provide as much energy as we can.”

The Raiders (22-5), competing in their first Class 3A semifinal after breaking a 13-year state tournament drought last year, had no choice but to be proud of how far the program has come.

“We played like we had nothing to lose,” Cretin-Derham Hall coach Erin Horn said. “We came out. We battled. We were scrappy. We fought for every point. We weren’t just going to lay over and die even when we were down. … It’s been incredible to see the shift and see them grow as players. They have set the standard for the younger kids coming up.”

3rd Set: Marshall 19, Cretin-Derham Hall 10

Marshall leads match 2-0

The Raiders got within 11-10 in the third set, but they just weren’t able to generate enough scoring to put together a big comeback. Marshall answered with an 8-0 run and took advantage of CDH’s seven attack errors in the set and 21 total for the match.

— Marcus Fuller

3rd Set: Marshall 7, Cretin-Derham Hall 5

Marshall leads match 2-0

The Raiders tried to get momentum going in the third set with a 4-1 early advantage. Not surprisingly, the Tigers responded with a 6-1 run to take back the lead. This team is on a mission to make it to the state final.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Marshall 25, Cretin-Derham Hall 16

Marshall leads match 2-0

The Raiders finally put up a wall on Marshall hitting machine Reese Drake with a block from Caroline Anetipa and Leila Colvin late in the second set. What did the Tigers do? They went to another go-to senior in Avery Fahl, who ended the period with an ace. Fahl’s all-around effort, with six kills, eight assists and 11 digs, has been a factor. Drake doesn’t just make an impact offensively. She already has a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Marshall 16, Cretin-Derham Hall 7

Marshall leads match 1-0

Marshall’s student section chanted “that was easy” after Reese Drake hammered a kill down the line. She followed that with a ball that dropped in the back corner. That wasn’t so easy, but she made it look that way. The Raiders need to find a way to slow down one of the state’s most feared hitters.

— Marcus Fuller

2nd Set: Marshall 9, Cretin-Derham Hall 3

Marshall leads match 1-0

Marshall’s defense has arguably been the story of the match so far. The Tigers were tied 3-3 with Cretin-Derham Hall before a 6-0 run was highlighted by a stuff by sisters Avery and Julia Fahl. Raiders top hitter Caroline Banks had been limited to one kill at that point.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Marshall 25, Cretin-Derham Hall 15

Marshall leads match 1-0

Marshall’s Reese Drake set the tempo of the first set from start to finish. The 5-8 senior and Southwest Minnesota State commit opened swinging big and ended with another powerful shot landing in front of the back row. Drake made six kills in the opening set. The Tigers forced CDH to hit .136.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Marshall 19, Cretin-Derham Hall 12

The Tigers pulled away again with three straight points in the middle of the first set, but the Raiders answered to keep from falling behind by double digits. Caroline Anetipa extended a long rally with two diving digs, but Marshall finished the point off with Reese Drake’s blast in front of the back row.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Marshall 13, Cretin-Derham Hall 9

Cretin-Derham Hall trailed by seven points before using a combination of timely hitting and defense to get back into the set. The Raiders got a big block from Leila Colvin and a kill down the line from Charlotte Garman to ignite cheers from their student section.

— Marcus Fuller

1st Set: Marshall 7, Cretin-Derham Hall 2

The Tigers, seeded No. 1 in Class 3A, made a fast start behind all-state seniors Reese Drake and Avery Fahl, who combined for four of the team’s first seven points. The Raiders needed a timeout early to figure out their offensive flow.

— Marcus Fuller