Wagner and Winner meet again for a spot in the Class A playoffs
The No. 6 and No. 11 seeds will face off Tuesday night in Mitchell for their third state berth showdown since 2022.
By Olivia Miller ·
No. 6-seeded Wagner and No. 11-seeded Winner will compete for a place in the state volleyball tournament on Tuesday night at Mitchell High School. The contest is part of the Class A Southeast South Dakota Conference playoffs, specifically the SoDak 16 bracket. This matchup marks the third time since 2022 that these two teams have played with a state tournament spot on the line.
Wagner, which finished the season with a 26-5 record, holds a three-game winning streak over Winner. The teams have split their last eight meetings evenly, but the Red Raiders have won the last three. In their most recent regular season encounter on Oct. 20 in Winner, Wagner defeated Winner in five sets. Hannah Holzbauer led Wagner with 22 kills that night, while Payton Sargent recorded 19 kills for the Warriors.
For the season, Holzbauer leads Wagner with 343 kills. Braxton Nedved has provided 831 assists and holds the team lead in aces with 52. Brianna Fuchs contributes 58 total blocks, and Ravyn Medricky has 52 blocks. Wagner is currently on a nine-game winning streak. The Red Raiders have made the state tournament four times since 2021, and this match determines their fifth berth.
Winner, who finished 20-9, has qualified for the SoDak 16 in all 11 years the format has existed in Class A. The Warriors reached the state bracket in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024. In 2024, as a No. 9 seed, Winner defeated Mobridge-Pollock in five sets to advance. Last season, Wagner beat Winner 3-1 in Chamberlain to secure the state spot. Before that, in 2022, Wagner defeated Winner 3-0 in Plankinton.
Payton Sargent is the primary offensive threat for Winner, averaging five kills per set and hitting .298 for the season. She has tallied 446 kills this year. Seventh Zeigler adds 204 kills, while Alice Wilson leads the team in digs with 494. Josie Corkle has distributed 837 assists. The Warriors are looking to end their three-game losing streak against Wagner.
The Wagner and Winner match is scheduled for 7 p.m. It is the second game of a Class A doubleheader in Mitchell. Earlier at 5:30 p.m., No. 10-seeded Lakota Tech, who are 32-7, will play No. 7-seeded Dakota Valley, who are 22-11, for the other state tournament berth in this bracket.
In a separate Class A matchup, No. 14-seeded Platte-Geddes will travel to Wall to face No. 3-seeded St. Thomas More at 8 p.m. Central time. Platte-Geddes, who went 21-10, is seeking its first state berth since 2023. St. Thomas More, which is 30-7, is playing in its third consecutive SoDak 16 and holds its highest seed yet. The two teams have not played since 2017.
Kori VanDerWerff leads Platte-Geddes with 389 kills and a .249 hitting percentage. Ava Olson and Jerni Severson add 173 and 147 kills, respectively. Kolbi Hoffman has recorded 771 assists for the Black Panthers. St. Thomas More is on a five-game winning streak and made the state bracket last season as the No. 9 seed.
