PIERZ -- Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa will compete in its seventh straight Section 5A title match after winning the West subsection 22-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-17 over Bertha-Hewitt Thursday.
The Jaguars (26-2) will face Nevis for the Section 5A title at 7 p.m. Saturday in Pierz.
The last time BBE lost a subsection final was in 2003 to Albany.
The Jaguars started slow in the first game, a back-and-forth affair with neither team taking more than a two-point lead until Arei Stokes of the Bears served two straight points for a 23-19 lead. The Jaguars got to within one point on Julie Hieserich's ace serve, but Morgan Kapphahn and Christine Moenkedick each picked up kills to win the first game, 25-22.
Serving would be BBE's saving grace and it turned the match around.
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Hieserich served four aces in the second game, including three in a row, to give the Jaguars an early 10-2 lead.
Five of BBE's first 12 points were from ace serves.
Maggie Gruber and Brittany Roelike had three kills each.
The Jaguars scored eight of the last 11 points to pull away from a 17-17 tie and take a 2-1 lead. Gruber had four kills and Taylor Braegelman recorded three straight kills during the final run.
Four more aces for the Jaguars were scored in the final game, making the final total 15 for the match. Bertha-Hewitt was as close as 15-14, but Braegelman served the last five points to punch BBE's return ticket to Pierz Saturday.
Gruber finished with a match-high 23 kills and Kuefler followed with 15. Braegelman had eight and Roelike seven. Megan Rodgers had the other kill. Gruber and Kuefler had three ace blocks each, Hieserich had 47 assists and Raeann Sorenson led the team with 13 digs.
BBE 3, Bertha-Hewitt 1
Bertha-Hewitt (24-8) 25 14 20 17
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BBE (26-2) 22 25 25 25
(Key: good-attempts-aces)
Bertha-Hewitt
Serving: Brittany Kimber 18-18-2, Arei Stokes 17-17-2, Ashton Kapphahn 11-11-0, Morgan Kapphahn 11-12-0, Trenda Schwantz 6-6-0, Christine Moenkedick 11-11-1 ... Setting (assists): A. Kapphahn 36 ... Hitting: Kimber 6, Stokes 12, M.Kapphahn 15, Moenkedick 10 ... Blocking (aces): not available ... Digs: not available
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
Serving: Maggie Gruber 16-18-4, Taylor Braegelman 15-15-2, Brittany Roelike 11-12-0, Raeann Sorenson 14-15-1, Julie Hieserich 20-22-6, Brittany Winter 12-13-0 ... Setting: Gruber 2-5-0, Braegelman 1-1-0, Roelike 5-5-1, Hieserich 144-146-47, Shyann Kuefler 5-5-2, Megan Rodgers 10-10-5 ... Hitting: Gruber 41-44-23, Braegelman 32-36-8, Roelike 32-33-7, Hieserich 7-7-0, Kuefler 43-47-15, Rodgers 5-7-1 ... Blocking (aces): Gruber 3, Braegelman 1, Kuefler 3 ... Digs: Gruber 4, Braegelman 11, Roelike 10, Sorenson 13, Hieserich 4, Kuefler 5, Winter 6, Rodgers 1
