RAPID CITY — Big Red stopped Big Blue from a 3-peat.

In a battle of Class B heavyweights, Chester outlasted Warner in a five-set thriller to claim the Class B state volleyball championship on Saturday at the Summit Arena. The set scores were 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 18-25 and 15-13. 

The Flyers, who lost to Warner in last season’s state championship, won their first title since 2015 and snapped the Monarchs’ 58-match winning streak. Chester finishes with a 33-2 record. 

“I am so, so super proud of these kids,” Chester coach Jean O’Hara said. “That’s a tough team. They are a fantastic volleyball team. We tip our hats to the Warner Monarchs and coach (Kari) Jung. That’s a super good program and that’s a good volleyball match right there.”

The match featured the No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams all season in Class B, and it lived up to the billing. Chester handed Warner just its fourth and fifth set losses of the season, building a 2-1 lead. 

“It was insane,” Chester’s Emery Larson said. “There was so many ups and downs like volleyball matches always are, but it was just insane. We knew that they were such a great team. But we had a great scout and at the end of the day we just knew we had to play our game and do what we know how to do best.”

The Monarchs (39-1) forced a fifth set and the teams locked into a seesaw decisive set. The final set featured six ties and four lead changes. The teams traded point for point and was evened up at 12-12. 

Chester broke away for a tight 14-12 advantage, but a serving error got Warner within 14-13. The Flyers, however, blocked a Warner kill attempt on the next point and they celebrated the long-awaited championship. 

“It was so amazing,” Chester senior middle hitter Addison Bates said. “That adrenaline is still rushing through me. I am so excited.” 

Warner staked a 1-0 lead in the first set, but the Flyers took a 2-1 lead over the Monarchs. Chester’s size at the net took over in the next two sets. Chester finished with four solo blocks, including three by Emilie Bleeker and one by Bates. Lily Van Hal and Bates both had four block assists. 

“You could see them maybe getting frustrated and not really for sure,” Bates said about Chester’s size advantage.  

In the fourth set, Warner built a five-point spread and pulled away to square the match at 2-2. It set the stage for the fifth set. 

“I think if you are a fan, that’s a great match to watch,” O’Hara said. “That was a lot of fun.”

Warner’s Lauren Marcuson finished with 18 kills, while Kyleigh Schopp added 14 kills. Kyra Marcuson posted11 kills and nine digs. Ava Nilsson logged 44 assists and 28 digs. Lauren Marcuson had 17 digs and Courtney Bjorgaard posted 11 digs. Schopp had eight block assists and Nilsson had six block assists. 

Warner was gunning for their third straight state championship and ninth overall. Warner also had its 34 straight winning streak against Class B opponents snapped. Burke handed Warner its last defeat against a Class B team, 2-1, on Sept. 10, 2022 in Arlington.

Chester’s Jacy Wolf finished with 18 kills, 17 assists and 14 digs. Bates recorded 14 kills and VanHal had 12 kills and 39 assists. Emmerson Eppard finished with 15 kills. 

Larson, a sophomore libero, had a team-high 21 digs.

“They do have very good hitters,” Larson said. “I just knew I was meant for that moment and I know I had passed against great hitters before and I knew I could do it and rise to the challenge.”

It was Larson’s second time rising to the challenge this fall. Larson also captured her second straight Class B cross-country championship in October. 

“It was a great fall, with a lot of ups and downs,” Larson said. “Cross-country had some ups and downs and so did volleyball and I learned a ton.” 

It was Chester’s second state championship in program history, with its 2015 state championship also coming against Warner. Flyers have four runner-up finishes, including three against Warner. 

But on this day, it was Big Red celebrating a Class B state championship. 

“I think the entire community of Chester is here watching us and we have the best fans,” O’Hara said. “I know everybody thinks that, but I truly believe it and they are so supportive of us and I am just so pleased for these kids and the program.”