RAPID CITY — Dell Rapids outlasted one Dak-XII Conference foe, and will face another one for the state championship. 

The Quarriers edged conference rival Sioux Falls Christian, 3-1, in the Class A semifinals at the Summit Arena at the Monument. The set scores were 25-14, 24-26, 25-22 and 25-19. 

Dell Rapids (29-6) will now play another conference rival Dakota Valley (33-3) for the Class A state championship on Saturday. 

On Friday, Dell Rapids continued to have Sioux Falls Christian’s number this season, improving to 4-0 against the Chargers (26-11) in 2025. But the Dak-XII clash once again lived up to the billing. 

“They’re a great program,” Dell Rapids junior hitter Madelynn Henry said. “It’s kind of surreal because my freshman year this was the same kind of matchup. They won in four that year. So it’s kind of cool to see how much our program has improved over the past few years to get us where we are today, and we’re gonna go play in a state championship. I couldn’t be more excited.”

In the regular season, Dell Rapids defeated Sioux Falls Christian in a five-set marathon match and won two tournament matches by identical 2-1 scores. 

The semifinal matchup was more of the same, with Dell Rapids coach Erica Fersdahl praising both programs for raising their level of play against each other. 

“They just do and I think we bring out the best in them, too,” Fersdahl said. “They’re amazing blockers and you always see really great volleyball when the two of us meet together. It’s just fun. It’s fun volleyball.” 

In Saturday’s first set, the Quarriers used three straight points to take a 21-13 advantage and closed out the Chargers. 

In the second set, the Chargers were clinging to a 23-21 lead and the Quarriers surged back for a 24-23 advantage. The Chargers answered with the final three points, closing the set on a Camryn Mulder kill to even the match at 1-1. 

In the third set, the two Dak-XII powers traded punches in a frame that featured eight ties and four lead changes. The Chargers held a slim 22-20 advantage, but the Quarriers scored the final three points for a 2-1 lead. Henry, a future Oregon Duck volleyball player, hammered the final kill on a free ball to secure the pivotal one-set advantage. 

“It’s just one point at a time,” Fersdahl said about closing out the third set. “Because volleyball is such a momentum game. We know we can come back. So just making sure we can stay in that moment.”

In the fourth set, Dell Rapids surged ahead for a 14-7 advantage and the cushion was enough to hold off the Chargers. Dell Rapids sophomore Sylea Sykes closed out the match with a kill in the heart of the Charger defense. 

Sioux Falls Christian’s Tavyn Sichmeller led the Chargers with 17 kills and eight digs. Mulder and Jayla Overman posted 10 kills apiece. Overman had six blocks. Meredith Nelson totaled 39 assists and nine digs. Jasmine VanderHaar added 19 digs. 

Sioux Falls Christian will play Hamlin for third place at 5 p.m. MT on Saturday.

Henry powered the Quarriers with 29 kills, 15 digs and six aces. Fersdahl especially credited Henry for her aggressive serving, and her decision making on her kill attempts.

“She’s crazy good,” Fersdahl said. “I don't have words to describe her athletic ability and her ability to take control of the match. Lights get brighter and she jumps higher, and puts the ball on the floor that much harder and wants the ball. All the things that you want from your leader and your go-to girl.”

Sykes added 11 kills and 10 digs for the Quarriers. Tenley Anderson dished out 41 assists and 11 digs. Alaina Wolff posted 14 digs. Peyton Hohn added four blocks. 

Up next, the Quarriers will face Dakota Valley for the Class A state championship at 6:45 p.m. MT on Saturday. Dell Rapids has lost all three regular-season meetings against the Panthers this season. 

“We are going to use that to motivate us and we know they are a great team and we are going to go out there and ball out as hard as we can,” Henry said.