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Northfield takes down Rochester Mayo

By Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine, 10/11/22, 9:30PM CDT

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The Raiders needed all five sets to get the victory on Tuesday night.


Northfield players, including Lucy Larson (in white) and Addison Ertz (13) celebrate the Raiders' five-set victory over Rochester Mayo. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

The temperature outside the Northfield gym late Tuesday afternoon climbed near 80 degrees. The air inside the gym was stale, still and steamy. And then things got really hot.

Northfield, at one time ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association but now sitting comfortably in a tie with East Ridge at fourth (talk to Raiders senior Addison Ertz), outlasted Big 9 Conference rival Rochester Mayo in five sets to move closer to a league championship. The Raiders' 25-20, 25-19, 19-25, 26-28, 15-6 victory raised and dashed hopes and emotions through more than two hours and left fans nearly as breathless as the participants.

The best part of all of this? Northfield's victory, combined with No. 6-4A Lakeville South's upset victory over No. 2-4A Lakeville North on Tuesday night, was simply a precursor to a Class 4A, Section 1 tournament that promises to be a must-see.


Northfield setter Teagan Jaynes (1) tipped a ball over the net for a Raiders point in the pivotal fifth set. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

First Report

If Tuesday night's game in a steamy Northfield gym was any indication, the Class 4A, Section 1 tournament coming in the next two weeks is going to be a real shootout.

Northfield, unbeaten in Big 9 Conference play and tied for fourth in the latest Class 4A Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association rankings, held off a furious rally by Rochester Mayo, regaining control in the fifth set after losing sets three and four to win 25-20, 25-19, 19-25, 26-28, 15-6. The Raiders (19-2, 9-0) need to win just one of their two remaining games, against bottom-half conference teams, to clinch the 2022 Big 9 Conference regular-season championship.

Rochester Mayo (16-4, 7-2), which fell out of the rankings after sitting 10th last week, saw its hopes for a conference title vanish. But its inspired effort, especially in the middle sets, leaves the Spartans knowing they can compete in the rough and tough Section 1, which also includes No. 2-4A Lakeville North, No. 6-4A Lakeville South and Rochester Century, which beat Mayo in five sets and lost to Northfield in five sets.

Lakeville South upset Lakeville North on its home floor on Tuesday night to further throw the section powers into one giant melting pot. Northfield has now beaten each of the section's other top four teams, but the Raiders only barely survived Rochester Mayo and Rochester Century and won in best-of-three games against Lakeville North and Lakeville South. 


Rochester Mayo's Jadyn Lester (11) forced a ball past Northfield defenders Maddie McDowell and Sydney Jaynes in the fourth set. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

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