Lakeville North sweeps East Ridge, will play for Class 4A volleyball title

This is the way Lakeville North has been striving to play all season.

The Panthers rolled over East Ridge 25-11, 25-16, 25-17 on Thursday in the semifinals of the Class 4A volleyball state tournament at Xcel Energy Center.

Lakeville North, the No. 2 seed, came out blazing, crushing the Raptors 25-11 in the first set. The tone set, the Panthers made short work of a team that had played them tightly in an invitational in mid-October.

In the postseason, the Panthers (29-4) have avenged two of their four losses, beating highly regarded Lakeville South and Northfield in the section tournament.

"I've never experienced anything like it," setter Ava Blascziek said about her team's surge. "There's this natural chemistry. We're all so selfless and constantly giving to each other, and it's a fun experience to be a part of."

Coach Jackie Richter gave credit to the Panthers' rugged regular-season schedule, which has prepared them for tournament-level play.

"The team has done an excellent job, with our strong schedule, learning how to respond throughout the game," Richter said. "It's about getting punched sometimes but not getting knocked down and staying in the place but getting back up and punching back."

Lakeville North landed most of the strikes in the semifinal. The Panthers had 46 kills to 25 for East Ridge (24-8) and had seven service aces. Sydney Carlson had 13 kills, Emily Ramsay 12 and Rayna Christianson eight in their diverse attack. Blascziek distributed 33 set assists, keeping everything running smoothly.

"They were aggressive from the start," East Ridge coach Steve Anderson said. "They kept us off balance. The better team won today."