Defense sends Caledonia to state championship after five-set win

Fifth-ranked Warriors take on No. 2 Mayer Lutheran on Saturday

A win away from a state championship for Caledonia High School’s volleyball team.

It went into “overtime” so to speak in a five-set match.

The fifth-ranked Warriors edged No. 3-ranked Tracy-Milroy-Balaton today 20-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 16-14.

https://t.co/0bjtaDDBqa – Photos: @CaliAthletics advances to Class A State championship game tomorrow with 3-2 semifinal win pic.twitter.com/3rCQF30TsK

— Andrew Link (@alinkphoto) November 11, 2016

Mariah Schroeder put the Warriors up 15-14 with a kill in that fifth set, while an attack sent deep by T-M-B (29-8) gave them the win.

Winning point to send @CaliAthletics to Class A state championship match pic.twitter.com/FnZM23AJrB

— Jason Feldman (@PBFeldy) November 11, 2016

At 1 p.m. Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center, Caledonia (30-5) will play No. 2-ranked Mayer Lutheran (28-6) for a Class A state title.

Mayer Lutheran also needed five sets to get into the championship, beating No. 7 Heritage Christian.

Schroeder had 15 kills, Madison Heaney 12 and Lydia Lange added 11 for Caledonia. Adrianna Reinhart set them up with 45 assists, but it may have been the defense that was the difference.

Caledonia had 102 digs as T-M-B hit just .078. Six players had double-digits led by Heaney’s 22. Sam Schroeder had 18, Reinhart had 15, Katelyn Stemper 16 and Mariah Schroeder 14.