REGIONAL- With the opening set slipping away and Barnum threatening to turn Friday’s Section 7A semifinal into a much longer night, the Ely Timberwolves found another gear.
Ely erased three set points to take the opener, rolled through the second, and held off another determined Bombers challenge in the third for a 27-25, 25-14, 25-23 sweep at Rock Ridge High School. The victory sent the Wolves into the section championship with a fourth state tournament berth in five seasons within reach.
The Wolves came out firing, taking a 7-2 lead in the first set and maintaining a 15-9 advantage before Barnum began chipping away. A four-point Bombers run narrowed the gap to 15-13, and Barnum caught Ely at 17-17 before pushing ahead 24-21.
But the Wolves weren’t ready to surrender the set. Audrey Kallberg and Amelia Penke delivered kills, and Charlotte Hegman served an ace to pull Ely even at 24-24. With the pressure mounting, Violet Udovich came through with two big plays at the net to help the Wolves secure the 27-25 win.
Ely took command more decisively in the second. After a close battle through 14-12, Kallberg knocked down a kill to launch a five-point Wolves run and open a 19-12 cushion. Two late kills by Hegman and another by Udovich helped finish off the 25-14 victory.
The third set brought another test of Ely’s composure. The Wolves built a 12-6 lead, only to see Barnum rally for a 15-14 edge. Neither team could break free as the score was tied five times through 23-23.
Ely delivered the final two blows. Udovich put up a block, and Lydia Shultz hammered the match-winning kill to send the Wolves back to the championship match.
Udovich powered the attack with 18 kills and added five solo blocks and two block assists. Kallberg contributed 10 kills, Shultz had seven, and Penke added six. Gretta Lowe distributed 37 assists, while Shultz and Hegman led the back row with 12 digs apiece. Hegman also served two aces.
The victory lifted the Wolves to 25-4 and set up a rematch with top-seeded Chisholm, which swept Cromwell-Wright in the other semifinal. The ninth-ranked Bluestreaks entered the final at 27-3, while Ely held the No. 10 spot in the Class A rankings.
Their previous meeting offered plenty of reason to expect a battle. Chisholm edged Ely in five sets on Sept. 14, winning the deciding set 15-13. The Wolves were seeking another trip to state after claiming section titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Chisholm’s only previous state appearance came in 2007.
The championship match was scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Rock Ridge. Visit the Timberjay’s website or Facebook page for match results.
Mt. Iron-Buhl
Ely reached the semifinals with a convincing 25-8, 25-16, 25-9 home sweep of Mt. Iron-Buhl on Wednesday.
Udovich and Kallberg shared the team lead with 10 kills each, followed by Shultz with eight, Penke with six, and Hegman with five. Gretta Lowe directed the offense with 35 assists.
Udovich added four solo blocks and a block assist, while Shultz served three aces. Gretta Lowe and Hegman each recorded seven digs to lead the Wolves’ defense.