Aubrey Kenner (Photo by Noah Clooten)
DEVILS LAKE — On Friday, many of the kids in the New Rockford and Maddock areas will cheer for the same football team in the Fargodome.
But first, they had to square off in volleyball on Thursday.
It wasn’t the first intense showdown between Benson County and New Rockford-Sheyenne. They’d played each other twice this season, with each team winning a five-setter against the other.
Both teams lost in the Region 2 semifinals, meaning they had to win to keep their season alive in Thursday’s third-place game at the Devils Lake Sports Center.
In the end, Benson County (30-4) earned the last triumph, beating NR-S (25-13) by a score of 3-1. The Wildcats advanced to a state qualifier match Saturday. The Rockets’ season came to an end.
“We were obviously really familiar with them. I think they’re really familiar with us,” Benson County senior Aubrey Kenner said. “They’re a great team. And I think that we just came out with the momentum today, and it was super fun that we get a second chance here. And I’m really excited for Saturday.”
Kenner and teammate Liberty Streyle were all-region selections at the end of the night. Ava Peterson and Logan Cudworth represented NR-S on the all-region team, with Peterson winning Region 2 Senior Athlete of the Year.
“I’ve played AAU basketball and club volleyball with Ava for years, and so we’ve really had that friendship,” Kenner said. “And now we’re co-opped with them for football. Tonight, we’re all heading over to Fargo for the state championship football game tomorrow. So I think that it’s just really fun to connect with people through sports. And sometimes people forget that it’s not just all about winning, but it’s about those connections and those friendships that you make along the way.”
Benson County had taken the most recent matchup between these teams, back in the district semifinals. But it was NR-S that came out hot.
The Rockets had a first-set lead as large as 17-9. Peterson and Emmie Belquist led their attack, while Kaci Weisenburger helped out in the middle. Belquist tallied five kills in the opening set.
NR-S wrapped up a 25-16 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
“We just didn’t have energy,” Benson County head coach Sheri Stuberg said. “We didn’t have any communication. We were just sluggish. Didn’t look like we wanted to be there, even.”
After opening the second set in a 5-5 deadlock, Benson County won 10 of the next 11 points. Kenner slammed a kill down the left sideline, and Brylee Stuberg blocked a hit from Belquist.
Streyle, the team’s setter, even got in on the action. After catching NR-S off guard with a hit in the first set, she volleyed one deep into the court to run the Wildcats’ lead up to 15-6.
“We don’t make it easy for her sometimes,” Kenner said with a laugh. “She’s running all over the court, and she plays all the way around. And so she gets those miles on.”
The Rockets fought back with a 5-0 run. Peterson had two kills in that stretch, while also sharing a block with Weisenburger.
They nearly crawled back in it. NR-S’ setter, Alivia Yri, tipped a kill of her own to make it as close as 19-17.
But Benson County ended the set on a 5-0 run. The 25-18 win was capped by another kill from Streyle — this time, on a full swing like a hitter would typically have.
“She has the best ball contact of any of our players, period,” Stuberg said. “So she could play any position, I think.”
In her main duties, Streyle totaled 39 assists on the night. She added 20 digs.
The Wildcats edged out the Rockets in the third set, 25-19, despite seven kills from Peterson. It doubled Peterson’s total on the night thus far.
Benson County fended off an early 5-2 lead from NR-S, after four consecutive kills between Peterson and Belquist. It was tied as late as 15-15. Stuberg had two kills and a block down the stretch of the set.
“It was fun to see her engaged in the game and be a part of it,” said Coach Stuberg, Brylee’s mom. “That was exciting.”
In the fourth set, with Benson County up 2-1 in the match, neither team won consecutive points until the Wildcats took three in a row to go up 7-5. The first two of those points were on back-to-back kills by Kenner.
Down 10-9, Benson County went on a 4-0 run, with kills from Addisyn Faul and Isabella Engstrom. NR-S shot right back with a 7-0 run. Belquist had three kills in that span.
With a 17-13 deficit, on the verge of going to another fifth set against the Rockets, Benson County held a timeout.
“We just couldn’t lose the energy. Couldn’t lose the fight,” Stuberg said. “We weren’t playing to win anymore. We were just trying to survive, and just to get out of that funk and keep trying to win.”
The Wildcats came back out with five in a row of their own. Lacie Fautsch slammed a hard kill and Kenner tallied two more kills, while Faul added a block.
NR-S tied it at 18-18. But Benson County won three in a row and seven of the last eight points.
Kenner put on the finishing touches with three kills in the last four points, including the kill that capped another 25-19 win.
“The team that wins these games is the one that stays mentally the strongest,” Kenner said. “And I think that was key. … I think we just stayed strong and stayed as a team. We played a major team game today. So I’m really excited and proud of these girls.”
Kenner led the Wildcats with 20 kills. Peterson had 14 for NR-S, while Belquist had 13.
As the third-place team from Region 2, Benson County will face Linton/HMB, the second-place team from Region 1, on Saturday in the state qualifiers. The match is set for 5 p.m. at Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown. The winner goes to the state tournament, while the loser’s season will end.
“I want to see us not give up,” Stuberg said. “I want to see us not droop our shoulders, not give up, not quit. We have a great team as a whole, and the way we came together, I want to see that again.”
