Steeled from their season-long fight against the tough competition in District 5, the Carrington Cardinals were not a team for opponents to underestimate or look past.
If the E-K-M Rebels occupied the proverbial "S-tier", then the Cardinals, along with LaMoure/Litchville-Marion and Oakes, definitely qualified as "A-tier" programs, to borrow the popular ranking convention.
Three-time defending Region 3 champion and District 6 tournament winner Linton-HMB knew they were in for a battle no matter who they drew, and the Cards and Lions hit the court for a titanic battle at the nets.
In the end, fourth-seeded CHS pulled off the upset, 3-1, by set counts of 27-25, 22-25, 25-19 and 25-23 to end the Lady Lions' pursuit of a fourth straight State Class B berth.
Madison Johnson's 16 kills, along with 15 more from Isabel Wendel, carried the day for the Cards. Four other players had at least four kills, displaying Carrington's trademark rotational depth and non-reliance on just one or two players for their attacking role.
The Cards' two setters, Kacie Rexin (22 assists) and Wendel (21) were consistent in keeping the team's net assault running at full speed. The block was also doing their job, as three players, Wendel, Edyn Hoornaert and Kaydence VanRay, were all responsible for three blocks apiece.
Libero Kenadie Pazdernik was co-leader for digs with Johnson, making 33, and she was the top offensive server with two aces. Wendel finished with 28 digs, and freshman Harper Kollman added 23.
During the match, Wendel, a junior, recorded her 1,000th career assist.
Linton-HMB's season came to a close with a record of 15-13. The Lions were led by Emma Weiser's 25 kills, to go along with 12 kills by Brooklyn Schumacher.
Jersey Vogel's 25 assists paced the Lady Lions, and Schumacher contributed 18 more. Both Weiser and Schumacher had four blocks, and Schumacher made 35 digs.
Senior Grace Keeney also hit the quadruple digit milestone with her 1,000th dig in the loss, to go with a match total of 28.
Carrington (25-10) advanced to the Region 3 semifinals against LaMoure/L-M, in their attempt to reach the championship match for the fourth time in a five-year span. The victory kept alive a 15-year streak of advancement to at least the regional semifinal round.
Region 3 Volleyball
Tournament, Ellendale
Quarterfinals
Carrington 3, Linton-HMB 1
Cgtn. 27 22 25 25 - 3
LHMB 25 25 19 23 - 1
Carrington Individual Stats
Kills: Madison Johnson 16, Isabel Wendel 15, Harper Kollman and Kaydence VanRay 5, Edyn Hoornaert and Mercedes Lura 4.
Aces: Kenadie Pazdernik 2, Johnson and Kacie Rexin 1.
Assists: Rexin 22, Wendel 21, Johnson and Pazdernik 2.
Blocks: Hoornaert, VanRay and Wendel 3, Johnson 1.
Digs: Johnson and Pazdernik 33, Wendel 28, Kollman 23, Rexin 11, Hoornaert and Brynn Smith 7, Lura 4, VanRay 1.
Linton-HMB Individual Stats
Kills: Emma Weiser 25, Brooklyn Schumacher 12, Sophia Hulm and Jersey Vogel 6, Makiah Ryckman 4, Abigail Hulm 2.
Aces: Grace Keeney, Vogel and Schumacher 1.
Assists: Vogel 25, Schumacher 18, Madisyn Sauter 6, Weiser 2, Keeney and Amber McCrory 1.
Blocks: Schumacher and Weiser 4, Vogel 3, S. Hulm 2.
Digs: Schumacher 35, Keeney 28, Weiser 23, Vogel 18, McCrory 13, A. Hulm 5, Ryckman and Sauter 4, S. Hulm 1.