The Sacred Heart Eagles Volleyball team wrapped up an outstanding and historic 2026 season by making its first trip to the State Volleyball tournament in program history, had 30 wins for the first time, and finished fourth place at state after a 3-0 (30-28, 25-17, 25-21) loss to the Fillmore Central Falcons at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
FIRST SET
Sacred Heart took a 2-0 lead to start the match with a Fillmore Central attack error and a Stella Riskey kill. Fillmore Central tied the set at 2 and again at 3. The teams exchanged points, and Sacred Heart led 5-4 before going on a 13-3 run. The run started with a Stevens kill. Also recording kills for Sacred Heart were Lydida Riskey and Greta Effhauser. Lexi Lawrence added two kills and an ace, mixed with a bunch of Fillmore Central attack errors for an 18-7 lead. It looked like Sacred Heart might cruise to a first-set victory, but after the teams exchanged points for a while, Fillmore Central answered with a 15-4 run to tie the set at 24-24. The teams were tied at 25, 26, 27, and 28. Fillmore Central’s Madilyn Zwart gave the Falcons the lead with a kill, and Norah Nagel finished the set with an ace for a 30-28 victory.
SECOND SET
Fillmore Central started the set on a 3-1 run with the lone Sacred Heart point on a kill by Lydia Riskey. Lydia followed with a kill, and Stevens added a block for a kill to tie the set at 3-3-. Fillmore Central answered with five straight points for an 8-3 lead. The teams exchanged points, and with Fillmore Central leading 14-10, they went on a 7-2 run behind several aces and kills for a 21-12 lead. Sacred Heart couldn’t stop Fillmore Central as they won the set 25-17 for a 2-0 lead.
THIRD SET
Fillmore Central started the set on a 5-0 run with a pair of kills and a pair of aces. Fillmore Central led 8-3 when Sacred Heart called a timeout. The ensuing Falcon serve went out of bounds before Stevens had back-to-back blocks to get within an 8-6 deficit. The teams exchanged points for a while before Sacred Heart tied the set at 13-13 after a Lydia Riskey kill and a Falcon attack error. They were also tied at 16 and 17 before Fillmore Central scored three straight points on a pair of kills and a Sacred Heart attack error, forcing a Sacred Heart timeout. Sacred Heart’s Lawrence had a kill to get the Eagles within two points, only to have Fillmore Central’s Hannah Vaalemoen record a kill and the Falcon’s 17th service ace of the match for a 22-18 lead. A Falcon serve went out of bounds, and Lawrence had another kill before a Fillmore Central attack error, and Sacred Heart trailed 22-21. The Falcons finished the set with three kills to win the set 25-21 and the match 3-0.
The All-Tournament team was announced after the match, and Sacred Heart’s Finley Horken was named to the team. Also on the team were: Minneota’s Jaylyn Coequyt, Eden Meagher, Leah Coequyt, Autum Anderson; Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Teagan Dingmann and Jaylee Jensen; Fillmore Central’s Hannah Vaalemoen and Madilyn Zwart; and Mayer Lutheran’s Hallie Hunter.
Sacred Heart’s outstanding and historic season comes to an end with a 30-5 record and a fourth-place finish at state. They say goodbye to nine seniors: Finley Horken, Lydia Riskey, Sophia Modeen, Lexi Lawrence, Claire Adolphson, Leah Kennelly, Audrey Anderson, Catherine Downs, and Norah LaDue.
Fillmore Central ends the season with a 27-7 record.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Sacred Heart | 28 | 17 | 21 |
| Fillmore Central | 30 | 25 | 25 |
For Sacred Heart
Kills – Lydia Riskey 9, Lexi Lawrence 5, Bryn Stevens 4
Blocks – Bryn Stevens 5, Greta Effhauser 3
Assists – Finley Horken 19
Digs – Finley Horken 9, Lydia Riskey 8, Bryn Stevens 5
Aces – Finley Horken 1, Lexi Lawrence 1
For Fillmore Central
Kills – Norah Nagel 13, Madily Zwart 12, Lauren Dahly 10
Blocks – Hannah Vaalemoen 2, Madily Zwart 2
Assists – Braelynn Diekes 26, Hannah Vaalemoen 16
Digs – Josiana Corson 12, Hannah Vaalemoen 8
Aces – Norah Nagel 7, Hannah Vaalemoen 4, Josiana Corson 3, Braelynn Diekes 2, Lauren Dahly 1
