MINOT – What didn’t seem likely six weeks ago has now happened for Jamestown Blue Jays Volleyball.

For the third straight year, Jamestown is a state tournament team, qualifying after a three-set win Saturday over Dickinson 25-22, 25-15, 25-21 at the Class A West Region Tournament at the Magic City Campus of Minot High School.

Jamestown (21-17) had to defeat St. Mary’s on November 7 in a play-in match to make the quarterfinals.  After a loss in that round to Bismarck, Jamestown stopped Minot North on Friday.

Then on Saturday, Lucy Falk had 15 kills to lead the Blue Jays’ attack.  Leah Trumbauer had seven kills, nine digs, two aces and two blocks.  Edie Hegerle scored six kills, 19 digs, 32 assists and an ace.  Amelia Newman also served two aces.  Jetta Peterson had 17 digs and Aunika Moser achieved nine.

Jenna Nelson led Dickinson (24-14) with 22 kills and had 60 in three matches in the tournament.

Dickinson had early first-set advantages of 7-2 and 10-6 before Jamestown came back for a 14-14 score.  Dickinson grabbed a 21-19 lead before Mari Anderson killed for the Blue Jays.  Dickinson scored on an attack error before Jamestown scored the last five points of the set, including two kills by Falk and one by Haley Attleson for the 25th point.

After the second set was tied at 6-6, Trumbauer and Falk had back-to-back kills for the Jays.  Lexi Bradley scored a kill to bring Dickinson within 8-7, but Jamestown then scored the next nine points on kills by Falk and Hegerle, a Peterson ace, an error, kills by Brooklyn Busch and Falk, an error and another Falk kill for a 17-7 lead.  Trumbauer had three more kills late in the set.

Nelson had 10 kills for Dickinson to help them to a 15-13 lead in the third set, but Jamestown then charged again.  Anderson and Falk had kills and Trumbauer served an ace as Jamestown scored four straight.  Cecilia Homiston and Bradley killed for Dickinson for 17-17.  Anderson and Hegerle answered with Blue Jay kills and JHS never trailed again.  Falk had two more kills, with the second giving Jamestown a 21-19 lead.  Dickinson was down one at 22-21 before Trumbauer killed, Dickinson had an attack error and Hegerle killed to end the match.

Jamestown will begin its 13th state tournament appearance and 11th in the last 13 seasons Thursday by meeting two-time defending state champion West Fargo Sheyenne.  Coverage will begin at 12:45 PM Thursday on The Voice of the Blue Jays, Jamestown 107.1.  These teams met on October 12 in the Fargo Metro tournament, with Sheyenne winning in two straight sets.  The Blue Jays lost in a 2023 semifinal match to the Mustangs in four sets.