FARMINGTON, Minn. – The #4 seeded Farmington Tigers faced off against the #5 Owatonna Huskies in the first round of section playoffs. Earlier in the season, on September 10th, Farmington claimed a 3-1 victory, but tonight's match carried the weight of the season.

Set one was tightly contested, with both teams exchanging points until the Tigers surged ahead with a 20-12 lead. The Huskies rallied late, but an ace from Elexis West and a tip from Taylor Hagedorn sealed a 25-18 win for Farmington.

In Set two, Owatonna started strong, racing to a 7-2 lead that prompted a Farmington timeout. The Tigers responded with a big block and a kill from Sabrina Caven, narrowing the gap. Owatonna, however, maintained their advantage and took a timeout at 14-18. Despite some back-and-forth action, the Tigers called their final timeout down 16-21. A near ace attempt saw an Owatonna player make a spectacular save, leading to a 25-20 set win for the Huskies.

Carried by their momentum, Owatonna jumped to a 9-5 lead in set three, forcing a timeout from the Tigers. Farmington fought back to 10-11, triggering an Owatonna timeout. The Tigers eventually took their first lead of the set at 14-13. A crucial call at the net and a net violation put Farmington ahead 19-17, prompting another Huskies timeout. However, Owatonna clinched set three 25-23.

With their season on the line, Farmington faced another early deficit in set four, trailing 10-12 before Braelyn Hendrickson's powerful swing helped them narrow the lead. Owatonna pulled ahead 17-13, leading to Farmington's last timeout. The Tigers surged back, eventually leading 22-21 after a missed serve by Owatonna and a kill from Caven. Lila Johannsen added an ace, and Caven's timely kill secured a thrilling 26-24 win, pushing the match to a fifth set.

In the decisive set, the Tigers quickly found themselves down 0-3, prompting an early timeout. Owatonna extended their lead to 7-2 before Farmington clawed back to within two points. After a Huskies timeout, Owatonna increased their lead again. But with impressive kills from Caven and Hendrickson, the Tigers tied it at 9-9. Ramsie Witt and Elexis West added key kills, and Taylor Hagedorn finished strong, leading Farmington to a dramatic 15-11 victory in the set and a 3-2 win in the match!

 

Final Score - Farmington defeats Owatonna 3-2 (25-18, 20-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-11) .
Location -  Farmington High School, Farmington Minnesota.
Record - Farmington 15-13, Owatonna 14-16
Up Next - The Tigers will face #1 Lakeville South on Wednesday, October 30th.