The Custer volleyball team suffered its second defeat at the Class A state volleyball tournament Friday, falling to Elk Point-Jefferson in three games, 25-14, 25-13, 25-12.

“We came out strong, but once their jump server scored a few points, we just kind of shut down,” Custer head coach Renae Schneider said. “They weren’t any better than the serving we had seen throughout the season, but we just didn’t play our game.”

Dominant serving and strong hitting helped EP-J get the win as both Reanna Bertram and Chrissy Strassburg had five aces each and the team had 11 in the match.

Cassie Hillbrands led the way with nine kills and Kelly Reed added nine in the Elk Point-Jefferson win.

Melissa Flores led the way for Custer with 10 kills in the match as she was the lone Wildcat to reach double figures. Allison Kostelecky dished out 13 assists and had 14 digs to lead in both those categories.

“Allison Kostelecky played consistent throughout the match,” Schneider said.

Custer will face Sioux Valley at 8 a.m. MST today in the seventh-place game, and Elk Point-Jefferson plays Sioux Falls Christian for fifth place.

“We will start six seniors and it is their last opportunity to play with this team, and it is up to them how they want to go out,” Schneider said. “I think up to now we have been playing like we are satisfied just to be here, and not playing the type of ball we had been.”

CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS

WAGNER 3, PLATTE-GEDDES 0: A trio of Red Raiders led a balanced attack to help Wagner complete a three-game sweep of Platte-Geddes, 25-16, 25-12, 25-14, on Friday in Watertown to advance to today’s Class A state championship game.

Kami Hoeke, Jilanne Doom and Devon Brecke each had nine kills as Wagner (33-1 overall) finished with 37 total kills. Keaya Weber dished out 31 set assists and made 12 digs. Jenny Eggers recorded a game-high 16 digs.

Platte-Geddes (25-5) was led by Kellee Griese’s eight kills and Emily Johnson’s six kills. Rachel Sternberg made 17 set assists. Kendra Knudson paced the team with 14 digs.

Milbank 3, Mobridge-Pollock 0: Megan Nedved and Mandy Frogner paced Milbank’s offense as the Bulldogs swept Mobridge-Pollock, 25-15, 25-15, 25-20, in a Class A semifinal volleyball match Friday in Watertown.

Nedved made a game-high 16 kills and Frogner tallied 13 kills. Sami Nygaard contributed 37 set assists and 17 digs for the Bulldogs.

Kassidy Keller and Erin Rabenberg led the Mobridge-Pollock attackers with a combined 15 kills. Keller also contributed a team-high 18 digs. Monica Bailey handled the setting duties with 15 assists.

Milbank (24-2 overall) faces Wagner in today’s Class A title game. Mobridge-Pollock (24-8) takes on Platte-Geddes for third place.

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

SIOUX FALLS CHRISTIAN 3, SIOUX VALLEY 0: Led by three players with at least eight kills each, Sioux Falls Christian downed Sioux Valley, 25-22, 25-13, 29-27, at the Class A state volleyball tournament in Watertown on Friday.

Claire Assam led the way for Christian with 12 kills and four digs, Kiara VanderPol added nine kills and Kaitlin Hanson had eight kills.

Taylor and Brooke Olson paced Sioux Valley with seven kills apiece.

Christian had the advantage in aces and held on to close out the match with a back-and-forth third game.

With the win, Sioux Falls Christian will face Elk Point-Jefferson in the fifth-place match at 9:45 a.m. MST today, while Sioux Valley plays Custer at 9 a.m.