SIOUX FALLS – This was all that Wolsey-Wessington was looking for in its final match of a milestone season.

The Warbirds not only collected a third-place finish in their first Class B State Volleyball Tournament appearance in school history, they managed to avenge a setback in the process. Wolsey-Wessington pulled out a 19-25, 25-19, 26-24, 26-24 victory over Burke Saturday night at the Premier Center.

“That was a team that beat us in the SoDak 16 last year. We wanted to come out and we wanted play well,” said Wolsey-Wessington coach Lindy Uttecht. “Playing for third place, that was a dream come true for us. Just getting here and then being able to play at night and a little bit of revenge.”

The Warbirds had to dig deep to pull out the victory. They trailed 16-14 in the pivotal third set before pulling out a win in extra points. Wolsey-Wessington then trailed 20-18 in the fourth set and saved a set point on the way to scoring the final three points to secure the victory.

“We kind of just believed in our training,” said Wolsey-Wessington senior Mya Boomsma. “We knew that we put in the work in our strength and conditioning this whole summer, so we were just believing in ourselves and knew that we could pull it out.”

The Warbirds tried to make the most of their height at the net and racked up seven solo blocks and 14 assisted blocks to help fuel the victory.

“We got some touches on the ball. We sent the ball back,” Uttecht said. “We were just hoping to maybe frustrate them a little bit to give our backrow a little bit of a break.”

Kailynn Dorris had five solo blocks and three assists, while Emree White had two solo and four assists and Malloy Miller four assists.

Miller said she can tell when her 6-foot-4 frame begins to take a toll on opponents.

“They’ll swing hard at first and they’ll try to kind of avoid me or swing their arms really high back,” Miller said, “and me and Kailynn will get a couple of good blocks and then they just tip. So it’s good to have a good presence like me and Kailynn at the net.”

Leah Williams topped the Warbirds with 17 kills and Boomsma followed with 11.

“We just wanted to go out and get third,” Boomsma said. “We made it this far and we at least wanted to end with a W.”

Miller, whose first love is basketball, transferred to the school this past fall and played a key role for the team. While Miller has played in a state volleyball and basketball tournament before, she enjoyed being part of her new team’s first trip to the state tourney.

“This volleyball team is very special to me,” Miller said. “Volleyball doesn’t come first in my heart, but it’s still a really great experience, so I’m grateful for it.”

The victory capped a 30-5 season for the Warbirds and proved to be a fitting finish in the final game for Boomsma in a Wolsey-Wessington uniform.

“It’s sad, but at the same time I’m trying to look at the positive that we made state,” Boomsma said. “So I’m grateful for everything and everyone who’s helped me through my volleyball career.”

Serving: Burke 5 aces (Savannah Geaghan 2, Elly Witt 1, Adisyn Indahl 1, Kailee Frank 1); Wolsey-Wessington 8 aces (Mya Boomsma 3, Leah Williams 2, Emree White 2, Mallory Miller 1).

Hitting: Burke 54 kills (Indahl 20, Fank 15, Paige Bull 11); Wolsey-Wessington 42 (Williams 17, Boomsma 11, Miller 7).

Setting: Burke 49 assists (Witt 23, Ava Sargent 18); Wolsey-Wessington 38 (Taylor Horn 20, White 10).

Digs: Burke 95 (Indahl 25, Elle Johnson 23, Geaghan 18, Sargent 13); Wolsey-Wessington 89 (Lainey Uttecht 28, Williams 26, Boomsma 14).

Blocks: Burke  2 solo 2 assists (Bull 2 solo 1 assist); Wolsey-Wessington 7 solo 14 assists (Kailynn Dorris 5 solo 3 assists, White 2 solo 4 assists, Miller 4 assists, Horn 2 assists).

Records: Burke 32-6; Wolsey-Wessington 30-5.