BROOKINGS – The Bobcats were sharp Tuesday night.

Brookings swept Mitchell – the No. 4 team in Class AA seed points – by the set scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-17 during Eastern South Dakota Conference volleyball action at the BHS Auxiliary Gym.

“Our girls played phenomenally tonight,” said BHS coach Jodi Melius. “Our front row defense – the touches we got at the net – really helped out our back row defense and took the pressure off them. I thought our back row played the best defense I’ve seen them play consistently in a match this year.

“Alli Gordon played really well; Miranda Ysbrand played very well; Kennedy Schafer stepped into a right-back role and played well; Ashlyn Borah played well for us on the outside; and our hitters really took care of business. Regan Weisbeck hit .417 tonight, which is definitely the best we’ve seen her do.

“So, overall, we played up to our potential for a full three sets and we were able to beat a very good team.”

The ‘Cats dominated play at times.

They grabbed the lead for good at 9-8 in the first set and gradually pulled away to a 22-16 advantage before holding off the Kernels late.

Leading by two, Michaela Jewett’s two-handed push landed in the back-right corner for a kill to put Brookings up 24-21 and a Mitchell net violation ended the set.

The Bobcats’ only lull came in Set 2.

A reversed call on a serve – initially ruled out of bounds but then changed to in – sparked a 9-0 Kernel rally that left the visitors leading 14-5.

However, Brookings scored 11 of the next 12 points to move on top 16-15 and carried the momentum the rest of the set for the three-point victory.

“Our girls just stayed calm and they just persisted,” Melius said of bouncing back from the big Kernel run. “They knew we could snap back from it and we did, so I’m so proud of them.”

In the third, Mitchell scored three consecutive points to pull within 17-15, before the Bobcats took over.

Kailee Bartels sandwiched kills on the right side around a Weisbeck kill to make it 20-15. The duo then teamed for a block to extend the lead.

Following a service error, Bartels and Weisbeck both had another kill, and a Kernel error gave the home team match point.

Brookings had an error of its own, but a service error – long – on Mitchell ended it.

Weisbeck finished with 12 kills, Kylie Tucker eight, Michaela Jewett and Johanna Miller seven apiece, Bartels five and Clarissa Miller three. Bartels added two blocks and Weisbeck one as Jewett dished out 33 set assists.

Ysbrand paced the defense with 24 digs, while Gordon had nine, Borah six and Schafer five. Gordon, Jewett and Schafer each netted a pair of aces.

“I hope this is a turning point where mentally we know that we’re capable of this, we know that we’re capable of playing solid volleyball for three-plus sets; and I expect us to continue this for the second half of our season,” added Melius.

Chelsea Brewster totaled 12 kills, six aces and 15 digs for Mitchell (11-4, 4-3).

Brookings (5-10, 2-2) plays host to Yankton on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.