About 17 hours after completing a thrilling, two-set comeback to bounce third-seeded Rogers in the quarterfinals of the volleyball state tournament, Stillwater was back in action at Xcel Energy Center for a Class 4A semifinal match against second-seeded New Prague.

And, just a couple of points in, Stillwater coach Sara Baumgard could tell her team was fatigued from the night before.

“I don’t think we were as mentally sharp,” Baumgard said, “and that showed physically.”

It’s a big ask to bounce back almost immediately from a marathon match to deliver the goods again the next morning. But Baumgard still credited much of Friday’s happenings in St. Paul to New Prague.

The Trojans were dominant en route to their 25-11, 25-17, 25-18 victory over the unseeded Ponies. New Prague will face undefeated, three-time defending state champion Wayzata in the title match at 7 p.m. Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.

“That was a lot different than last night, that’s for sure,” Baumgard said. “But honestly, hats off to New Prague. That offense was one of the best offenses we’ve faced yet.”

She touted the variety in the Trojans’ offense, noting New Prague’s attack was consistently different from one play to the next. Avery Klein led the Trojans with 19 kills, and the Trojans hit an impressive .271 as a team.

New Prague was constantly aware of Stillwater’s best hitters, and used a strong serving game to keep the Ponies out of system.

“I think the quick turnaround probably helped us out a little bit,” Trojans coach Greg Sayuk said. “So we knew we had that, and just had to take advantage of it.”

Stillwater will take on Anoka, which Wayzata swept in Thursday’s other semifinal match, in the third-place match Saturday to wrap a remarkable season for the Ponies. There was frustration on the faces of Stillwater’s players Thursday, but only because they didn’t feel like they brought their “A” game.

“We weren’t playing like we normally do. And I think that’s what is really the sticky part right now,” senior middle hitter Mackenzie Peters said. “Because normally we’re like a unit going in, and today was not that way.”

But Wednesday was. Stillwater (20-10) felt its comeback win over Rogers was a good representation of the team it became over the course of the season. Peters called the season a “rollercoaster” — and one that had a fabulous final destination.

“We are a completely different team than we started this year,” she said. “It’s been the biggest improvement I’ve ever seen in a team before. Mental grit is always there. We always play together, and we’re each other’s biggest supporters.”

That includes what she called one of the best benches in the state, as well as an always-supportive, communicative team on the floor.

“It’s been night and day from the start,” senior setter Alexa Lehman said. “It feels good to win with the team, and even to lose sometimes. As long as you’re doing it as a team, you’re going to feel good.”

New Prague will play for a state championship in its first season of Class 4A tournament competition. That’s not something players anticipated when they first heard the news of the class change. But they credited Sayuk for setting that expectation from the start.

Of course, as soon as you think of Class 4A, you think of Wayzata.

“Because they’re like the big school and they’re known for winning lots of state championships,” Trojans junior outside hitter Emerson Dillon said.

The Trojans (27-5) noted getting this far is a major accomplishment. But they won’t settle for what they’ve already achieved, much like they didn’t rest on simply reaching state by way of downing Lakeville North in the section final.

“I feel like we don’t really ever settle for anything. We’ve been coached for that and we know, even if we do get a good win, we take time to celebrate that, but then we say, ‘OK, we’re moving on to the next thing. We can do more,’ ” senior setter Annalise Wilson said. “We always push for more, and we’re ready for that next step.”

Working in New Prague’s favor is the knowledge the Trojans can compete with top-seeded Wayzata. They actually beat Wayzata twice at a camp over the summer.

“Even though we have beaten them before, we’re taking them as a serious threat, still,” Wilson said. “But we do know we have the skills and the athletes to win the championship.”

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