Roseville looked like a well-oiled machine in its Class 4A state quarterfinal Wednesday in St. Paul. The fourth-seeded Raiders cruised past fifth-seeded Rogers in three sets while committing just 15 total errors.

Roseville will meet top-seeded Lakeville South in the semifinals at 9 a.m. Thursday at Grand Casino Arena.

Roseville Area’s Chloe Kloeppner bumps the ball against Rogersduring the Class 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals of the State Volleyball Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Wednesday, Nov. 05, 2025. Roseville Area won 3-0.(Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

“We came out and played confident and fierce,” Roseville sophomore outside hitter Sam Bloomquist said.

Those traits have defined the Raiders (24-7) for the past several weeks. Roseville opened the season 11-7, not bad but not elite. It was swept twice in a row in late September, once by Stillwater and once by East Ridge.

“We had to reflect as a team and as players. (Roseville coach Greg Ueland) challenged us. He was like, ‘Do you guys really want this?’ ” junior setter Leah Biyadglign said. “And we had to come together and be like, ‘How are we going to show everyone else that Roseville is going to make it to state?’ ”

The Raiders have won 13 straight matches since that point, dropping only four sets in that span. The solution? By coming together and playing with the mental toughness and confidence they put on full display Wednesday.

Bloomquist led the way with 12 kills, while Sophia Gholson-Johnson added 10 more. Roseville put pressure on Rogers (25-8), which committed 25 errors.

The Raiders — who got vengeance on Stillwater with a sweep in the section final to get to St. Paul — are playing about as well as anyone in the state at the moment. Ueland said that while Roseville returned many players from last year’s team that finished fourth at state, it took time to build confidence and find this group’s distinct identity.

“We had a few injuries along the way, too, but they kind of just hung in there,” he said. “They’re tough, gritty and feisty in all the right ways. I love coaching them. I know all of our coaches do. … They’ve been willing to be brave, put in the work and take on the things right in front of them. So, it’s been awesome.”

For a million different reasons. Biyadglign gushed about the team’s chemistry. Ueland said everyone, from those who play a lot to not at all, has bought into their roles. He knew from Day 1 one this group could be special, and noted these Raiders have “absolutely” met that standard “and then some.”

“There have been several moments this season where you kind of take a breath and look around and you’re like, ‘I get to do this. This is my job. I get to coach these amazing kids.’ It’s kind of choking me up right now,” he said. “It’s such a great group, and I get to do this every day. Not everyone gets to do that.

“Just their willingness to be coached. In this world where people talk over and over like, ‘Kids aren’t the same blah, blah, blah.’ These kids are tough as heck, and they’re willing to be coached, they’re willing to be coached hard. They show up every day and there’s no complaining.”

Roseville Area head coach Greg Ueland talks with Leah Biyadglign (16) during a time out against Rogers in the Class 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals of the State Volleyball Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Wednesday, Nov. 05, 2025. Roseville Area won 3-0.(Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

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