Roseville Area Sports

Student attendance at Roseville Area High School could be rather low on Thursday considering that the school's volleyball and football teams play state-tournament contests that day.

Thanks to back-to-back section-final victories last week, Roseville is gearing up for maybe its single biggest sports day in the history of the school.

A year ago, the Roseville Area High School volleyball team had a roster full of players who had plenty of varsity experience but none of it in the state tournament. Fast forward a year and the Raiders are back in the state tournament with a less-experienced group of players overall but five of them know what itís like to play in the state tournament.
Roseville received the No. 5 seed and opens the state tournament Thursday at 9 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center against fourth-seeded Eden Prairie.

Competing in its fifth consecutive state meet, the Roseville Area High School girls cross country team finished in the top half of the standings for the third straight time.
The Raiders would up seventh in the team standings in the Class AA state meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield on Saturday. They have finished eighth or better out of 16 teams three straight times and in four of the last five state meets.

Chris Simdorn's main message to his team last Friday night was less congratulatory and more about preparation. He was clearly happy for his team but also wanted them to know that there was still more to accomplish.

Prior to last Friday’s game, the Roseville Area High School football team hadn’t been the favorite in a post-season game in seven years. If there was any added pressure by the increased expectations, the Raiders didn’t let it get to them.

Over the past two seasons, the Roseville Area High School volleyball hasn’t lost a set in the section playoffs. The Raiders will try to keep that streak intact this week when it plays in the Section 4AAA semifinals.
Roseville recorded three consecutive three-set sweeps en route to a berth in the 2012 state tournament and began defense of that section title on Thursday with a three-set sweep of Henry Sibley, 25-18, 25-11, 25-11.

The Roseville Area High School girls cross country team ran its state-meet streak to five consecutive years thanks to its second-place finish at last week’s section meet.
The Raiders ended up with 88 points at the Section 4AA meet on Oct. 23 at the Les Bolstad Golf Course to hold off third-place White Bear Lake, which had 102 points. East Ridge won the section team title with 51 points.