RAPID CITY – They weren’t exactly the biggest schools there, but they had some of the biggest cheering sections.

Whenever Northwestern or Warner played in last week’s State Volleyball Tournament at The Monument in Rapid City, it was a given that each would have a large fan base in attendance.

Nowhere was their support more obvious than last Friday night when the two Lake Region Conference foes squared off in a riveting five-set semifinal match.

Playing in the middle of three courts, the Class B match featured way more spectators than the Class AA and Class A matches, despite featuring much smaller schools.

“And they had to come the farthest,” said Northwestern coach Nora Groft after her team’s third place match on Saturday night. “Our community is so supportive. Everybody showed up in green tonight. Our kids really feed off that energy that they give us. It just really helps our kids feel supported. Our community is pretty fantastic.”

Whether it was the green-clad Wildcats fans or the blue-colored Warner delegation, they were easy to pick out of a crowd, because they brought some of the largest and loudest crowds.

“It’s a long way out here,” said Warner coach Kari Jung. “These kids get a lot of support from their fans, their relatives, their parents, former players. It’s really fun to see in the crowd.”

While Northwestern and Warner fans have been known for years to travel well to support their teams, it was even more noticeable in a huge facility like The Monument, especially compared to much larger schools.

“It’s a big arena,” Jung said following her team’s title match on Saturday night. “I saw a lot of blue tonight, so that’s good.”

And regardless of what’s at stake, whether playing a regular season match on a week night in the middle of the season, or competing against the elite programs in a state tournament on the state’s biggest stage, Northwestern and Warner fans continue to show up and support their favorite team.

“Our community is invested in our program. That’s not something that I take lightly,” Groft said. “Our coaching staff works really hard to put a quality product on the floor for them every year, and hopefully give them something to cheer about.”