MINOT - The Kenmare Honkers always receive each team's best performance.

The Honkers have managed to remain unscathed for 54 straight matches, including a victory in last season's Class B state championship.

But on Friday, it finally caught up with the Honkers. Dickinson Trinity came away with a 25-19, 23-25, 19-25, 25-18, 15-9 victory in their semifinal match at the state tournament, giving Kenmare its first blemish on the season.

The victory sends the Titans (39-7) into tonight's championship match against Langdon, which was a 3-1 winner over Litchville-Marion-Montpelier. Kenmare (45-1) will play for third place against LMM at the Minot State Dome.

Kenmare topped Trinity twice this season in tournament play. But the Titans saved their best for the most important time and earned their first appearance ever in the title match.

"When you see a team play, you think, 'They're not that bad,'" Kenmare coach Tim Wallstrum said. "Then they play you, and they're unbelievable. We have carried that X on our back all year."

Kenmare's last loss came to Minot Our Redeemer's in the final match of the 2007 regular season.

Trinity's Breanna Messer posted impressive numbers, recording 14 kills, four blocks, six aces and 14 digs. Five Titans recorded 10 or more kills. In addition to Messer, Emily Gordon added 11, Marinna Marsh 11, Avery Jirges 10 and Shannon Ernst 10. Setter Sheyenne Plummer handed out 45 assists.

"They're not afraid to play good competition," Trinity first-year coach Melini Grosulak said of her team. "Give Kenmare a lot of credit. They never gave up."

Trinity grabbed the momentum in the fourth set by hopping out to a 13-3 lead. Little by little, the Honkers chipped away at the Titans' lead and narrowed the deficit to 24-18 with the help of an 8-1 run. Messer took a feed from Plummer to send the contest into the fifth and deciding game.

"We had faith in each other," said Messer, a middle hitter. "We believed in each other. We sat down, regrouped and looked at each other and said, 'We can do it.' "

With the help of two kills from Messer and Emily Gordon, the Titans cruised to a 10-5 advantage in the deciding game.

Messer put down two more kills, including the match-winner. On the outside Messer appeared cool, calm and collected. Inside, she was a raging bundle of nerves.

"I definitely was not as calm on the inside," she said. "But I did a good job of staying confident. As a team, we stayed calm, but I could see the nerves in everyone."

In the second and third games, Kenmare fed the right side. Trinity made adjustments in the final two games.

"We switched our rotation to get a block to the right side more," Messer said.

Katie King paced Kenmare with 17 kills. Keri Nelson and Stephanie Barnhart added 13 apiece. Setter Kendra Miller handed out 38 assists.

"This is a match where the team that makes the least errors is going to win," Wallstrum said. "They made the least errors. I don't feel bad about losing games like that. This has been a fantastic season. We got beat by a good team. Win or lose, we had a great season."

Kenmare 19 25 25 18 9

Trinity 25 23 19 25 15

Kenmare: Kills - Katie King 17, Keri Nelson 13, Stephanie Barnhart 13. Blocks - Barnhart 4, King 3. Assists - Kendra Miller 38. Digs - Dayna Froseth 23, Macie Harris 22, Miller 15. Aces - Barnhart 4, Miller 1, Nelson 1, King 1.

Trinity: Kills - Breanna Messer 14, Emily Gordon 11, Marinna Marsh 11, Avery Jirges 10, Shannon Ernst 10. Blocks - Messer 4, Jirges 3, Gordon 1, Ernst 1. Assists - Sheyenne Plummer 45. Digs - Marsh 18, Messer 14, Sheyenne Plummer 13. Aces - Messer 6, Marsh 1, Ernst 1, Alyson Kovash 1.

Records: Kenmare 45-1, Trinity 39-7.

Langdon 3, LMM 1

McKenzie Hart put down 16 kills and Courtney Becker added 14 to lead the Langdon Cardinals to a 17-25, 25-19, 28-26, 25-17 victory over the LMM Rebels. Setter Ashley Hall dished out 39 assists.

Heather Brown collected 11 kills, and Erika Lies added 10 for the Rebels. Carly Van Bruggen had 28 assists.

LMM 25 19 26 17

Langdon 17 25 28 25

LMM: Kills - Heather Brown 11, Erika Lies 10, Kayla Rodin 8. Blocks - Brown 5, Sophie Miller 1, Lies 1, Rodin 1. Assists - Carly Van Bruggen 28. Digs - Rodin 18, Lies 17, Van Bruggen 17. Aces - Brown 3, Van Bruggen 2, three with one.

Langdon: Kills - McKenzie Hart 16, Courtney Becker 14, Rachael Bachman 7. Blocks - Rachael Darling 3, Bachman 2, Becker 2. Assists - Ashley Hall 39. Digs - Shannon Overby 19, Hart 11, Darling 11. Aces - Hall 3, Hart 3, Overby 2.

Records: LMM 22-1; Langdon 37-8.