Bethlehem Academy Plays for Third Place

The Faribault Bethlehem Academy Cardinal volleyball team is playing for third place at the State Class A Volleyball Tournament Saturday in St. Paul.

Bill Bentson will be joined by Bethany Boelter on the call on KAT KOUNTRY 105 104.9 FM.  You can also listen worldwide at www.katkountry105.com or download the FREE Radio Pup app and listen on your favorite device.

It's the first time the Cardinals have not made the championship match when they've been at the State Volleyball Tournament.

The Minneota Vikings swept the Cardinals in semi-final action Friday at the Excel Energy Center 25-19, 27-25, 25-11.

Bethany and I agreed had the Cardinals won the second set (and they had set point twice) it might have been a different story.

But after dropping the second set the Cardinals had a dip in energy and Minneota jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third set and put the pedal to the metal.

Bethlehem Academy could execute just four kills in the third set while having four errors.

Senior middle hitter Mary Campbell had just one kill in the third set and finished the day with 11 while hitting .211.

The Cardinal team had a hitting percentage of .079 and Minneota was .236 including a blistering .302 in the third set.

it took just 70 minutes for the Vikings to dispatch the Cardinals and advance to challenge top ranked and defending champion Mayer Lutheran for the 2017 Class A title.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the match were junior libero Olivia Nass and Mary Campbell.

Nass finished the match with 17 digs to lead Bethlehem Academy in that category.

Sophomore Laney Donahue was a kill shy of a double double with 9 kills and 13 digs and tallied two service aces.

Both teams had six aces.

The Cardinals collected five blocks and the Vikings three.

Saturday's match between Wadena-Deer Creek and Bethlehem Academy will feature two of the winningest coaches in Minnesota high school volleyball history.

Coach Franz Boelter has 602 wins in 26 years for the Cardinals and Wolverines Head Coach Sue Volkmann has 533 wins in 31 years.