Kenyon-Wanamingo Volleyball is So Consistent

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights volleyball team has been so consistent this year it's almost scary, to use a Halloween term.

Thursday night they jump served, dug, blocked and pulverized the ball with regularity, spoiling the Rochester Lourdes Eagles' senior night in the process.

The Class 2A No. 1-rated Knights swept the Eagles 25-12, 25-11 and 25-17.

Aggressive serving has been one of the keys to their success, with seniors Mia Peterson, Mara Quam and Megan Flom setting the tone for each set with a variety of impressive serves. Unofficially, I had the Knights with nine ace serves and eight service errors in Rochester.

It's not just the aces. Rarely do teams get to play "in system," as coaches call it, because of their aggressive serving.

When the season began, teams generally keyed on Quam and Flom, but now Corynne Dahl and Ally Peterson have become more consistent on the attack and are very capable of assisting on the block.

Kasey Dummer is so fluid in the back row with a high percentage of on-target passes even when scrambling for a ball. It's truly amazing.

I know I often call Quam Super Woman for her soaring in the air kills, but Dummer is like Catwoman with her quick instincts, and Flom's play has improved immensely over the past year (Wonder Woman maybe).

Thursday night Kenyon-Wanamingo jumped out  to a 7-0 lead before I had even settled on my stool thanks once again to the serving of Mia Peterson. She finished the night with four aces.

Unofficially I had Super Woman, er, Quam with 12 kills, Wonder Woman Flom and Ally Peterson with seven kills, and Dahl with five.

Head coach Jen Nerison told me during our Milo Peterson Ford keys to the game segment the four seniors - Flom, Peterson, Quam and Dummer - have been very focused in their approach. Nerison said right after their loss to eventual state champion Belle Plaine last year they vowed to work their tails off to get to the same spot and take it another step.

Kenyon-Wanamingo is now 10-0 in the Hiawatha Valley League and has lost only one set during conference play. That came to Hayfield.

The Knights now have a winning streak of 14 straight matches since their only loss to Caledonia in the championship of the Wabasha-Kellogg Tournament.

With the win over Rochester Lourdes, the Knights assured themselves of at least a tie for the conference title, but Nerison said her team wants to have the crown all to themselves after a three-way tie two years ago and sharing the title last season.

The only remaining hurdle for that goal is Tuesday's match in the Castle in Kenyon against the Cannon Falls Bombers.

The match will be broadcast on KDHL Radio 920 AM and worldwide at www.kdhlradio.com. People can also download the free RadioPup app and listen on their favorite mobile device.