Gopher Conference Volleyball Opens Playoffs Impressively
The Gopher Conference had no less than 9 teams enter the postseason with double digit victories this year. It's an impressive result showing the league is very good.
Thursday night playoffs began in Minnesota with the Gopher flexing it's muscles. Half the team in the league advanced in their respective tournaments.
Kenyon-Wanamingo hosted Leroy-Ostrander on KDHL with the Knights sweeping the Cardinals in 54 minutes. 25-5, 25-18, 25-11.
The first set was less than 15 minutes thanks in large part to the serving of the Cashwise Foods and Pharmacy of Owatonna Delivery of the game.
The serves of Josie Quam. The senior reeled off 6 aces in the first set and finished with 10 ace serves in the match. The team total for the night was 17.
Sophmore setter Carmen Nerison had 5 ace serves. The Knights had one service error the entire match.
When you are scoring nearly a set worth of points on ace serves the kill numbers will be down. There are 75 points to be achieved total.
K-W had 26 kills according to their official statistics led by Tessa Erlandson with 9. Fellow senior Norah Rechtzigel had 7 kills. Quam finished with 4. Senior Grace Nystuen and junior Josie Flom each had 3 kills.
Every Knights player got to play in the team's final home match of the season.
Erlandson had 3 ace blocks, Rechtzigel 2 and Nystuen 1.
Nerison led the way with 20 set assists. Erlandson amassed 14 digs, libero, junior Rachel Ryan had 13 digs in the lopsided affair.
Kenyon-Wanamingo will play Hayfield in the Rochester Mayo Civic Center Halloween night at 7:30 p.m. The fellow Gopher Conference team also swept their opponent Lanesboro by scores of 25-17, 25-19, 25-17.
Top seed Faribault Bethlehem Academy cruised to wins of 25-9, 25-9, 25-8 over the Southland Rebels.
The Cardinals will play 6:00 p.m. Halloween against the Rushford-Peterson Trojans after R-P dispatched Randolph 25-23, 25-22, 25-17.
In other Section 1A competition #2 seed Mabel-Canton swept Glenville-Emmons 25-5, 25-10, 25-7. The Cougars will go up against Alden-Conger Monday at 6:00 p.m. in Rochester after the Knights swept Grand Meadow 25-20, 25-19, 25-15.
Another quarterfinal round match Monday in Rochester will be #4 seed Spring Grove who blew away the Houston Hurricanes 25-4, 25-14, 25-15 facing Fillmore Central, 25-13, 25-16, 25-8 victors over Wabasha-Kellogg at 7:30 p.m.
In Section 1AA action Thursday top seed Zumbrota-Mazeppa swept Lewiston-Altura 25-7, 25-13, 25-14 while #8 seed Medford needed only 3 sets to defeat #9 seed Blooming Prairie 25-21, 25-16, 25-20.
The Cougars and Tigers play Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in Rochester.
#2 seed Cannon Falls ended the season of Plainview-Elgin-Millville 25-8, 25-17, 25-13 while Pine Island traveled to Winona and defeated Cotter in four sets winning the first 25-18, falling in the second 26-24 before capturing 26-24, 25-15 victories.
The #10 seed Panthers will tangle with the Bombers 7:30 p.m. in Rochester Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
In other Quarterfinals action Tuesday in Rochester #5 seed Goodhue and #4 seed Caledonia play 6:00 p.m. while #3 seed Chatfield tangles with #6 seed LaCrescent at 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcats needed four sets to defeat Triton 25-21, 25-23, 11-25, 25-20.
Caledonia swept Rochester Lourdes 25-7, 25-19, 25-16 while Chatfield dispatched St. Charles 25-16, 25-8, 25-13.
The Lancers squeaked by Lake City in come-from-behind fashion dropping the first two sets to the Tigers 25-19, 25-22 before winning 25-18, 25-19, 15-7.
Section 2AA South Subsection: Waterville-Elysian-Morristown blew by the St. Clair Cyclones 25-15, 25-18, 25-7 with 108 digs in the sweep led by libero Josie Volkmann and Addison Condon each with 22 digs.
Alayna Atherton and Claire Bohlen had 12 and 17 kills respectively and the Buccaneers hammered 7 ace serves.
W-E-M will play Lake Crystal-Wellcome-Memorial Tuesday, November 1, 2022 7:45 p.m. at Mankato East High School.
LCWM downed Blue Earth Area in four sets. After dropping the first set 26-24 they reeled off wins of 25-17, 25-14, 25-19.
The 6:00 p.m. match at Mankato East will have top seed New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva colliding with #4 Waseca.
The Bluejays took 4 sets to defeat Maple River losing the first 25-20 before winning 25-16, 25-20, 26-24.
The Panthers purred to a sweep of Minnesota Valley Lutheran 25-20, 25-19, 25-7.
In Section 2AA North Subsection competition top seed Southwest Christian rolled by LeSueur-Henderson 25-9, 25-11, 25-6. Glencoe-Silver Lake defeated Holy Family Catholic in four sets winning the first two by identical 25-20 scores before losing 25-22 and winning 25-22.
Southwest Christian plays G-S-L Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in New Prague.
The 7:45 p.m. Quarterfinal match will be Norwood-Young America facing Belle Plaine.
#2 seed Tigers swept Sibley East 25-16, 25-11, 25-10 while NYA needed four sets to end the season for Tri-City United.
The Titans won the first set 27-25 before NYA reeled off 25-10, 25-12, 25-16 wins.
Section 2A North Subsection top seed, defending state champion Mayer Lutheran cruised by Nicollet 25-10, 25-6, 25-14 while Sleepy Eye St. Mary's defeated Sleepy Eye in four sets 25-20, 16-25, 25-19, 25-20.
St. Mary's and the Crusaders will play 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at Sibley East High School.
BOLD swept Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 25-17, 25-12, 25-16 and New Ulm Cathedral beat Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart in 4 sets winning the first two 25-11, 25-17 before falling 25-23 and winning 25-10.
BOLD plays New Ulm Cathedral 7:30 p.m. at Sibley East High School Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
Section 2A South top seed Cleveland dropped the first set to Martin Luther-Granada Huntley-East Chain-Truman 25-20 before winning 25-14, 25-18, 25-17.
Springfield swept Madelia 25-12, 25-18, 25-11.
The Clippers and Tigers play 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at St. Peter High School.
Martin County West defeated Mountain Lake-Comfrey in 4 sets 20-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-17 while Cedar Mountain Comfrey swept Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 25-19, 25-15, 25-14.
MCW and Cedar Mountain Comfrey play 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2022 in St. Peter.
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