Zumbrota-Mazeppa Volleyball Closes Season with Sweep in Castle

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights celebrated Senior Night Monday before the final regular season match against Zumbrota-Mazeppa.  The Class 2A Cougars have been mentioned but not in the Top Ten rankings by the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches  Association.

The Knights are rated #8 in the final Class 1A MVCA Coaches Poll.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa dominated the action 25-17, 25-21, 25-20.

Kenyon-Wanamingo had very little offense against the Cougars with the majority of their points coming off Z-M errors.

For example the official statistics had Z-M with 39 kills and K-W 15 total kills for the night.

My statistics showed the Cougars had 26 hitting errors while the Knights tallied 10.

Total errors were 21 for Kenyon-Wanamingo, 39 for Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

There were a few long volleys in each set that kept a packed Castle of fans in suspense.

Our Cashwise Foods and Pharmacy of Owatonna Delivery of the Match was not a specific play but the performance by junior setter 5'9 Rylee Nelson.

She can do it all on the volleyball court as evidenced by her triple double.  14 kills, 13 set assists, 20 digs, 4 ace blocks and an ace serve.

Kenyon-Wanamingo lost the services of their junior do-it-all setter Josie Quam when she appeared to injure an ankle in the first set and did not play the rest of the match.

Like Nelson she is capable of helping with the attack and can have a triple double kind of night.

Knights Head Coach Tracy Erlandson said following the match she was proud of her team for continuing to play hard after losing their starting setter.  Freshman Carmen Nerison came in to accumulate 13 set assists, 2 ace blocks, 1 ace serve, 5 digs for K-W.

The official statistics had no other Cougars with double digit kills.  Sophmore 5'10 Megan Schoenfelder had 8 kills.

Sophmore 5'11 Natalie Dykes had 6 kills. Classmate 5'11 Lily Mehrkens 5 kills.

Senior 5'8 Addie Voxland finished with 4 kills and 4 ace serves.  Junior 5'5 Torey Stencel had 17 set assists, 7 digs and a ace serve.

Junior libero 5'4 Lola Wagner was picking everything hit her way and ended the night with 23 digs.

The Knights were led by junior Tessa Erlandson with 5 kills, 12 digs, 1 ace serve. Senior Leah Berg had 4 kills, 6 digs.

Sophmore libero, Rachel Ryan had 20 digs.  Senior Stella Rechtzigel finished the night with 2 kills, 2 ace serves, 4 digs and a block.

Classmate Julia Dahl had 1 kill, 12 digs.  Sophmore Nora Rechtzigel 3 kills, 3 blocks.

All the seniors got to play on their special recognition night particularly in the first and third sets.

Kenyon-Wanamingo is the #3 seed in Section 1A.  They host #14 seed in the 20 team Section 1A Tournament Glenville-Emmons after they downed Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf in 3 sets.

That match is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Castle.  The winner advances to Rochester Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa is the #2 seed in the 17 team Section 1 Class 2A.  They have Triton coming to their gym in Mazeppa Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.  The winner goes to Rochester Saturday at 3:00 p.m. against the Goodhue vs. Dover-Eyota victor.

Here are other Class 1A Section play-in results Monday night.

• Houston over Southland in 4 sets winner goes to #1 seed Bethlehem Academy Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.
• Kingsland swept Lyle-Pacelli and goes to  #4 seed Spring Grove Thursday.
• Randolph 3 sets to none for Schaeffer Academy .  The Rockets go to #2 seed Mabel-Canton.

There was one Section 1AA play-in match.  #17 Blooming Prairie traveled to #16 Rochester Lourdes and won in 4 sets.

The Blossoms go to #1 Seed Cannon Falls Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

Just as we thought Faribault is the #5 seed in the Section 1 Class 3A Tournament and goes to #4 seed Red Wing 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night.

#1 is Kasson-Mantorville with #8 Austin going to the KoMets gym.  #2 Stewartville hosts #7 Winona.

#3 Byron has #6 Albert Lea go to the Cave.

The Semifinals are Friday at the high seed.

Section 1 Class 4A has #1 seed Lakeville North entertaining #8 Rochester John Marshall.  #2 seed Rochester Mayo sees #7 Farmington in their gym.

#3 seed Northfield will host #6 Owatonna and #4 Rochester Century has #5 Lakeville South go to Rochester.

All are 7:00 p.m. starts with the Semifinals Friday at the high seed.

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