Bethlehem Academy, K-W, Z-M, Cannon Falls Volleyball Advance

After a day filled with volleyball at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center the final four teams have been determined in Section 1A and Section 1AA.

Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. top seed Faribault Bethlehem Academy goes up against #4 Section 1A Spring Grove.

The Cardinals needed four sets to end the season for #9 seed Rushford-Peterson.  BA won the first set 25-23 before losing the second set 25-19, then got 25-16, 25-23 wins.

Spring Grove won in four sets over Fillmore Central.  The Lions won the first set 25-16, fell in the second set 30-28 before achieving 25-20, 25-16 wins.

The other semifinal at 7:30 p.m. #2 Mabel-Canton tangles with #3 Kenyon-Wanamingo.

Mabel-Canton swept Hayfield 25-21, 25-21, 25-14.  K-W took four sets to beat Alden-Conger.  Details coming later in this article.

In Section 1AA at 6:00 p.m. top seed Cannon Falls will play #4 Lake City.  Then at 7:30 p.m. it's #2 Zumbrota-Mazeppa and #3 Caledonia.

All the action at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center Arena with a reminder that masks are required at the Mayo Civic Center.

We did receive some statistical information from the Kenyon-Wanamingo win over Alden-Conger.

Scores were 25-20, 25-16, 25-14.  Starting setter junior Josie Quam was back and nearly recorded a  triple double.  She finished with 9 kills, 20 set assists,16 digs.

She did not play much last Thursday after suffering a ankle injury last Monday against Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

The Knights missed just two serves in the Mayo Civic Arena which can be a tough place to play.  They had 3 service aces led by Quam with 2. Junior Tessa Erlandson got the other one.

Senior Leah Berg led K-W in kills with 13.  Erlandson added 11.

Libero Sophmore Rachel Ryan and Erlandson amassed 23 digs each.

It was a sweep but there were some long points as evidenced by the 88 digs Kenyon-Wanamingo had in the match.  Four players finished with double digit digs.  Julia Dahl tallied 11 digs to join the aforementioned.

Freshman Carmen Nerison added 13 set assists.

Maybe the most impressive statistic of the match came in the blocking area of the competition.

The Knights had 14 ace blocks in the sweep with four players getting multiple numbers.  Senior Stella Rechtzigel led the team with 5. Dahl had 4, Berg 3 and sophmore Nora Rechtzigel  2.

The Section 1A Championship match will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 6, 2021 at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center Arena.

A Noon start is scheduled for the Section 1AA title match the same day and location.

Section 1AAA semifinals are loaded with state ranked teams.  Top seed, #2 state ranked Kasson-Mantorville hosts Faribault after the #5 seed Falcons upended #4 Red Wing last Friday in bluff country in four sets.  Faribault's block was huge in the win.

Head Coach JoAnna Lane told us following the match they've been working very hard on that area of the game and will need a repeat performance Wednesday night in Kasson.

#3 rated Stewartville has #4 Byron visiting their gym after the Byron football team pulled off a upset overtime win over Stewartville Saturday night on the Stewartville football field.

The Section 1AAA Championship is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center Saturday.

In Section 1AAAA  there's a rematch between Rochester Mayo and Northfield at Mayo High School Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.  That's a #2 seed going up against the #3 seed.

Mayo handed the Raiders their first Big Nine Conference loss earllier this season in almost five years.

The other Semifinal features top seed Lakeville North and #4 Rochester Century.

The Section 1AAAA title match will be Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.

Over in Section 2AA South Subsection #1 seed Waterville-Elysian-Morristown plays at 6:00 p.m. against #4 seed Minnesota Valley Lutheran in Subsection Semifinal action at Mankato East High School.

The other game at 7:45 p.m. features New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva the # 3 seed and #7 seed Maple River.  The Eagles upended Waseca in a five set thriller last week.

Could you name some of these.

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