The West Central Area volleyball team is in its first season playing at the Class AA level in the section volleyball tournament, and that kept the Knights from even getting a home playoff match.
West Central Area has a record of 22-6 now as the 5th-seeded Knights had to go on the road and get a win at 4th-seeded Litchfield on Friday night. It was a tight match throughout, but WCA found ways to finish much of the evening in a four-set win by scores of 26-24, 21-25, 25-22 and 25-18.
“They came out in set one ready to block, forcing errors from Litchfield,” WCA head coach Melissa Foslien said of her girls. “Halle Foslien and Addison Staples really set the pace for us on defense at the net, and we had tremendous plays by Kaitlyn Hansen, Macy Grosz, Mya Foslien and Madelyn Westrom in the backcourt. “We were up against some pretty tough blockers as well, but we covered our hitters well and did not back down.”
Macy Grosz spread the ball around to multiple hitters on her way to 24 assists. Mya Foslien finished with 14 kills, and Elizabeth Rustan added 10. Kaitlyn Hansen had a team-best 29 digs.
“We mixed up our offense so that the block had to move and we were patient enough to execute when we needed to,” coach Foslien said. “This was the best the girls have played all season. They played with such grit and determination. There wasn’t a ball that hit the floor without a body scrambling after it. Mya Foslien and Elizabeth Rustan fought hard on the outside. They were up against some tall blocks and they powered through. I am so proud of the girls and their aggressive serving too.”
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The Knights will now try to knock off the top seed in the North half of the bracket when they go to Paynesville (21-3) for a 7 p.m. match on Monday.
WCA 3, LITCHFIELD 1
WCA - Macy Grosz - 17-17 serving, 2 aces, 24 assists, 20 digs; Mya Foslien - 15-15 serving, 1 ace, 17 digs, 14 kills, 1 block; Lexi Hunter - 7-8 serving; Whitney Westrom - 14-15 seving, 4 aces, 4 assists, 9 digs, 5 kills, 1 block; Halle Foslien - 11-13 serving, 7 kills, 3 blocks; Elizabeth Rustan - 19-22 serving, 2 aces, 10 kills, 2 blocks; Addison Staples - 2 assists, 2 kills, 2 blocks; Madelyn Westrom - 2 assists, 12 digs; Kaitlyn Hansen - 29 digs
Lakers fall at Eden Valley
Minnewaska had its season ended in the opening round of the Section 3AA Tournament as the 7th-seeded Lakers (7-20) fell in three sets (25-15, 25-19, 25-23) at 2nd-seeded Eden Valley-Watkins (17-10).
Avery Fier had 12 kills for the Lakers. Haley Shea had 27 assists and a team-best 12 digs.
EDEN VALLEY-WATKINS 3, MINNEWASKA 0
MINNEWASKA - Haley Shea - 3 kills, 27 assists, 12 digs; Addy Kath - 1 kill, 1 dig; Dreya Barsness - 5 kills, 2 aces, 11 digs; Miaya Guggisberg - 1 kill, 3 blocks; Avery Fier - 12 kills, 10 digs, 1 block; Brooklyn Larson - 2 digs; Brooklyn Meyer - 2 digs; Dacia Fleury - 2 kills; Mikalyn Andreas - 9 digs
Top-seeded Jaguars sweep Panthers
Fifth-seeded Parkers Prairie got a win over 4th-seeded Brandon-Evansville in the Section 6A Tournament opener, but the Panthers’ run ended against No. 1-seeded Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the quarterfinals on Friday night.
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The Jaguars (22-7) swept the Panthers by scores of 25-10, 25-19 and 25-19. Parkers Prairie put together a solid season with an overall record of 17-12.
BBE will play in the subsection finals against 2nd-seeded Wheaton-Herman-Norcross (19-9) on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Fergus Falls. The winner of that match faces the winner of Breckenridge (27-2) and Henning (21-8) in the section championship on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. back in Fergus Falls.
