Prep Volleyball: State Class AA Consolation Semifinals: Lady Wolverines tame New London-Spicer Wildcats 3-0

 

Wadena-Deer Creek regained their rhythm as well as their aggression in the consolation semifinal match with New London-Spicer on Friday.

 

The Lady Wolverines won for the first time in the state tournament with the three game sweep of the fourth-seeded Wildcats, winning 25-20, 25-18 and 29-27 to advance to the Saturday (today) consolation championship with Bryon.

 

New London-Spicer was holding a 17-11 lead in the first game before the Lady Wolverines rallied to tie the game at 20-20 behind five Wildcat errors and kills from Brittney Noon, Courtney Volkmann and Rachel Craig.

 

Wadena-Deer Creek then set the tone for the remainder of the match when they reeled off the last five points.   

 

The Lady Wolverines got a jump on the Wildcats in the second game and never looked back en route to picking up their second consecutive game victory.

 

Noon started the charge with a kill, followed by a pair of kills from Kelsi Crawford. The Wildcats did the rest, racking up six errors to spot the Lady Wolverines the 9-2 lead.

 

Wadena-Deer Creek led as by as many as nine points and only allowed New London-Spicer to get as close as three points, 20-17, but the Wildcats’ costly errors handed the Lady Wolverines the game.

 

The final game was a see-saw battle with the Lady Wolverines leading most of the way by going on scoring spurts of three or four-points, only to have the Wildcats respond in kind.

 

With Wadena-Deer Creek leading 24-23, New London-Spicer denied the Lady Wolverines twice on match points, forcing an attack error and getting a match-saving kill from senior Karli Wendlandt.

 

The Wildcats took the lead twice in the spirited rally, Justine Dammermann served up an ace to make it 26-25, only to have Crawford slam home one of her match-high 13 kills to tie it up at 26-26.

 

New London-Spicer regained the lead again at 27-26 off a Cassie Ziemer kill and Crawford once again slammed home the game-tying kill that took the wind out of the Wildcats.

 

Wadena-Deer Creek then scored the final two points to put the match away on kills from Hope Theisen and Noon.

 

Courtney Volkmann recorded 26 set assists while Hope Theisen had 15 digs and Rachel Craig had six total blocks for the Lady Wolvrines. Noon finished with 12 kills, including the game-winner in the third game.

 

For the Wildcats, they were led by Taylor Thompsen and Wendlandt with eight kills apiece. Dammermann had 21 set assists and Thompsen had 15 digs.

 

The victory salvages the Lady Wolverines (29-5) season for one more match, which will be for the consolation championship Saturday (today) against Byron at 11 a.m. at the Xcel Energy Center.

 

Class AA State Volleyball Tournament

Consolation Semifinals

Wadena-Deer Creek vs. No. 4 New London-Spicer on November 13

Lady Wolverines defeated the Wildcats 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 29-27)

Kills—Kelsi Crawford 13, Brittney Noon 12, Rachael Carlisle 3, Courtney Volkmann 3, Kelly DeFoe 2, Rachel Craig 2, Hope Theisen 1, Avery Jackson 1

Digs—Hope Theisen 15, Jackson 11, Mandy Perkins 11, Courtney Volkmann 9, Noon 9, Crawford 3, Caitlin Volkmann 2

Serving—Caitlin Volkmann 10 for 11, Courtney Volkmann 12 for 13 with an ace, Hope Theisen 12 for 12, Noon 8 for 11 with an ace, DeFoe 1 for 1, Jackson 16 for 16, Perkins 13 for 13 with an ace,

Blocks—Craig 6, DeFoe 3, Noon 3, Crawford 2, Carlisle 2, Courtney Volkmann 1

Set Assists—Courtney Volkmann 26, Caitlin Volkmann 1

 

Kills—Taylor Thompsen 8, Karli Wendlandt 8, Karsee Knutson 7, Justine Dammermann 4, Cassie Ziemer 4, Alanna Dietz 1

Digs—Hannah Setterberg 5, Thompsen 15, Jenna Moritz 2, Dammermann 10, Ziemer 9, Dietz 3, Knutson 9, Wendlandt 6

Serving—Setterberg 4 for 6 with 2 aces, Thompsen 9 for 11, Jenna Moritz 13 for 14 with 2 aces, Dammermann 9 for 9 with an ace, Ziemer 8 for 9, Knutson 12 for 13, Wendlandt 2 for 5

Blocks— Thompsen 4, Dammermann 1, Dietz 1, Wendlandt 1

Set Assists—Dammermann 21, Knutson 6, Thompsen 2, Setterberg 1