MN West volleyball knocks off Century College 3-1

WORTHINGTON The Minnesota West volleyball team had revenge on its mind before its match with Century College in a Saturday home triangular.

The No.

2 ranked Wood Ducks were the one team the Lady Jays couldnt seem to beat over the last few seasons.

Three of Minnesota Wests nine losses last year came to Century College, including in the Region 13B championship.

ADVERTISEMENT The two teams then faced off for the first time this season last week in White Bear Lake and self-inflicted wounds plagued the Lady Jays in a 3-1 loss.

That made it eight-straight losses to the Wood Ducks dating back four seasons and it was time for payback.

The sixth-ranked Lady Jays got it done, overcoming a 1-0 deficit to defeat their Minnesota College Athletic Conference rivals 3-1 by set scores of 19-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22.

Getting the win over the Wood Ducks felt good for the Lady Jays, especially for their two sophomores Ella Hesse and Lexi Schreurs, who were part of the three crushing losses a year ago.

Ella and Lexi being that this is their last go around, so for them to come around and having three out of the nine losses last year come to them," said Lady Jays head coach Brittney McNab.

"So now knowing that we are fully capable of doing it and I've told them that day one, you're capable of doing anything you put your mind to, and it does, it makes it pretty sweet for especially our two sophomores.

The win over Century College helped Minnesota West jump to No.

3 in the latest NJCAA Division III volleyball poll while the Wood Ducks dropped to No.

6.

When the two teams last met, the Lady Jays grabbed the first set and had all the momentum before the Wood Ducks stormed back.

Saturdays match proved to be the opposite.

Set one started out close as the teams traded points before it was tied at 7-7.

Then the Wood Ducks went on their run, winning six of the next seven points to take control.

That helped them hold onto a lead throughout the set and the Lady Jays tried to catch up.

They got within four points of tying the set a few times, but no closer as Century College closed out the first set 25-19.

ADVERTISEMENT Unlike last week, the Wood Ducks had the momentum on their side and the Lady Jays were the ones to respond.

I think we again, in our heads, that we're trying to play too tight and too timid and that we just have to sit back and relax and we do this every day in practice, McNab said.

We switched up our middles and I think that was a game changer for us too because we have a deep bench for any position, so when somebody's not ready to go we find somebody that is.

Hesse started the second set big with a kill that opened up a 14-9 lead.

West kept swinging throughout the set as its lead grew to six points at 22-16.

A 3-0 run from the Wood Ducks put some scoreboard pressure on the Jays, but they handled it as a kill from Ally Nelson and then a tip over the net from Sadie Krahling gave them set points.

Then a serve from setter Lexi Schreurs that just clipped the back line leveled the match.

I think everyone was talking to each other, and everyone was getting very excited, Krahling said.

No matter who was doing well on the court, everyone was happy for one another.

With the momentum now on their side, the Lady Jays looked to sustain it.

Nelson started the third set with a kill that led to an 8-3 lead.

West continued to be very aggressive as two kills and an ace from Claire Bohlen and another spike from Hesse opened a 12-4 advantage, the biggest either side had in a set.

The Jays held that lead until it was 19-13.

The Wood Ducks tried to claw back as three-straight serve aces from Gracie Wegner put them within two points at 20-18.

The Jays again kept swinging as kills from Hesse and Nelson made it 24-19.

A few points later, Krahling closed out the set for a 2-1 match lead.

ADVERTISEMENT I think we started off, maybe not finding their holes as well as we should have, and then we started swinging, Krahling said.

We were mixing it up, we were hitting line, and then we were hitting cross, and then tipping in all their holes, so I think it really caught him off guard.

We also had rotations where we had some of our biggest hitters up front, and it kind of threw their block off because they weren't sure who they had to block at what time and stuff.

So that definitely helped a lot as well.

After initially trailing 5-1 in the fourth set, the Wood Ducks went on an 11-3 run to grab the lead back.

Then Krahling began to take over in the set as she led an 8-0 run to respond and keep the score close.

The rest of the set was back and forth, but the Lady Jays were able to grab a 21-19 lead, just four points away from the landmark win.

The team kept going back and forth late as a long point ended in a block for the Jays for a 23-22 lead.

Bohlen then hit her second ace for match point before Hesses 12th kill won it, sending the Lady Jays into celebration.

It makes it so sweet, so exciting too, to be able to do it with all these girls.

Its so much fun, Krahling said.

And just you see the look on all the sophomores' faces and just how excited their parents are in the stands, you can just tell there's a lot of excitement coming out of the game.

It's just so fun.

And it means a lot to the coaches too to just pick up that win after so long of trying to get there.

Krahling hit 17 kills for Minnesota West to lead both teams as she also finished with eight digs and a block.

Hesse totaled 17 digs and two blocks and Schreurs passed for a season-high 47 assists to go along with 22 digs.

Kylee Larsen had eight kills with Bohlen and Nelson each adding seven.

Libero Kadyn Paulson led with 27 digs.

Wegner had 12 kills and 26 digs for Century College to lead the team in both categories and Alexis Helmin added 10 kills and 13 digs.

Passing for 31 assists was Jalyn Wolle.

ADVERTISEMENT Minnesota West followed up the win over the Wood Ducks with a 25-15, 25-13, 25-18 win over Sisseton Wahpeton College later that afternoon.

Many Lady Jay reserves played in that match as Raya Van Beek led with eight kills and Kate Slettum, Bohlen and Janessa Hamann each totaled four.

Hesse, Krahling and Nelson added three and Bethany Petrowiak, Larsen and Hannah Kazemba each got two.

Schreurs passed for 18 assists and Slettum had 11, while Petersen served two aces and had the game-winning kill.

Before the triangular started, McNab was honored as an inductee into the MCAC hall of fame.

She was a former volleyball and basketball player for the Jays from 2005-2007.

In volleyball, she was named a multi-time NJCAA All-American and held the programs all-time record in set assists until Schreurs broke it this season.

It just kind of puts it all in full circle, McNab said.

All the hard work you put in then and it's still continuing to help our program grow and build it from there.

So it's just full circle it comes back around.

And I had great coaches in Moz and Janet Haren over in Jackson, and (Mike) Fury also, too for basketball, so I had great coaches.

So it's just good to see it all come back around full circle.

The Lady Jays will be home Tuesday for Dordt JV and then back on the road Friday for St.

Cloud Technical CC.

The Cyclones are ranked ninth in the nation and are 6-0 in conference play..

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