Bearcats volleyball team slashes Cougars for section title

By Coach Tina Turn
KCC vs. ABW
After some thrilling Section 8A semifinal wins on Tuesday, both the Kittson County Central Bearcats and the Ada-Borup-West Cougars returned to Lysaker Gymnasium on the University of Minnesota Crookston campus to battle for a spot in the state tournament.
The Section 8A championship match took place on Friday, Nov. 1. The Cougars, the No. 1 seed from the east half of the section with a 22-8 record, faced off against the Bearcats, the No. 1 seed from the west, holding a 26-5 record. Both teams were determined to secure the Section 8A title and extend their winning streaks.
While ABW last qualified for State in 2018, it had been a decade-long wait for the Bearcats, whose last appearance was in 2014.
The match opened with the Cougars serving long, followed by a strong block by Kaydence White and Lauryn Whitlock, which gave the Bearcats an early 2-0 lead. The Cougars relied heavily on their 6-foot-5 outside hitter, who hammered their first point, a sign of the battle to come.
Set one was marked by back-and-forth rallies, with KCC consistently grabbing a couple of points before the Cougars responded with powerful kills. The Bearcats’ strategy to keep ABW out of system worked, and they took the set 25-20, powered by 6 kills from White and 5 aces overall. The set was tied 10 times, with the final tie at 20-20 before KCC served out the set to win by 5.
Set two began with KCC junior Hanna Warnke serving an ace, kicking off a strong start. Although the Cougars quickly evened the score at 5-5 and took their first lead at 6-5, the Bearcats fought back.
Senior outside hitter Berlyn Strege delivered a crucial kill, followed by another Cougar error and another Strege kill, to reclaim the lead. Senior Morgan Turn added a series of kills, widening the Bearcats’ advantage and forcing a Cougar timeout at 12-8. However, KCC briefly faltered, allowing ABW a 4-point run to tie the set at 12. White and Whitlock responded with a combined block and kill, followed by 2 aces from Turn to extend KCC’s lead to 17-13. The Cougars’ rotation error late in the set allowed KCC to close out 25-18. White and Turn each tallied 5 kills, while Whitlock had 2 blocks and senior libero Lily Peterson contributed 4 digs.
Set three began with an intense rally, ending in a close line call against White, who immediately responded with a kill on the next point. Both teams traded points, and the Cougars scrapped to keep the score close. ABW’s defense managed critical saves, while uncharacteristic errors from the Bearcats added to the pressure. Down 17-21, KCC called their first timeout, but ABW maintained their momentum with a triple block against White. The Bearcats rallied for 2 more points off a Cougar error and a White ace before ABW took the set 25-22. White led KCC with 8 kills, and the defense recorded an impressive 23 digs despite some costly hitting errors and net violations.
The Bearcats rebounded in set four, with Turn’s serving creating an early lead and White capitalizing on an overpass to claim “Happy Birthday” points. Junior Afton Lindgren added to the momentum with 2 consecutive aces, forcing a Cougar timeout at 9-5. The Bearcats pushed ahead to 19-15, with ABW using their final timeout. However, the Bearcats dominated the remainder of the set, allowing the Cougars only 4 more points. White fittingly clinched the match with a powerful kill to secure the 25-19 set win and the 3-1 victory, sending KCC to state.
KCC’s serving percentage was an impressive 95%, with 13 aces—crucial in such a high-stakes match. A key to their win was executing a game plan focused on aggressive serving to disrupt the Cougars’ rhythm. Equally essential was the Bearcats’ composure; the team maintained focus and stayed relaxed under pressure, finding the perfect balance to avoid playing too tight.
The Ada-Borup-West Cougars put up a fierce fight, with a solid defense that extended rallies and pushed KCC’s endurance. Although the Bearcats hoped for a three-set sweep, clinching the match in four was a hard-earned victory. This triumph was particularly meaningful for Kaydence White, who last year ended the season with a hit out of bounds but this time held the game-winning kill.
As Section 8A champions, the Bearcats now advance to the state tournament, where they will represent northwest Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Seeded No. 5, they are set to face No. 4 seed West Central Area on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 5 p.m.

Click here to see the Stats vs. Ada-Borup

Kaydence White and Afton Lindgren go up for a block during the Bearcats’ Section 8A win over the Ada-Borup-West Cougars. White had 3 blocks, 27 kills, 3 digs and served 12/12 with 2 aces in the match. Lindgren had 3 kills, 10 digs, 28 assists and served 15/16 with 3 aces for the night. (Enterprise Photo by Miranda Peterson)

Hanna Warnke goes up for a kill during the Bearcats’ 4-game set match over the Cougars to advance to state. Warnke had 5 kills, 11 digs, 1.5 blocks and served 15/17 with 3 aces in the match. (Enterprise Photo by Miranda Peterson)