KCC volleyball girls down LOW Bears to advance to quarterfinals

By Coach Tina Turn
KCC 3 — LOW 1
Playoff volleyball is meant to be intense and competitive—and the opening round for the Bearcats was exactly that. Both the No. 7-ranked Lake of the Woods Bears and the No. 2-ranked Kittson County Central Bearcats came out strong in their Section 8A play-in match on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The packed Kittson Central gym was treated to an exciting night of volleyball action.
KCC struck first with the opening kill of the night and won the first two mini-games to five before LOW found momentum, targeting the Bearcats’ serve receive. That brief struggle gave the Bears the next two mini-games and a 20-18 lead. A KCC timeout helped the Bearcats regroup, and three different players came up with key kills down the stretch. Junior setter Camryn Whitlock sealed the set with a game-winning ace, giving KCC a 25-22 victory.
In the second set, 4 service aces helped balance out the 7 missed serves by the Bearcats. Though aggressive serving is part of their game, those errors often lead to trouble.
Fortunately, KCC managed to overcome them, taking the set 25-21. Offensively, Kaydence White led the attack with 7 kills, followed by Hanna Warnke with 3.
Set three started well for KCC, who again took early control by winning the first two mini-games. However, the LOW libero found ways to disrupt the Bearcats’ rhythm on serve receive, and the Bears gained the upper hand. Down 19-23, KCC took a timeout and rallied to within 2, forcing a Bears timeout at 21-24. An ace made it 22-24, but a long serve on the next point gave LOW the 25-22 win.
KCC responded with their cleanest set of the night in set four, committing just 1 missed serve and keeping total errors in single digits. White tallied 6 kills, followed by Warnke and Afton Lindgren with 2 each. Whitlock added 1 kill as the Bearcats closed out the match with a decisive 25-15 win.
Hats off to the LOW Bears, who came ready to compete and played aggressively throughout the night. Both teams earned most of their points rather than relying on opponent errors, which made for an entertaining match. KCC knows they’ll need to tighten up their serving as playoffs continue, but there was plenty to be proud of—and plenty to build on.
With the win, the Bearcats advance to the Section 8A quarterfinals, where they will host the No. 3-seeded Red Lake Falls Eagles in Hallock on Friday, Oct. 24. KCC’s season record now stands at 20-9.

To view the stats, click on this link: VB vs. LOW Bears

HAlle Hansen hits the ball during the Bearcats’ win over the LOW Bears. The Bearcats defeated the Bears on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in four sets to advance in the playoffs.
(Photo Courtesy of Sideline Lindsey)

HANNA WARNKE passes the ball during the Bearcats’ match versus Lake of the Woods. Warnke had 10 kills during the match, 12 digs, 1.5 block, 1 assist and served 13/15 with 2 aces.
(Photo Courtesy of Sideline Lindsey)

Kaydence White makes a pass during the Bearcats’ game versus LOW.

KCC Bearcat volleyball players celebrate during the match against LOW. The Bearcats defeated the Bears 3 to 1 on Wednesday, Oct. 22 to advance in the playoffs.
(Photo Courtesy of Sideline Lindsey)