Roll over Canby into North finals
Lydia Sussner no sooner announced she will play volleyball at Southwest Minnesota State University next year than she came to Marshall and led her Minneota Vikings to a quick 3-0 win over Canby in the North Section 3A semifinals Tuesday night.
Her 16 kills and two blocks helped the Vikings dispatched the Canby Lancers, 25-8; 25-7 and 25-12.
“Morgan (setter Kockelman) and I have been working together this week to get our timing together and it paid off,” said Coach Hayley Fruin.
It worked, yes, like clockwork.
You might say the two were as in tune as a fine Swiss watch.
“We were working on time, getting the little things tied up,” added Sussner.
Yet, the coach was impressed with another performance. “I’ve got to give the player of the game to Abby Hennen,” said Coach Fruin. The Minneota sophomore Libero patrolled the back court like a “border guard.” Nothing got past her. She had 36 digs in the game.
“The last time we played Canby she didn’t have one of her better and that’s not like her. So puts in so much preparation each night, and is such a consistent player,” said the coach.
In the first game Abby Hennen nearly closed down every attempt Canby made to score a point. And Kockelman and Lydia were working the net like a couple of surgeons as they sliced apart the Canby defense. Sussner had seven kills and two blocks in the first game and Abby Hennen served 11 points in a row, from 7-6 to 17-6. Sister Morgan Hennen added six more serves in a row.
“Abby doesn’t get enough credit. She responded tonight and I was very impressed,” said Coach Fruin.
In the second game Lizzy Gillingham served 14 straight points from a 7-3 lead to 20-3. Sussner six kills and Gillingham four and Abby Hennen continued her dominance in the back court.
Minneota actually played better against Canby Tuesday than they did during the regular season.
“Last time we played against them we made lots of errors This time we limited the errors, played our tempo of volleyball and got her done,” said the coach.
Sussner said, about joining SMSU next year, “It will be fun.” She is coming right after her former teammate and friend Taylor Reiss is leaving SMSU. She acknowledged what Reiss has mean’t to her success. “Taylor is definitely one to look up to. It will be interesting,” Sussner said.
Minneota, now 31-1 on the year, will play Wabasso at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night at SMSU for the North Section 3A title. The section championship is at 6 p.m. Saturday at SMSU. Wabasso beat Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 25-17; 25-17 and 25-20 to gain the finals.
Minneota 3, Canby 0
Minneota 25 25 25
Canby 8 7 12
KILLS: Lydia Sussner 16; Natalee Rolbiecki 5, Lizzy Gillingham 7; Morgan Hennen 4.
BLOCKS: Minneota: Sussner 4, Gillingham 1.
SET ASSISTS: Morgan Kockelman 31.
SERVES: (No., good, Aces) Abby Hennen 21-21-2; Morgan Hennen 15-15-0; Lizzy Gillingham 18-18-2; Morgan Kockelman 19-19-0; Abby Rost and Natalee Rolbiecki 5-5-0 each.
DIGS: Abby Hennen 36, Lizzy Gillingham 11, Morgan Hennen 14.