Minneota beats Ada-Borup, 3-1, in STATE FINALS
Adversity didn’t rear it’s ugly head often, but it did against Ada-Borup.
Minneota Coach Hayley Fruin acknowledged the Ada-Borup matchup would be a real battle.
"They have a big front line," she said.
And half way through the first set, that's exactly what had transpired.
Ada-Borup’s Kora Kritzberger and Mariah McKeever brought tenacity into the game aa they posted notice, “We’re not going to make this easy for you.”
Then, all-state senior hitter Lizzy Gillingham twister her ankle and went down in a pile on the court. As she left the court area, Ada-Borup took advantage of the situation and won the first match, 25-23.
Minneota had taken an early lead at 8-3 lead, but Ada-Borup tied it up at 13-13 and 14-14, then took the lead at 18-14. It was 21-18 in favor of Ada-Borup when Gillingham went down.
Ada-Borup went on to collect a 25-23 win in set one — the only time all year the Vikings had lost the first set.
Minneota compensated by using reserves Abby Rost, Rachel Vlaminck and Ellie Pesch. Sydney Larson also took up some slack at the net.
Gillingham, sat out all of the second game, a 25-16 Minneota win, came back onto the court with the Vikings leading 11-9 in the third set.
“I knew Lizzy would go back in. I wasn’t going to be able to stop her , “The coach said.”
Gillingham came back strong and hammered down a coupl e of kills. But Coach Fruin kept taking her out to help her rest her battered ankle.
WHEN GILLINGHAM didn’t come onto the floor in the second set, Abby Rost was in her spot.
In the second game, Minneota got off to a fast start, leading 8-3. Lydia Sussner stayed in the game to serve, uncommon for her but Coach Hayley Fruin apparently wants her in the game as much as possible.
Ada-Borup got back in the set at 10-8.
With Morgan Kockelman serving, Minneota pushed the lead to 14-8 before Ada-Borup took a time out.
But the one who took up the most slack was Morgan Hennen. “We knew with Lizzy out we had to help out and Morgan (Kockelman, the team setter) and I talked and made a plan for hitting,” said Morgan Hennen.
She ended up with 13 kills out of 34 swings while Lydia Sussner, with her mammoth drives to the other side of the net ,had 18 kills out of 38 attempts.
Minneota has stayed ahead, leading 16-12 with time out on the floor. Morgan Hennen was taking up the slack with Gillingham missing and Sydney Larson came off the bench for some nice net play.
IN THE final drive, the Vikings turned the game over to Lydia Sussner, with help from Natalee Rolbiecki at the net.
Lydia's thundering hits caused Ada-Borup to lose their composure and Minneota took the second set, 25-16 to even the match at one game apiece.
Sussner had 10 kills out of 17 hits in the second game.
With Minneota leading 10-8 in the thid game, Gillingham returned to the court and immediately slammed down a hit for an 11-9 lead.
Morgan Hennen, who is having a tremendous game at the net, served a couple of points and Lydia Sussner hammered home a big kills for a 14-11 lead.
Sussner did it three more times for a 17-12 lead.
Then Natalee Rolbiecki hammerd down a big kill for an 18-3 lead and followed with another big hit for a 19-13 lead.
Minneota drove the lead to 21-15 behind the serving of Sussner and net play of Larson. Abby Hernnen was performing mammouth play in the backcourt.
It went to 22-15 with Rolbieck serving. Morgan Hennen delivered again with a big hit for a 24-15 lead.
In the backcourt, it was the sophomore Abby Hennen who protected her area and brought up 27 digs to kept many of the hits from Ada’s Kora Kritzberger and Mariah McKeever from hitting the floor.
Minneota took it home when Sydney Larson hammered the ball and it hit the floor on Ada's side.
Minneota won 25-16 and took a 2-1 lead.
IN THE fourth game, true to form, the two battled again. Gillingham's presence seemed to spur on the Vikings, who got great hitting from Rolbiecki at the net and an ace serve by Sussner for an 11-6 lead.
Minneota drove the lead to 20-13. Pesch served the team to a 24-14 lead.
Then Minneota put it away, 25-14 to win and send the Vikings into the state championship.
Minneota Coach Hayley Fruin was on Minneota’s last state tournament championship volleyball team in 2006. She was the setter.
Now, 12 years later, she was ready to coach her Vikings in the state finals.
“I only hope they have the opportunity to have that feeling,” said the coach, who remembers well how it felt to win a state championship.
The coach added, “They’ve worked so hard, all year, so I hope they get the chance.\
For Ada-Borup, Kritzberger got 19 kills and McKeever 12.
Setter Morgan Kockelman had 49 assists and with soft taps and hits over the net, also added five kills.
The Vikings had 62 kills out of 162 attempts for a .253 percentage while Ada-Borup had 45 kills out of 148 attempts for only 1.76 percent.
This game was also the first time Minneota has lost the first set all year. “We aren’t used to that,” said Coach Hayley Fruin.
“But the girls pulled together and pulled it out,” said the coach.
Minneota 3, Ada-Borup 0
Ada-Borup 25 16 16 14
Minneota 23 25 25 25
KILLS: Minneota-Lydia Sussner 18; Natalee Rolbiecki and Morgan Hennen 13 each; Morgan Kockelman 5; Lizzy Gilingham 7. Ada-Borup-Kora Kritzberger 19; Mariah McKeever 12; Bailee Brommenschenkel 8; Elle Scherfenberg 4; Breanna Qualley 1.
DIGS: Minneota-Abby Hennen 27, Morgan Hennen 18; Natalee Rolbiecki 11; Lydia Sussner 5; Lizzy Gillingham 2. Ada-Borup-McKeever 15; Kritzberg 14; Qualley 24; Ivy Johnson 10.
SERVE ACES: Minneota: Sussner 2; Morgan Hennen 2; Pesch 1. Ada-Borup: Kylie Borgen 2.
BLOCKS: Minneota-Kockelman 1. Ada-Borup-none.
SET ASSISTS: Minneota-Kocklmn 49, Morgan Hennen 4. Ada-Borup-Ivy Johnson 43.