Only senior leads Vikings to North finals
Much of the past two seasons Jennifer Krog had to sit and watch her volleyball team perform.
Injuries took their toll. But now, she’s the only senior on the Viking squad and Tuesday she reached up and help swat her team to a 3-0 win over Wabasso and a spot in the Section 3A North finals.
“This is my last time so I just want to do the best I can,” said Krog.
Minneota won 25-23; 25-21 and 25-13. But it was in the third and final game that Krog reached out and bit the Rabbits.
She landed four solid kills in a row on the Rabbits side of the net to help Minneota vault from a 6-1 to 11-1 lead.
“There was extra excitement and that was fun,” Krog said about the four-in-a-row.
During that run Morgan Hennen was at the serving line for nine of those points and, as Krog said. “I was proud of the way we worked so well together and supported each other.”
Krog got to put icing on the cake when she powered the final kill for a 25-13 victory in the final game to send the Vikings to the North finals.
“I thought we played with more intensity. Everyone in the front row was finding holes and our back row was disciplined on defense,” said Coach Hayley Fruin.
Minneota went into the game with heavy hearts. The grandmother of two of their players, Morgan and Abby Hennen had died earlier in the day so that was weighing heavily on their minds.
But they had an answer.
“We came out with the right mind set,” added Krog.
Sussner put it into perspective. “I lost my grandmother this year and Natalee (Rolbiecki) lost hers, so we’ve had a lot to fight through.
In addition, Rolbiecki’s brother Landon suffered a severe leg break in a football game. He was in a wheelchair to watch his sister perform.
Despite all of that, “We just drew together. Everyone was there for each other. This is a family, off and on the court,” said Lydia Sussner, who knocked down 12 kills for the Vikings.
As for Rolbiecki, the eighth grader had six kills and said, “I was nervous, but I just tried to get more touches on the blocks and play harder.”
Sussner agreed regarding the Vikings blocking. “A lot of girls wanted the ball and we were tough, especially mentally.”As a result, this team (strike that), this family won.
Minneota will play Canby at 6 p.m. Thursday at SMSU for the North Section 3A Championship. The Lancers were a 25-21; 25-18 and 25-16 winner over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton.
In the south, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton beat Hills-Beaver Creek 25-20; 25-16 and 25-21 to advance to the 7:30 p.m. finals. Their opponent will be Windom Area, a 27-25; 25-22 and 25-12 winner over Murray County Central.
Minneota 25 25 25
Wabasso 23 21 13
KILLS: Minneota-Lydia Sussner 12; Jennifer Krog, Natalee Rolbiecki 6 each. Wabasso-Maddy Guetter 18; Gina Goblirsch 11; Amanda Hoffman 5.
DIGS: Minneota-Abby Hennen 22; Lizzy Gillingham and Morgan Kockelman 9 each. Wabasso-Guetter 17; Megan Rothmier 16; Jenna Frank 10.
BLOCKS: Minneota-Sydney Larson, Sussner 2 each. Wabasso-Hoffman 3, Ally Welch 2.
SERVING: (No., good, aces) Minneota-Morgan Hennen 19-19-0; Morgan Kockelman 15-15-0; Emily Pohlen 10-10-0. Wabasso-Jenna Frank 9-9-0; Guetter 8-8-0; Rothmeier 7-7-0.
SET ASSISTS: Minneota-Morgan Kockelman 32. Wabasso-Frank 35.