2 weeks Ago By Joe Brown
WILLMAR — The Willmar volleyball team moved with the ebbs and flows of its Section 2AAA semifinals match with Mankato West. The Cardinals handled a late first-set run that extended into the second and tied the match at 1-1. And they handled an injury to one of their top front-row players.
That perseverance pushed the Cardinals into the section championship after a four-set victory Thursday at the Big Red Gym. Second-seeded Willmar beat third-seeded Mankato West 25-19, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17. “They were determined coming in,” said Willmar head coach Leah Brogdon.
“After the first few points of the game, I was like OK, it’s a tougher game. We got to kick it into gear a little bit and they definitely did.” This is Willmar’s first trip to a section final since 2021.
“It’s awesome. It just feels so good,” said senior libero Hannah Magnuson. She was sitting on the bench as a freshman on that 2021 team.
Magnuson continued, “We all play together so well and it was just really fun.” The Cardinals face top-seeded Marshall for the 2AAA championship at 7 p.m.
Wednesday at Redwood Valley High School in Redwood Falls. The Tigers are the three-time defending Class AAA state champions. Marshall swept fourth-seeded St.
Peter on Thursday, 25-20, 29-27, 25-12. “It’s really exciting but also nervous at the same time,” sophomore setter Ellery DeBoer said on making the 2AAA final. “We just need to forget about the nervousness and just go into the game confident, think about how we played in this game and use that as motivation into giving it to Marshall.
” A scrappy Mankato West squad proved to be a tough out for the Cardinals. Willmar held a 24-14 lead in the first set before the Scarlets scored five straight. Gretchen Volk ended the set with a tip to give the Cardinals a 1-0 edge.
Mankato West used that momentum to go up 8-3 in the second set. Willmar tied it at 23-all before the Scarlets scored two straight and tied the match at a set apiece. “I said from here on out, it’s a mental game,” Brogdon said.
“We got to move on from our mistakes and it’s gonna be whoever’s mentally tough to handle this (will move on).” Making things tougher for Willmar was a leg injury to junior outside hitter Brielle Ogdahl. She returned later in the second set and played in a limited capacity.
Without one of their top blockers, the Cardinals’ back row helped shore up the defense. Led by Volk’s 19 digs, Willmar had five players with double-digit digs. DeBoer finished with 16, Magnuson had 15 and Isley Ripperger had 11.
Senior Brianna Morrell, who filled in for the injured Ogdahl, had 11 digs. “Our back row, huge shout-out to them because they were all over the place,” Brogdon said. “Our mentality going into this game was nothing hits the floor.
They definitely succeeded in doing that.” Along with setting up the offense, Ellery DeBoer kept the Scarlets’ defenders on their toes with some well-timed tips. After growing four inches from her freshman season, DeBoer has used that extra size to become a consistent offensive threat.
“When I grew more, I started to become more offensive,” said DeBoer, who claimed she went from being 5-foot-7 to 5-11. She finished with 34 set assists and 12 kills. “Being in the front row, you just need to keep the blockers on edge so it’s helpful to have a setter who can attack.
” Willmar was firmly in control by the fourth set. Up 22-17, the Cardinals scored three straight points to close out the match, including a game-ending block. The 2AAA championship will be a rematch from the season opener on Aug.
22. Marshall won in three sets, 25-17, 25-13, 25-23. Willmar is looking to make its first state appearance.
Marshall has made 32 state appearances. “We don’t need to be nervous,” Magnuson said. “We need to just play.
I think last time we just played really nervous and really tense. Now, we just need to go out there and have fun and give it our all.” Section 2AAA Willmar 3, Mankato West 1.
