Kenyon-Wanamingo Volleyball Sweeps Bethlehem Academy

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights rolled to a 3-0 win over Faribault Bethlehem Academy tonight at Van Orsow Auditorium.  The huge fans were blowing in the hot gym.

The Knights set victories were 25-15, 25-17, 25-14, improving their record to 5-1.  In the most recent Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Rankings they are still rated #2 in Class A.

The Cardinals fell to 3-6.  It was their first loss to a Class A school.  These two teams are in the same Section 1A.  Five of the top seven teams in Class A are in that section.

Kenyon-Wanamingo did to Bethlehem Academy what Kasson-Mantorville did last week to Kenyon-Wanamingo.  Dominated them.  Kasson-Mantorville is rated #5 in Class AA.

Most of the Knights points in the first sets were due to errors by the Cardinals.  My statistics are not official but I counted 17 errors by Bethlehem Academy in the set which means Kenyon-Wanamingo had just 8 offensive points in the set.  7 kills and a service ace.

Set two Bethlehem Academy started with a lead and was ahead 13-10 before the set was tied at 13 and again at 15.  The Knights pulled away primarily due to a very efficient attack.  I counted just 4 errors in the set.  Boyum led the way with 5 kills and no hitting errors. Senior Ellie Benson had a couple kills.  Peterson ended the set with an emphatic kill down the sideline.  BA cut their errors down to 9 in set two.

The Cardinals also had a lead early in the third set but Kenyon-Wanamingo turned up the heat on their serves and pulled away.  Led by Boyum with 3 ace serves.  Petersen led the offensive attack for the Knights with 11 kills, Boyum added 7 kills.

Kenyon-Wanamingo had 4 errors in the third set.  Prior to the match Knights Head Coach Jen Nerison told KDHL the Milo Peterson Ford key to the match would not be unlike any other.  "Keep the errors down."  The Knights finished with 17 total, the Cardinals 37 total errors.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance Agents Faribault players of the match were junior 5'10 Kennedy Tutak with 4 blocks and 4 kills, sophomore 5'10 Ellie Cohen with 6 kills and just two hitting errors and libero junior 5'4 Brianna Radatz.

The Held Bus Service of Kenyon Knights of the match were Peterson, Boyum and libero senior Kaia Johnson.  Kenyon-Wanamingo goes to Cannon Falls Thursday for a match we will broadcast on KDHL beginning 7:00 p.m.

Bethlehem Academy goes to New Richland Thursday for a Gopher Conference contest with a 7:15 varsity first serve.