ST. PAUL-Casey Volkmann pounded 14 kills and collected 11 digs as No. 4-seeded Wadena-Deer Creek swept No. 5 Ada-Borup-Norman County West 3-0 in the Class 1A state quarterfinals Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center.
Ashley Adams contributed 30 set assists and 13 digs for the sixth-ranked Wolverines, who advance to the semifinals where they will meet top-seeded and top-ranked Mayer Lutheran at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 at the Xcel. Mayer Lutheran, the defending state champion, has won 13 of its last 14 matches and is playing in its 13th state tournament.
"I think we'll just go out, play loose and fancy free, let the chips fall where they may," W-DC coach Sue Volkmann said. "The pressure's not on us, it's on them. We have nothing to lose."
The Wolverines made quick work of ABNCW, winning the first two games by a combined 17 points. ABNCW (21-11) pushed the Wolverines in Set Three before falling 25-23.
"The first two we kind of took the lead, held onto it and expanded it over the course of the (match)," Sue Volkmann said. "We kind of won those two games going away.
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"We kind of sat back and played not to lose," Sue Volkmann said of Game Three, "and they took advantage of things. Their blocking game picked up and they made a game of it."
Kennedy Gravelle contributed nine kills and five blocks and Ellie Miron eight kills and five blocks for W-DC, which improved to 26-6.
"Our passers did a good job getting the ball up where we needed to have it," Sue Volkmann said. "We kind of got used to the big ceiling and made the plays when we had to."
Ada-Borup-NCW 17 16 23
Wadena-Deer Creek 25 25 25
Wadena-Deer Creek statistics
Lila Lohmiller 1 ace serve, 5 digs
Ashley Adams 1 kill, 30 set assists, 13 digs, 3 blocks
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Kennedy Gravelle 9 kills, 5 blocks
Casey Volkmann 14 kills, 1 set assist, 1 ace serve, 11 digs, 3 blocks
Ellie Miron 8 kills, 5 blocks
Kylee Hopp 2 set assists, 5 digs, 3 blocks
Aly Daigneault 3 kills, 1 block
Courtny Warren 1 set assist, 7 digs
Katlyn Heaton 3 digs
Overall: WDC 26-6. Next: Wadena-Deer Creek: Class 1A state tournament, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul: Consolation semifinals 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday, championship semifinals 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday.
