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Volleyball: Willmar Cardinals net home match in playoff opener

joe brown, west central tribune, willmar, minn.
·5 min read

Oct. 22—WILLMAR — The Willmar volleyball team has one more match left in the Big Red Gym.

Finishing the regular-season with a 14-13 record, the Cardinals earned the No. 4 seed in Section 2AAA. They will host No. 5 Hutchinson in the opening round of the section tournament at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Willmar and Hutchinson did not meet in the regular season. The Cardinals were 1-1 against section opponents. The Tigers were 0-2 against the section and 11-18 overall.

The winner of Willmar/Hutchinson will play the winner of No. 1 Marshall (24-5) and No. 8 New Ulm (11-10) at 7 p.m. Friday at the high seed.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Mankato West (14-9) takes on No. 7 Worthington (13-15). And No. 3 St. Peter (16-4) is host to No. 6 Mankato East (12-14).

The Section 2AAA championship takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Redwood Valley High School in Redwood Falls.

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and Paynesville are in the driver's seat in their respective sub-sections. The Jaguars are the No. 1 seed in Section 6A-South and the Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed in Section 3AA-North.

Looking to go to state for the second straight season, BBE (21-6) awaits the winner of a play-in match Monday between No. 9 Ortonville (6-16) and No. 8 Benson (4-16). The Jaguars' first match is 7 p.m. Wednesday in Brooten.

The second seed in 6A-South is West Central Area (19-9), followed by Parkers Prairie (23-5).

The top three seeds in 6A-North are Breckenridge (20-8), Underwood (21-6) and Henning (15-10)

The 6A championship is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 at Fergus Falls High School.

Paynesville (18-5) will try to return to the section championship match for a third straight season. The Bulldogs get a first-round bye in the sub-section and will play on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at home against the winner of Friday's match between No. 5 Litchfield (5-20) and No. 4 Morris/Chokio-Alberta (8-15).

New London-Spicer (13-10) got the two seed in 3AA-North, and Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (11-16) is the three seed.

Redwood Valley (26-2) is the top seed in the South sub-section, followed by Windom (18-9) and Jackson County Central (10-18).

The 3AA championship takes place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the R/A Facility at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

First round

7 p.m. Wednesday at high seed

8-New Ulm at 1-Marshall

5-Hutchinson at 4-Willmar

7-Worthington at 2-Mankato West

6-Mankato East at 3-St. Peter

Semifinals

7 p.m. Friday at high seeds

Section championship

Wednesday, Nov. 1

7 p.m. at Redwood Falls

North sub-section

First round

7 p.m. Friday at high seed

5-Litchfield at 4-Morris/Chokio-Alberta

6-Eden Valley-Watkins at 3-Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg

7-Montevideo at 2-New London-Spicer

Second round

7 p.m. Tuesday

Litchfield/MCA winner at 1-Paynesville

KMS/EVW winner vs. Monte/NLS winner at high seed

Sub-section championship

Thursday, Nov. 2

7 p.m. at TBD

Section championship

Saturday, Nov. 4

North champion vs. South champion, 5 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall

First round

7 p.m. Thursday at high seed

9-Holdingford at 8-Royalton

13-Milaca at 4-Melrose

12-Pillager at 5-Staples-Motley

10-Minnewaska at 7-Foley

14-Osakis at 3-Sauk Centre

11-Pierz at 6-St. Cloud Cathedral

Second round

7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31 at high seed

Royalton/Holdingford winner at 1-Albany

Melrose/Milaca winner vs. SM/Pillager winner

Foley/Minnewaska winner at 2-Pequot Lakes

SC/Osakis winner vs. Cathedral/Pierz winner

Semifinals

Thursday, Nov. 2

5 p.m./7 p.m. at Sauk Rapids High School

Championship

Saturday, Nov. 4

3 p.m. at Sauk Rapids High School

North sub-section

First round

7 p.m. Monday at high seed

8-Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop at 1-Mayer Lutheran

5-Cedar Mountain at 4-Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart

6-New Ulm Cathedral at 3-Cleveland

7-Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City at 2-BOLD

Second round

Thursday at Sibley East High School, Arlington

ML/GFW winner vs. BLHS/CM winner, 6 p.m.

Cleveland/NUC winner vs. ACGC/BOLD winner, 7:45 p.m.

Sub-section championship

Tuesday, Oct. 31

7:45 p.m. at Mankato East High School

Section championship

Thursday, Nov. 2

North champion vs. South champion, 6 p.m. at St. Peter High School

North sub-section

Play-in matches

7 p.m. Monday at high seed

9-Lac qui Parle Valley at 8-Dawson-Boyd

10-Yellow Medicine East at 7-Lakeview

First round

7 p.m. Friday at high seed

DB/LQPV winner at 1-Minneota

5-Wabasso at 4-Renville County West

6-Central Minnesota Christian at 3-MACCRAY

YME/Lakeview winner at 2-Canby

Second round

Tuesday, Oct. 31

5:30 p.m./7 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall

Sub-section championship

Thursday, Nov. 2

5:30 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall

Section championship

Saturday, Nov. 4

7:30 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall

South sub-section

Play-in matches

7 p.m. Monday at high seed

9-Ortonville at 8-Benson

10-Ashby at 7-Wheaton/Herman-Norcross

First round

7 p.m. Wednesday at high seed

Benson/Ortonville winner at 1-Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa

5-Hancock at 4-Brandon-Evansville

Ashby/WHN winner at 2-West Central Area

6-Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley at 3-Parkers Prairie

Second round

Friday

7 p.m. at high seed

Sub-section championship

Thursday, Nov. 2

8 p.m. at Fergus Falls High School

Section championship

Saturday, Nov. 4

6 p.m. at Fergus Falls High School