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SECTION 3A VOLLEYBALL: Knights open section play with sweep over LQPV

Photo by Jake Przytarski RTR’s Madison Witte goes up to tip the ball during their Section 3A Tournament match against Lac qui Parle Valley on Monday. The Knights defeated the Eagles 3-0.

TYLER – Opening up their sectional playoff schedule in style, the No. 6 seed Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Knights rolled over the No. 11 seed Lac qui Parle Valley Eagles in straight sets in Monday’s home matchup – setting up a round of 16 matchup with the No. 5 seeded Camden Conference foe, the Yellow Medicine East Sting.

Well acquainted with one another after duking it out in a five-set thriller early in the regular season, the Knights will look to be on the winning side of the match this time around and end YME’s 17-game winning streak that began shortly after their Sept. 4 meeting. Knights coach Daynica Brown believes that the tough loss will provide fuel for her squad to come out on top this time around.

“I think the girls are going to push hard,” said Brown. “Coming off that loss I think they got that extra (motivation) after they lost to them in five games. “I think they want it really bad this time around.”

Senior Maddy Muenchow points to a more well-rounded attack that the team has employed since the loss that will be a key difference in their matchup with the Sting.

“I think we definitely have learned that we have to play together,” said Muenchow. “We can’t have one person with a bunch of stats. We have to have equal (production) across the line, and I think if we go with that and stay as a team we’ll do really well against YME.”

The unified effort was apparent in the Knights opening set win that combined strong passing and communication to establish control of the game early on, highlighted by a seven-point run to take a 9-4 lead. Continuing to press, RTR cruised to a 25-13 set win.

Noticeably motivated by the lopsided opening set, the Eagles came out with a stronger effort to start the second set beginning with an ace that set in motion a three point run. Undeterred, the Knights battled back and reestablished momentum the rest of the way through en route to a 25-16 set win.

With no interest in seeing the match go to a fourth set, the Knights kept their foot on the gas in the third and final set with Allie Christianson and Kylea Baartman each tallying aces to take an 11-3 lead. Holding a comfortable lead the rest of the way through, the Knights finished off the Eagles with a 25-12 win to take the match in straight sets.

Leading the way for RTR in digs was Maddi Wendland with 19 followed by Kalleigh Carr with 13. Mckinley Schreurs and Maddy Muenchow also finished in double digits with 11 each. Baartman was the team leader in kills with 14 and Haley Muenchow was right behind her with 11 on the night. Finishing with a team-high two serving aces was Carr followed by Baartman and Christianson who each tallied an ace.

Heading into Friday night’s pivotal road matchup with the Sting, Brown is looking for her team to clean up some of the errors and play with a faster pace.

“I think the biggest thing for us is to clean up our play and then just in general stepping it up,” said Brown. “We gotta be quicker. From the blocks to our defense, because YME is gonna be a tougher team and they’re going to have harder hitters. They’re gonna have their setter Madison Hinz (who) is a great setter, and she’s gonna read our defense and she’s gonna try to outsmart us. (So) we have to step it up and play a little bit better and a little more aggressive on that side of it.”

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