BRAINERD -- Willmar snapped a four-match losing streak in the Central Lakes Conference by sweeping Brainerd 25-13, 25-21, 25-16 Tuesday.
The win nearly mirrored the Cardinals' first victory this year against Brainerd. Willmar (5-5, 8-12) gave up only one more point and had two less ace serves on Tuesday compared to its 25-11, 25-16, 25-22 sweep on Sept. 5 in Willmar.
Greta King posted an impressive kill percentage of .636 Tuesday after the junior pounded down 16 kills in 22 attacks for Willmar, which saw freshman Hannah Smith pile up six of the team's 15 ace serves.
"Over half of (Brainerd's) points in each game came on our errors," said Willmar coach Mary Hanson. "We came out fast and played hard. We got to keep Greta in the front row and we served aggressively."
King also had four ace serves and 10 assists, helping junior Laurie Buer, who had 13 assists, direct the offense.
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A quartet of Cardinals -- Smith, senior Heather Thoma and sophomores Annalise Bratt and Emily Nelsen -- all had three kills.
Willmar plays at St. Cloud Apollo on Thursday.
Willmar 3, Brainerd 0
Willmar (5-5, 8-12) 25 25 25
Brainerd (0-10, 3-21) 13 21 16
(Key: good-attempts-aces)
Willmar
Serving: Heather Thoma 8-9-1, Annalise Bratt 7-8-2, Megan Brown 8-9-0, Greta King 17-17-4, Laurie Buer 11-11-2, Hannah Smith 15-16-6 ... Setting: King 26-26-10, Buer 30-30-13 ... Hitting: Megan Junkermeier 4-5-2, Thoma 10-14-3, Bratt 6-6-3, King 20-22-16, Emily Nelsen 11-13-3, Chelsey Beilhartz 4-7-1, Smith 5-6-3 ... Blocking (aces): Junkermier 1, Nelsen 2 ... Digs: Junkermeier 1, Thoma 1, Bratt 4, Brown 12, King 5, Nelsen 1, Beilhartz 3, Buer 4, Smith 4
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Brainerd
Serving: Britni Hynes 10-10-3, Nikker Graumann 9-10-2 ... Setting (assists): Graumann 13 ... Hitting (kills): Karlye Barron 6, Hynes 3 ... Blocking (aces): Barron 1, Hynes 1, Graumann 1 ... Digs: Natika Klauck 11, Kelsey McDowell 9
