Prep volleyball: Willmar dives into quarterfinals

WILLMAR - The Willmar Cardinals advanced to the Section 2AAA quarterfinals with a 25-19-, 25-17, 25-19 victory over New Prague on Wednesday at Willmar High School.
Leah Ruter and Dani Rosen led the offense for the No. 7-seed Cardinals, combining for 31 kills, and Riley Grussing set up 38 points.
Sarah Smith had two ace blocks, and Ruter and Grussing each had two ace serves.
“We started out a little bit tight,” Willmar head coach Traci Grussing said. “Once we relaxed we just played really consistently. It was a really fun game because New Prague kept the ball in play.”
The Cardinals will have a tough test in the next round against No. 2-seed Chaska. In the most recent Minnesota coaches poll, the Hawks tied with Prior Lake as the top-ranked team in the state.
Grussing said the Chaska team is basically the same team that beat Willmar in the section tournament during the 2011-12 season. Back then, the Hawks were starting eighth- and ninth-graders who are now juniors and seniors.
“Our goal is just to be respectable,” Grussing said. “Anything can happen in volleyball, but we just want to go in and have fun and play well.”
Willmar 3, New Prague 0
New Prague (10-19) 19 17 19
Willmar (21-6) 25 25 25
New Prague
Statistics not available
Willmar
Serving (aces): Addie Erickson 11-12-1, Allie Roehl 12-13-1, Emily Chermak 12-12-1, Esther Grussing 6-8-1, Jamie Reyes 5-5-0, Leah Ruter 12-12-2, Riley Grussing 10-11-2 … Set assists: R. Grussing 95-97-38 … Hitting (kills): E. Grussing 3-7-3, Ruter 39-44-19, R. Grussing 5-5-3, Cami Sletta 10-13-3, Katelyn Haug 4-5-0, Dani Rosen 18-22-12, Sarah Smith 6-8-3 … Blocking (aces): Smith 2, Sletta 1, Ruter 1 … Digs (5 or more): Roehl 17, Chermak 10, Reyes 6, Ruter 15