The Minnewaska Area Lakers avenged a three-game loss to West Central Area earlier this season with a four-game win over the Knights, Thursday night at WCA High School, 15-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14.  The Lakers, who improved to 9-6 overall and 6-5 in the conference, played better as the match went on against WCA, which handled the Lakers in three games, Sept. 7.

It was the third win in the last four matches for Minnewaska Area, which was also set to compete in the Alexandria Invitational, Saturday.  Results of that competition will be highlighted next week.

BOLD (11-1 record) and Sauk Centre (10-1) currently lead the WCC, while WCA is third (7-5), followed by Melrose and Minnewaska (both 6-5), Morris Area-CA (4-7), Montevideo (1-10) and Benson (0-11).

In the Section 6AA standings, Minnewaska is currently ranked 10th of 14 teams, but could move up into the top eight with wins over Melrose and Morris Area in the coming weeks.

Pequot Lakes (13-2), Albany (20-3), St. Cloud Cathedral (12-7), Foley (13-7), Sauk Centre (14-5) and Staples-Motley (12-7-1) are the current top six seeds in the section.

The Lakers have four competitions left on the regular-season schedule this fall, including two matches this week.  Minnewaska Area was set to play at Melrose, Tuesday (tomorrow) before hosting Sauk Centre, Thursday.

Minnewaska 3, WCA 1

After losing the first game at WCA, Thursday, the Lakers regrouped and played some of their best volleyball of the season while rallying for a 15-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14 victory.

The Lakers played great defense and offense as Avery Fier led the Lakers with 23 digs and three blocks, while Dreya Barsness added 18 digs, Emma Poegel had 14 and Haley Shea had 13.  Fier also led Minnewaska Area with 14 kills, followed by Barsness with 11, Dacia Fleury with nine, Haillie Schulz and Miaya Guggisberg with five each, and Addy Kath with four.

Shea put up 26 set assists for the Lakers and Schulz had 17, while Schulz had three of her team’s eight ace-serves, with Fier adding two, and Berlynn Green, Barsness and Shea each ending the night with one.

Waska 3, at WCA 1

Minnewaska (9-6) 15 25 25 25

WCA (13-8) 25 21 13 14

WASKA STATS  (good-attempts-aces):  Serving (aces):  Haillie Schulz 3, Avery Fier 2, Berlynn Green 1, Dreya Barsness 1, Haley Shea 1 . . . Set assists:  Shea 26, Schulz 17, Barsness 2

Hitting (kills):  Fier 14, Barsness 11, Dacia Fleury 9, Schulz 5, Miaya Guggisberg 5, Addy Kath 4 . . . Digs:  Fier 23, Barsness 18, Poegel 14, Shea 13, Fleury 7, Schulz 7 . . . Blocks (aces):  Fier 3, Guggisberg 1, Fleury .5, Barsness .5, Schulz .5

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