Braves top Bulldogs for second in WCC South; to face Litchfield in section opener

The Benson volleyball team swept Paynesville last Tuesday night in the regular-season finale, 25-20, 25-15, 25-21.  The Braves ended the regular-season with a 10-15 overall record, which included a 6-7 mark in the WCC South, good enough for second place behind BOLD.
The Braves are set to play again in the Section 3AA round-of-16 at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25 at Litchfield.  Benson was seeded seventh in its half of Section 3AA, while NLS was seeded first, Litchfield second, Morris Area third, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop fourth, Montevideo fifth, Redwood Valley sixth, Benson seventh, and Minnewaska Area eighth.
The top two teams in the other half of the section are Marshall, ranked first in state Class AA, and Jackson County Central
The Section 3AA Tourney continues with quarterfinal action Tuesday, Oct. 29, while the semifinals are set for Thursday, Oct. 31, and the Section 3AA championship is set for Saturday, Nov. 2 at SMSU in Marshall.
Seniors on this year’s Benson volleyball team, coached by Shannon Schmidt, Clint Schiller, and Erick Hedman, are Cyra Carlson, Hannah Moline, and Bethany Erhardt.
“I don’t know a lot about Litchfield, but we have some time to get ready for them,” coach Schmidt said.  “Our team is playing very well right now so we hope to give them a great match.
Photo: Krista Motzko puts down a kill as Madyson Krienke looks on from behind, during a sweep last week of Paynesville.