Rudningen earns MVP for KMS volleyball team

The KMS volleyball team finished the 2017 season with a 12-17 overall record after going 13-18 the season before.  The Saints were also 3-8 in the Camden North Conference for the second season in a row.  MACCRAY dominated the league race with an 8-3 Camden North mark, while KMS was tied with Dawson-Boyd for second, Lac qui Parle was fourth (2-9), and Prinsburg and RCW were tied for fifth (1-10).
The top three teams in the Camden South were Tracy Area (11-0), Minneota (10-1), and Canby (9-2), all ranked among the top 10 teams in state at least one time this year, including Minneota, which edged Tracy in the Section 3A championship to earn a berth at state.
KMS started out 7-5 with three-straight wins over RCW, LQP, and Dawson-Boyd, Sept. 12, 14, and 19, but then went 2-9 over its next 11 matches to fall to 9-14.  The Saints went 2-2 at the Underwood Tourney before going 1-1 in the Section 5A Tourney to finish 12-17.  
KMS also placed fifth at the Browerville Tourney, going 2-2, sixth at the SMSU Tourney, going 2-3, and fifth at the Underwood Tourney.  The Saints earned the third seed in its “pod” of Section 5A and the Saints beat No. 2-Kimball in the first round before falling to one of the top seeds, Royalton, in the quarterfinals in five games.
The Saints, coached by Joquel Molenaar, Laura Loen, and Tami Ruff, lose just one senior from this year’s team (Alexandra Walsh), giving the team a great shot reaching the .500 mark at least next season.  “Overall, I am very proud of the girls and what they accomplished this year,” Molenaar said....
Team awards-season stats
Mallory Rudningen earned the Saints’ Most Valuable Player Award, while Katie Krieger earned the team’s lone All-Conference selection for 2017.  Rudningen led the Saints with 655 set assists, was fifth with 171 digs, fifth with 43 kills, and fourth with 24 serves, making 94 percent of her serves, which was second on the team.  Krieger led the Saints with 413 digs, was second with 16 set assists, third with 30 ace-serves, and made 90 percent of her serves, going 266-for-295 overall.
Rudningen also earned the Saints’ Award, while Krieger also earned  the team’s Best Defensive Player award and Hustle Award....
 
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Pictured: Mallory Rudningen, who earned MVP honors for KMS this season, puts up a set for a teammate.