SoDak 16 winners include two area Class A and four Class B teams
WATERTOWN — Clark-Willow Lake's volleyball team wasn't about to wait another 24 years to qualify for another state tournament. The fourth-seeded Cyclones (24-1) earned a return trip to state with a decisive 3-0 win over fellow Northeast Conference foe Groton Area in a Class A SoDak 16 state-qualifying match on Tuesday in the Watertown Civic Arena. Clark-Willow Lake won 25-19, 25-11 and 25-12 to sweep the 13th-seeded Tigers (20-14) for the second time this season. "We knew if we let them in, they would work hard to take it," Clark-Willow Lake coach Betty McGraw said. "We worked very hard on our gaps and our roles during the break. We knew what they were capable of and couldn't let them get started." With the exception of a late surge by Groton Area in the first set, the Cyclones controlled the match. They led 19-12 in the opening set before the Tigers made things interesting with five-straight points. CWL closed out the set by taking six of the final seven points. Groton Area did open the second set with three-straight points before CWL scored the next seven and cruised to the win. The Cyclones led from start to finish in the third
