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The North Branch volleyball team avenged a late season loss to Mora by beating the Mustangs when it really counted. Friday, October 27 the Vikings earned a trip to the Section 7AA final four by beating Mora 18-25, 25-18, 25-18, 7-25, 15-12 at the Mustang gym.

“We played Mora tough last week, but could not get the win,” said Viking head coach Kari Francis. “We knew that, if we got another chance to play them, it was going to be a close match. Games 1-3 were all very close, but we did manage to go up 2-1 in games.

“Game four, we played very tight and Mora couldn’t miss on the other side. Game four was not one of our best performances. But, even after that, we still had a chance to take the match,” Francis continued.

“Game five was back and forth, but we stayed together and played smart volleyball. We had some great individual play out of everyone at some point in the match. We had quite a few fans there to support us and it was great to celebrate with them afterward,” the coach added.

North Branch is the number two seed in the south subsection, so they will play the number one seed from the north, Hibbing, in the Section semifinals.

“We played them just last week and are familiar with what they are running,” said Francis. “They have been one of the favorites in the region for many years; we are going to have to come ready to play.”

The North Branch-Hibbing contest was scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 31 in Cloquet. The winner will advance to the section final Thursday, November 2, also in Cloquet.

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