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It is good to be the king.

Kenmare middle Katie King finished with 22 kills, two blocks and an ace as the Honkers defeated Linton-Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-12) in a semifinal match of the state Class B volleyball tournament Friday at the Minot State University Dome.

The 5-foot-11 junior was spiking shots from the start as she had nine kills in the opening game.

The Lions knew where the ball was going, but could not come up with a way of slowing King down.

"We tried double blocking her and she just found a way to get completely around all the blocks," Lions head coach Jaime Richter said. "She kept hitting it to the left side and we couldn't stop her there. So we moved a blocker to try and stop those left side hits and she started going to the right side. She is just amazing. I don't think there was anything else we could've done."

The win puts Kenmare in the championship match for the third time in four years. Kenmare won a state championship in 2007 and finished runner-up in 2006.

"We were all fired up and everyone was playing well together," King said. "Our fans were all fired up too, and that helped us try even harder. We just really wanted to make it back to the state championship game."

The Lions boast a pair of powerful hitters in seniors Lacey Ryckman and Christa Nagel, but they were contained by the Honkers' block.

Ryckman finished with nine kills and Nagel had seven.

"We haven't seen a block like that all year," Richter said.

Sophomore Ashley Barnhart led the Honkers with four stuff blocks, while King had two. Not bad for Barnhart, considering she is 5-foot-6.

"She is one of the best blockers around," Kenmare head coach Tim Wallstrum said. "Growing up with (former Kenmare middle and sister) Steph (Barnhart) made her a better blocker. She has a great vertical and has great form on her block. She pikes really well."

Linton-HMB stood up to the Honkers in the second game, where it had a chance to swing momentum its way leading 18-17. But Kenmare responded with an 8-2 run to take a two games to none lead.

"Losing that second game really hurt the girls," Richter said. "They just didn't play the same after that."

Kenmare senior Dayna Froseth got a number of tip kills that helped the Honkers close out game 2.

Of Froseth's 14 kills, five came by way of the tip.

"She saw that they were opening up. They played so far back set on defense that she decided she could tip it in there," Wallstrum said. "It's kind of like a curveball in baseball. It works great if you have a fastball."

Freshman Alexis Munson added 37 assists and senior Macie Harris had 12 digs for the Honkers, who play Hazen today for the state championship.

The Lions play Stanley for third place.

Kenmare 3, Linton-Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock 0

L-HMB 14 20 12

Kenmare 25 25 25

L-HMB Kills: Lacey Ryckman 9, Christa Nagel 7, Robin Weber 3, Kayln Schneider 3, Alexis Jasper 2, Jessica Weiser 1; Assists: Katelyn Kalberer 13, Whitney Gerving 7, Weiser 2, Jasper 1, Ryckman 1, Paula Nagel 1; Aces: Christa Nagel 1; Blocks: Christa Nagel 2; Digs: Paula Nagel 13, Sarah Nagel 9, Gerving 6, Ashlee Feist 6, Kalberer 5, Weiser 4, Jasper 3, Schneider 2.

Kenmare - Kills: Katie King 22, Dayna Froseth 14, Erika Lemere 5, Kortni Miller 3, Ashley Barnhart 1, Alexis Munson 1; Assists: Munson 37, Chelsey Zietz 1, Miller 1; Aces: Munson 1, King 1; Blocks: Barnhart 4, King 2; Digs: Froseth 15, Macie Harris 12, Meghan Essler 7, Zietz 7, Lemere 6, Munson 3, Miller 3, King 1.