FAIRBANK — Jesup swiped Wapsie Valley’s senior night.
The half-dozen Warrior seniors — and their teammates — were determined to not let the J-Hawks do it again. So determined, in fact, it felt like a completely different team played Monday as Wapsie Valley swept the Class 2A Region 4 semifinal, 25-15, 25-15, 25-16.
Jesup (27-12) bested Wapsie Valley (26-16) in five sets on Oct. 1 during North Iowa Cedar League East play.
“With this being a rivalry game, two local teams, there was a lot more passion,†senior setter Avery Johnson said. “We wanted revenge, bad. They took our senior night, so we came for revenge.â€
The Warriors were always the first team to both the 10- and 15-point mark, and hit at a .364 attack percentage while spreading 40 kills across their top five hitters. Taylor Buhr posted 11 while Kennedy Kane added nine, Kyle Moulds chipped in eight and both Maddie Ladeburg and Taylor Schneider snagged six apiece.
“It’s like, kinda, feed who’s hot in the moment,†said Jones, who put up 37 assists. “There was a run with Taylor, a run with Kylee, a run with almost all the hitters. That helped open up the block more and spread the offense.â€
Wapsie hit .257 on Oct. 1, with 17 attack errors. Monday’s match saw the home team post just eight hitting errors, with no hitter putting up more than four.
“We just wanted to — even if we lost a point, the goal was to side out the next ball,†Buhr said. “We wanted to push points, push runs, be the first to 5, 10, 15. We wanted to make sure we were in control.
“Everyone did well, too. Playing off the net, playing tight, everyone did a good job.â€
Jesup accounted for 26 kill errors on 147 attempts Oct. 1, but was beset by at least 15 on far fewer Monday. The J-Hawks accumulated 29 total errors, with four via serve, and just 20 kills.
“To be honest, I couldn’t tell you,†head coach Eryca Bass said. “I couldn’t tell you if it was nerves, I couldn’t tell you if it was something mentally, emotionally, physically that was different.
“We were prepared with everything you can prepare for before you come into a match. It’s just about executing, and some nights are going to be better than others in execution.â€
Marlie Schissel’s first-set kill brought the visitor within 10-9, but kills from Kane and Buhr helped extend the advantage to 13-9. The first of three Buhr aces expanded the lead (17-12) later, and the host scored seven of the final eight points in the frame.
Kane, Buhr and Schneider went kill, kill, kill to end the set.
Jesup pulled within 11-10 in the second before a seven-point run off four J-Hawk errors and a Wapsie ace (Hailey Wehling), block (Buhr and Moulds) and kill (Schneider) put the Warriors in control at 18-10.
“I think we came more prepared and ready,†Schneider said. “Knowing what their hitters were going to do and what we were going to do (to defend).â€
Jesup led, 8-5, in the third before kills from Buhr and Ladeburg and a block from Kane and Schneider knotted it.
A Kane kill later gave the host an 11-9 edge, which opened to 14-11 on a Buhr kill and then 16-12 on a Buhr ace.
“We came in with confidence, too,†Buhr said. “We trusted each other. We knew what they had on their side, knew what we had to control on our side.â€
Sara Mead (eight) and Marlie Schissel (seven) combined for 15 of 20 kills. Each added an ace.
“The bleeding only comes from a team getting you, right?†Bass said. “So, if a team is coming after you, you have to find what is happening on our side that we can control to fix that to turn it around.
“We just couldn’t find that control tonight.â€
Schneider (solo block, two block assists) and Buhr (solo block, block assist) and Kane (two block assists) led the front line defense while Peyton Curley (10 digs), Buhr (nine) and Jones (seven) led a 39-dig defensive effort.
Curley and Ladeburg added aces.
“We had vengeance on our mind, and we knew they can play, that they were going to show up,†Shepherd said. “The key word for us was ‘suffocate.’
“You can’t overlook anybody, especially from our conference, in the postseason. When you’re bracketed up with NICL teams, you have to be ready for battle.â€