GREENFIELD — In gaining its first conference victory of the season Tuesday, the Nodaway Valley volleyball team used the formula coach Allison Kiburz was preaching in practice.
“We really emphasized trying to come out strong, because that is something we haven’t done previously,” Kiburz said after her team’s 25-13, 25-20, 25-20 home victory over Bedford.
“We knew Bedford is always ready and they play with a lot of effort every time out,” Kiburz added. “We never take them for granted. Something that was really good tonight was that after we did a good job of starting strong, we didn’t let their runs overtake us in the second and third sets. We played well when we needed to. We knew we couldn’t come out and just dominate every set.”
Nodaway Valley improved to 1-2 in the Pride of Iowa Conference West Division and 9-8 overall. Bedford fell to 1-2 in the same division and 4-13 overall.
The Wolverines bolted to a 7-1 lead in the opening stages of the match, as Corinne Bond had a hot stretch at the net with a stuff block and hard kill into the Bulldog defense.
Bond served the final five points of the 25-13 victory with freshman Whitney Lamb’s kills finishing the final two points.
Setter Lexi Shike spread the ball around in set two, and she was involved in a crowd-pleasing play that pushed NV into a 20-18 lead. Maddax DeVault laid out for a diving save, and Shike was in position to quickly send the ball into an opening in the Bedford defense.
The play was an example of Nodaway Valley’s scrappy defense making up for the team’s relative lack of height up front.
“Lexi is very good at mixing it up and giving it to the girls who are confident at the time,” Kiburz said. “At the same time, Lexi, Maddax, McKynli (Newbury) and Joslyn (Christensen) are all very scrappy and they hustle on the floor for everything. Natalie Yonker is great in the back row digging those balls up.”
The Wolverines finished off the sweep with an identical 25-20 triumph, withstanding a rally by the Bulldogs that turned an 11-5 deficit into a 13-13 tie. Midway through the set Newbury and Christensen found openings deep in the Bulldog court for kills and Bedford had some untimely unforced errors as the Wolverines finished the set on a 12-7 run.
Yonker finished with 23 digs, nearly averaging eight per set. She was also 10-10 at the service line with an ace. Shike finished the night with 19 setting assists, nine digs and three kills. Bond had eight kills and a solo block. DeVault was perfect in 11 serving attempts and Baylie Speer fired off two service aces.
Brooklyn Rowan led Bedford with seven kills and two blocks. Makinna Russell had 14 digs.
UP NEXT — Nodaway Valley continues its homestand, hosting Central Decatur 8-4, (2-2 in POI) on Tuesday.
Statistics
Serving (aces) — NV: Maddax DeVault 12-12, Natalie Yonker 11-11 (1), Corinne Bond 12-13 (1), Lexi Shike 10-11, Joslyn Christensen 8-8, McKynli Newbury 9-11 (1), Baylie Speer 4-7 (2). Bed: Selena Valenzuela 10-10, Kennedy Weed 8-8, Brooklyn Rowan 7-7, Jaelin Daly 9-11, Makinna Russell 8-9.
Attacks (kills) — NV: Newbury 19-20 (4), Bond 16-18 (8), Christensen 13-13 (4), Shike 15-15 (3), Whitney Lamb 10-12 (2), DeVault 13-19 (2). Bed: Rowan 13-17 (7), Weed 21-23 (6), Paige Oldenkamp 17-20 (4), Darcy Davis 15-19 (2), Jenna Walston 6-12 (2).
Blocks (solo-assists) — NV: Bond 1-0, Lamb 1-0. Bed: Paige Oldenkamp 1-1, Rowan 0-2, Vivian Tracy 0-2, Walston 0-1.
Setting (assists) — NV: Shike 19, Yonker 2. Bed: Daly 12, Macie Sefrit 9.
Digs — NV: Yonker 19, DeVault 13, Newbury 8, Christensen 5, Shike 5. Bed: Russell 14, Weed 9, Valenzuela 7, Walston 3.