VOLLEYBALL: Win over Lenox highlights 2-2 week for netters

Avenging a loss against a rival team from earlier in the season is a sweet feeling Nodaway Valley/OM’s volleyball squad was able to experience last week.

The Wolverines lost in two sets at home to the Lenox Tigers Sept. 9, but nine days later — Thursday, Sept. 18 — the Wolverines were able to dominate in many ways from start to finish. It led them to a 25-18, 25-19 sweep of the Tigers to cap a home triangular.

“I saw all my hitters were ready to hit and was able to set all of them up,” junior setter Mattie Thompson said after a 14-assist performance where seven different hitters scored at least two kills. Seniors Emma Boswell and Kylie Nelson ended with five apiece.

“We did really well on defense as well,” Thompson added.

The Wolverines honored all 10 of their seniors before the Lenox match.

Senior Kiara Stevens had a big moment in the first set, jump-starting a 6-0 run her team went on with two-straight aces.

“This felt really good, especially since it’s our senior night there were a lot of emotions,” Stevens said. “I was excited and really hyped up.”

Lenox led 18-17 in the second set before the Wolverines made their move — a 7-0 run predicated by excellent play at the net by the home team — and went up 24-18.

“We knew we had the potential to play with them, so we thought it was nice to finish with a win,” NV/OM head coach Allie Kiburz said. “It just makes it all that much better that it was on senior night. We had a great cheering section. There was a lot of energy in the gym and it was a fun night to be here and to be a Wolverine.”

Sophomore Taylor Laughery blocked two Lenox kills and Thompson blocked one.

Junior libero Allie Cornelison was digs leader with 16 and senior Izzy Eisbach had nine.

Thompson, Herr and senior Mallory Russell all had one ace.

NV/OM’s defense limited Lenox to 15 kills on the evening.

Kiburz was pleased that all of the seniors were not only able to have playing time, but positively contribute.

“Sometimes on senior night you try and get some more girls in, but we didn’t step off [the gas]. Sometimes that can be hard to figure out how to rotate, but I have faith in every one of those girls that they can play their spot and we’re not going take a step back,” Kiburz said. "

Earlham beat the Wolverines in the first match Thursday 25-18, 25-15.

The Wolverines lost 25-22, 25-19 to Martensdale-St. Marys last Tuesday in Afton, but they defeated rallied from a second-set loss to East Union for a three-set win on set scores of 25-15, 27-29, 16-14.

Emma Boswell had nine kills against East Union in an offense set up by 13 Thompson assists. The Wolverines scored nine aces — Eisbach had four, Thompson three and Herr two. Eisbach finished with 10 digs and Herr had eight. Nelson and Eisbach each made two blocks.

Abigail White (9) and Caitlin Reines-Schmidt (8) combined for 17 of MStM’s 24 kills. White finished with 11 digs and seven of the Blue Devils’ 11 aces.

Nodaway Valley/OM had a triangular scheduled for Tuesday at Central Decatur against the Cardinals and Southwest Valley. Their next date is Sept. 30 in a Southeast Warren triangular also involving Mount Ayr.

According to the website Bound, NV/OM was tied as of Sunday with Lenox, Martensdale-St. Marys and Southwest Valley for third place in the Pride of Iowa Conference, based on conference win percentage. Mount Ayr and Southeast Warren were tied at the top.

Kiburz said she’s excited for a stretch of the schedule where the Wolverines will sometimes only play once a week. The first three or four weeks of the season have been very busy.

“It will still be game time but not as intensive,” Kiburz said. “Sometimes we can lose focus. We’re used to go, go, go right now. We’re at a point where we’re going to have to find [our energy] in practice.”