North Mahaska Stays Unbeaten in SICL
NEW SHARON – As the volleyball regular season winds down, North Mahaska sits atop the South Iowa Cedar League as the only undefeated team. North Mahaska hosted Belle Plaine Thursday for senior night and won a dramatic three-set affair, 25-18, 25-23 and 25-14.
North Mahaska, 16-1, scored seven service aces in the match including aces on set points in the first two sets. Senior Regan Grewe scored the ace to win the first set and Kaylia Shipman added one in the second. Grewe led the team with three aces.
No one was sure the match would go three sets or longer as both teams were undefeated in league play according to the stats on Bound.
“In the first set I knew there were going to go to their outside hitter,” said North Mahaska coach Grace Ceresa. “I moved players over there and I think it made them have to work differently.
“The second set was less than stellar. I think we had some trouble with team culture and were not good teammates. I can be honest with this group of girls and I think it brought them out more angry in the third.”
With the first set tied 8-8, Grewe and company served up three straight points. The teams were never more than three points apart until senior Ally Livezey served the Warhawks to a 21-16 advantage. Exchanges of service brought Grewe in to hit the ace for the win.
Both teams found the serving line unkind in the second set with servers hitting the net or out of bounds. Belle Plaine held the lead 21-20 forcing Ceresa to call a timeout. Missed serves by both teams tied the set at 23-23. Shipman then served the final two points culminating in an ace.
North Mahaska took control and powered their way to an 11-6 advantage. NM led 17-11 when Sydney Andersen came to serve scoring aces on points 21 and 22 for a 23-12 edge. Belle Plane misplayed a ball on points 24 and 25 to give NM the match.
Once again it was net dominance by Grewe, Andersen and Nataliya Linder. Grewe had nine kills and a block while Linder had seven kills and two blocks. Andersen finished with five kills. Another senior, Breckyn Schilling, put down three kills and recorded a block.
During the third set Ceresa called a timeout after senior Abby Van Weelden recorded her 500th career assist.
North Mahaska will travel to Iowa Valley on Monday. The Warhawks will host the first round of the conference tournament on Monday, Oct. 14.
