HTC tested by Hawks but win in four

TOUGH AS ANY

Central Lee is a dangerous team — we’ve seen it, other teams have seen it. We knew tonight would be as tough as any other South Division match. And it was.””

Melissa Freesmeier, HTC Head Volleyball Coach

FORT MADISON - Holy Trinity’s volleyball team completed its undefeated run to the SEI Superconference South Division title on Thursday night, but Central Lee didn’t make it easy for the Crusaders.
The Hawks took the second set and led late in the third before the Crusaders rallied for a 25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 25-13 win at Shottenkirk Gym.
Holy Trinity, ranked No. 2 in Class 1A, went 7-0 in division play and moved to 21-5 overall with the postseason looming.
“That was big for us,” coach Melissa Freesmeier said of the title. “Central Lee is a dangerous team — we’ve seen it, other teams have seen it. We knew tonight would be as tough as any other South Division match. And it was.”
“I think it means a lot,” senior Anna Bendlage said. “A lot of people were doubting us coming into this season. I think it shows we’re still a good team.”
“It feels amazing,” said junior Presley Myers, who led the Crusaders with 15 kills. “I think we’re really proud of what we’ve done, and now we have to get ready for the postseason.”
The Hawks gave Holy Trinity a battle, though. Central Lee (13-12, 2-5), which handed the Crusaders their first loss of the year in the season-opening Wapello Tournament, took the second set and led 16-11 in the third before Holy Trinity rallied.
“We were right there,” Central Lee coach Amy Cook said. “We didn’t give up, but I think we let up, and you can’t do that against a team like Holy Trinity. They’ve got some hard hitters.”
Holy Trinity led 20-17 in the second set before Central Lee went on a 6-0 run that included three aces by Kylie Fortune. The Hawks then closed out the set and carried that momentum into the third set as the Crusaders never seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
“We definitely needed better communication,” Holy Trinity senior libero Teagan Snaadt said. “We talked about how we needed to stay in position better and communicate, and I thought we did that the rest of the match.”
Holy Trinity had a 7-0 run to take an 18-16 lead in the third set, then after Central Lee regained the lead, went on a 6-0 run. The Hawks got to within 24-21, but the Crusaders closed out the set, then dominated in the fourth set.
“I think we just really picked up our momentum,” Bendlage said. “I think we were just giving them a lot of points, and then we kind of flipped it around, getting big shots in and not letting anything hit the floor.”
“Sometimes we do fall short, like in that second set, but I thought this third set, we did a really good job of just stepping on the pedal and getting going,” Myers said. “And we knew we were not going to lose that third set.”
Cook said playing the Crusaders tough was good preparation for the postseason, which starts in two weeks.
“That’s what we talked about in the locker room,” Cook said. “Yes, we lost, but we played darn good. That’s a really good team, and we kept up with them.”
It was also good for the Crusaders’ momentum.
“I think that winning this division is huge for us,” Snaadt said. “I think it brings a lot of confidence to our team. You know, we’re a young team, and I think this helps us out a lot.”
Holy Trinity plays in three tournaments — at Pella on Saturday, at Mediapolis on Tuesday, and at Knoxville the following Saturday — before opening regional play.
“This is all about the postseason right now, and getting ready,” Freesmeier said. “So we hope to come into the gym tomorrow, get better, and then do some damage, starting on Saturday.”
HOLY TRINITY STATISTICS
Kills — Presley Myers 15, Adalyn Kruse 11, Anna Bendlage 9, Olivia Bendlage 4, Emma Mohrfeld 2, Elizabeth Griffin 1.
Assists — A.Bendlage 20, Griffin 12, Teagan Snaadt 7.
Serving — A.Bendlage 28-28 (4 aces), Snaadt 15-16 (3), Griffin 13-13 (1), Eva Denning 11-11, Myers 9-11 (1), Kruse 8-12 (4), O.Bendlage 7-7
Digs — A.Bendlage 17, Snaadt 16, Kruse 13, Griffin 11, O.Bendlage 6, Myers 5, Mohrfeld 3, Denning 1.
Blocks — Myers 2, Kruse 1, Griffin 1.
CENTRAL LEE STATS
Kills - Taylor Jones 14, Kylie Fortune 5, Lila Shepard 5.
Assists — Kenna Sandoval 28.
Serving — Jayden Mueller 15-16 (2 aces), K. Sandoval 14-14 (3 aces), K. Fortune 11-13 (3 aces.)