No. 9 CPU sweeps third-ranked Independence in Wamac volleyball opener

CENTER POINT - Independence did not have much of a chance to savor its lofty new ranking.

Center Point-Urbana had a claim of its own to stake.

CPU senior Abigail Weideman tallied a game-high 11 kills and 17 digs as the Class 4A ninth-ranked Stormin' Pointers swept No. 3 Independence, 27-25, 25-18, 25-15, in a Wamac Conference volleyball opener Thursday night at Center Point-Urbana High School.

'We worked our game,” CPU Coach Cathy Husmann said. 'All season long, I've been saying, ‘I've got the height, I've got the speed. … I don't care what they're ranked. They could be No. 1. We come after it with our game.' We did, and we took them.”

Independence (6-1, 0-1 Wamac) vaulted eight spots in the IGHSAU Class 4A rankings released Thursday and appeared poised to jump on CPU after rallying from a 15-11 deficit to get within three points of claiming Game 1.

'We were all very stressed because it was our first game,” said Weideman, a South Dakota commit and 3A honorable mention all-state selection last season. 'I think communication was the main thing. We came together and we all started actually talking and that is what brought us back.”

CPU closed Game 1 with six of eight points, which seemed to have a snowball effect over the final two, buoyed by the Stormin' Pointers' size advantage. CPU (8-1, 1-0) used an 11-0 burst to distance itself in Game 2, then responded to a 5-2 deficit with 17 of 21 points and a double-digit lead in the clincher.

'We were having trouble getting our rhythm going,” Independence Coach Joe Schmitz said. 'The wheels started to come off a little bit.”

Independence junior Madison Larson led the Mustangs with eight kills.

CPU junior Delaney McSweeney posted nine kills and four blocks, while Morgan Husmann distributed 34 assists. Allie Wooldridge also collected four blocks and Callyn Fox added three.

'I think we did very well blocking,” Cathy Husmann said. 'We shut the net down on them. They had to look for other shots and with our defense, the other shots weren't available.”

CPU will play in the eight-team Mount Vernon Invitational this Saturday, while Independence visits Williamsburg on Tuesday.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com