Dike-New Hartford recovers from first-set loss to beat North Polk

CEDAR RAPIDS – Early on, you could not tell the perennial power from the state-tournament rookies.

No. 11 North Polk charged out in its tournament debut by taking the first game against 11-time state champion Dike-New Hartford, but the second-ranked Wolverines showed their mettle by claiming the next three in a 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-22 victory in a Class 3A volleyball state tournament quarterfinal Wednesday at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'We got all the nerves out and we started playing like our normal selves,' Dike-New Hartford junior Baylee Petersen said. 'As we play on, we'll keep getting better and better.'

Dike-New Hartford (46-5) is in its first season in Class 3A after an illustrious run in two lower classes. The Wolverines will face No. 4 Carroll Kuemper (29-1) in a semifinal Thursday at 2 p.m.

Dike-New Hartford jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the second game, then broke a 14-14 tie with five of six points. A second surge of 5-1 evened the match at a game apiece, 25-18. The Wolverines smothered the Comets in Game 4 with an 11-1 explosion that turned a 14-14 tie into a 15-5 lead. Petersen contributed four kills down the stretch as Dike-New Hartford claimed the fourth game, 25-18.

'We just made sure that we had a lot of energy and it was obviously a different atmosphere there,' Petersen said. 'We just always try to be loud and keep communicating.'

In the clincher, Dike-New Hartford rallied from a 19-17 deficit with eight of 11 points for a 25-22 triumph.

The Wolverines have been without freshman Morgan Weber – second on the team with 309 kills – throughout the postseason with a stress fracture and adjusted by moving outside hitter Madison Lavenz from the right side to the left, where she played last season. Lavenz collected 14 kills and 15 digs. Petersen added a team-high 19 kills with 14 digs.

'She's a very dominant player,' Dike-New Hartford Coach Diane Harms said. 'She's just a very confident player for us and she has a lot of shots. Front row, back row for us, her presence for us just helps everybody else.'

Madison Hedges collected 48 assists for the Wolverines, while Petersen's twin sister, Sydney, led the team with 26 digs. The twins are the daughters of Northern Iowa volleyball coach Bobbi Petersen.

Southern Illinois recruit Hannah Becker led North Polk with 22 kills and 16 digs. The Comets (37-10) end their season with a school record for wins and the satisfaction of a first state-tournament appearance.

'It's a good feeling,' Becker said. 'Up on the wall we see all the football, all the cross country … basketball, softball, you name it. And then there is nothing for volleyball. So we just wanted to start a new tradition, get something up there for ourselves and represent North Polk.'

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