Lake Mills remains perfect

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Lake Mills volleyball team huddled and demanded better performance.

Not exactly what you'd expect from a team that just swept its opponent, but a sign of a team chasing perfection.

The second-ranked Bulldogs remained the state's only unbeaten team with a 25-22, 25-22, 25-13 victory over Council Bluffs St. Albert in the quarterfinals of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Class 2A state tournament Thursday at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Lake Mills Coach Jim Boehmer said he loved the post-game attitude.

"Our girls are proud of being undefeated," Boehmer said. "I think they just want to keep playing better volleyball. The focus is good."

The Bulldogs (45-0) received a tough test from the Saints, who reached the state meet for the first time in school history. The first two sets were tied 20-20 before Lake Mills closed them out. Nevada Meis led St. Albert with seven kills and Matti Munger added 23 assists and two aces.

St. Albert (30-10) qualified with a five-set come-from-behind win against over power Pella Christian to reach state. The Bulldogs weren't about to let up.

"They earned our respect for that in a big way," Boehmer said. "We were happy to get those set wins early, because we knew they would keep coming at us."

Shelby Kuper scored kills for the Bulldogs final three points for a 2-0 advantage. Kuper finished with 12 kills. Josie Brackey led Lake Mills with 19 kills, including three straight in the third set, helping her team distance itself. Morgan Fjelstad tallied 35 assists, setting at a faster tempo in the final set.

"We pulled through and we pushed and played hard," Brackey said. "It's good to get that first game out of the way and hopefully we will continue to play better."

Boehmer attributed better play in the final set to a more relaxed and calm demeanor that allow for more aggressive serves. Brackey said the team started to come together better.

"I felt they were a little slow on their blocks and we could get through that," Brackey said. "We had people telling us where to go and good communication."

Lake Mills was the 2A runner-up last year and has reached the semifinals again. Being Iowa's only unbeaten team only means something if the season ends that way.

""We came here for a reason," Brackey said. "We're trying to win all."

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