Stunning rally extends Janesville's magical run

CEDAR RAPIDS - Janesville's first appearance in a girls' state team tournament just got extended. The Wildcats roared back from a two-game hole behind the thunderous hitting of Olivia Fisher and stunned second-ranked Alta in an exquisite Class 1A quarterfinal Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Center.Janesville won the deciding Game 5, 15-10.“That was very tense,” said Fisher, who had 30 kills. “We were just like ‘OK, you can do this. Just push.'”Every game of this marathon was ultra competitive. Alta (25-5) closed out 25-23 and 25-22 wins and seemingly had things under control, but 11th-ranked Janesville (25-8) wouldn't go away.“We knew we had to make less mistakes and play more as a team,” said middle hitter Karli Kruse, whose team won Games 3 and 4 by 25-21 and 25-22 counts. “We just had to keep our heads held high. We were really nervous at the start of the first game. We calmed down a lot.”Alta had a 5-2 edge in Game 5, but, again, Janesville didn't wilt. Fisher, whose jump serve produced six aces, closed out the match with three straight kills at the left side of the net.“It was so exciting,” she said. “I just wanted to crank some.”

Tripoli rompsNot much of a quarterfinal challenge for the two-time defending champion Panthers. All-state middle hitter Megan Gilbert was virtually unstoppable with 16 kills in her team's 25-7, 25-9, 25-14 romp over No. 13 East Union.“I think we were just ready to play,” said the 6-foot Gilbert, who recorded a .600 kill percentage. “We had about a week off, and we wanted to get it going.”Tripoli (34-5) takes on No. 5 LeMars Gehlen in tonight's semifinals. To state for the first time in 20 years, East Union ended 30-8.“I think we played a pretty good match,” said Tripoli setter Sara Hoppenworth, who had 35 assists. “There were a couple of times we lost ball control, but that was it.”

Stanton moves onThey're volleyball mad in Stanton. There are 28 girls in the high-school program, more than half of the entire female student population.“They play volleyball, they play basketball and softball,” said Stanton Coach J. Browning after her eighth-ranked team's 21-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-17 quarterfinal win over No. 3 Des Moines Grandview Park Baptist. “They are a dedicated group of girls. It's sometimes tough because in the offseason we have to stretch them so thin between volleyball and basketball. But 22 of my 30 players last year played club (volleyball) in the offseason.” Kadie Subbert had 19 kills and Ragen Anderson 17 assists and 19 digs for Stanton, making its first state tourney appearance.“I think we got a lot of the jitters out that first game,” Subbert said.