Kuemper outlasts league rival

CEDAR RAPIDS -- It had the feel of five.

Red Oak won the third set to extend the match, and was rolling in Game 4.

"At that point, you're just thinking one point at a time," said Carroll Kuemper's Maria Dentlinger. "Every point is so important."

Third-ranked Kuemper scored nine straight points to erase a 15-8 deficit and polished off a four-set triumph (25-17, 27-25, 21-25, 25-21) over No. 6 Red Oak in a Class 3A quarterfinal between the Hawkeye Ten Conference rivals at the state volleyball tournament Wednesday morning at the U.S. Cellular Center.

"It's all about energy," said Kuemper's Claire Ludwig. "That's what did it for us. When we're down, it's because our energy is down."You need to do something to make a spark, to get everybody excited."

That spark came with the Knights (27-4) staring at a big deficit and the distinct possibility of heading toward a fifth game.

Ludwig had a kill and a block, then Dentlinger served a pair of aces. Suddenly, that 15-8 deficit was transformed to an 17-15 lead.

Red Oak (27-7) answered with four in a row for a brief 19-17 lead, then Kuemper scored four straight, and kept the lead the rest of the way.

The Knights face No. 8 Mount Vernon (26-10) in a semifinal at 2 p.m. Thursday.

"They run a quick offense, so we've got to be ready to block," Dentlinger said. "We've got to keep getting those kills."

Kuemper jetted to a 20-5 lead in the opener before holding on, then overcame a set point in Game 2. Down 24-23, Dentlinger delivered a kill and an ace. Then, at 25-all, Ludwig posted back-to-back kills.

Ludwig finished with 19 kills, Dentlinger 14. Morgan Naberhaus collected 40 assists.

Kate Walker posted 12 kills for Red Oak.