Down 2-0, Dubuque Hempstead crashes Linn-Mar’s MVC volleyball championship party

MARION — For two sets, a coronation appeared imminent.

Linn-Mar was rolling, and a championship seemed to be brewing.

But in the end ...

“This one stings,” Coach Nikki Rowland said after Dubuque Hempstead rallied to topple the Class 5A ninth-ranked Lions in five sets (15-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-12) in a Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division volleyball match Tuesday night at Linn-Mar High School.

“We’re disappointed. We talked all week about putting a number up a championship banner. Right now, it’s hard to process.”

That number that Rowland was referring to is still a likelihood, but it will probably be a shared title. Hempstead (15-8 overall, 5-1 division) pulled alongside the Lions (14-8, 5-1) atop the Valley Division.

Linn-Mar closes league play next Tuesday at Waterloo West; Hempstead finishes at home against Western Dubuque.

It wasn’t as if the Lions blew any of the final three sets. Hempstead went out and won them all.

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In hindsight, Linn-Mar’s best shot was Game 3, which it led 16-15. But the Mustangs scored four in a row and didn’t look back.

Hempstead answered a 6-1 deficit in Game 4 with a 10-1 run, then led throughout most of the finale.

The Lions climbed within 11-10 and 13-12 in Game 5, but an over-the-net violation made it 14-12, and Emma Boge’s block — Hempstead’s 12th of the match — sent the Mustangs home as winners.

“We didn’t match their energy in the fifth set,” Rowland said.

Linn-Mar controlled the first two sets. A 12-1 run sent the Lions to a 17-5 in the opener, then an 8-3 surge put them in command, 14-8 in the second.

The Lions owned a 28-18 advantage in kills in Games 1 and 2, then it was Hempstead by a 33-23 margin the rest of the way.

Kate Passmore led Linn-Mar with 19 kills. Kira Klesner posted six kills to go with 26 assists.

Addison Wright had 12 kills to pace Hempstead. Boge added 11 kills and three blocks.

Dubuque Hempstead 3, Linn-Mar 2

(15-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-12)

At Linn-Mar

Serving: Hempstead 96-100 (.960), Linn-Mar 89-94 (.947)

Aces: Hempstead 10 (Alyssa Jaeger 5), Linn-Mar 8 (Tessa Casebolt 3)

Kills: Hempstead 51 (Addison Wright 12), Linn-Mar 51 (Kate Passmore 19)

Assists: Hempstead 46 (Luci Weber 36), Linn-Mar 46 (Kira Klesner 26)

Blocks: Hempstead 12 (Lauren Hefel 4), Linn-Mar 11 (Gwen Gaffney 4)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com