Jacobi mother/daughter duo will team up for at least one more match

SPRINGVILLE — It could end Wednesday. Or next week.

At Van Horne. Or at Xtream Arena.

The thought of it all leaves both mother and daughter somewhat wistful.

Let’s hear from Mom first:

“I’m starting to feel some of those emotions,” Springville volleyball coach Michelle Jacobi said. “Team-wise, for sure. And getting to coach my kid at the end of her senior year, too.”

And Daughter:

“She was my basketball coach, in third grade,” Rowan Jacobi said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to call her Coach Michelle instead of Mom. She’s my authority in that role.”

For one more match. And maybe more.

Rowan Jacobi put down 18 kills, and 11th-ranked Springville swept North Cedar (25-23, 25-18, 25-20) in a Class 1A volleyball regional semifinal Monday night at Machovec Gymnasium.

“We’re really excited to get to this point,” setter Kalleigh Greene said. “This was the match that we lost last year, so it feels like we accomplished something tonight.”

But there’s still more out there. The Orioles (26-12) face No. 9 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (26-13) in a 1A regional final Wednesday at Benton Community High School, Van Horne.

First serve is 7 p.m.

The 6-foot-2 Jacobi has committed to play basketball at the University of South Dakota. Before autumn turns to winter and volleyball switches to basketball, she wants to lead the Orioles — and her mom — to Xtream Arena in Coralville.

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“She has put so much time and effort into us,” Rowan said. “Our freshman year, we had a phenomenal team. Sophomore year was a rebuilding year. Last year and this, we’ve come out of the woodwork.”

Jacobi’s 18 kills were more than half of Springville’s output of 35.

“We try to move the other team’s middle (hitter) around,” said Greene, who collected 26 assists. “The slides, the ‘32s,’ all of it worked well for us tonight.”

North Cedar (23-12) had an opportunity to claim the first set, leading it 22-21. An error knotted the set, then a block by Lexi Dietiker and a kill from Jacobi put the Orioles in front, 24-22.

After the Knights’ Brooke Stillwagon extended the set with a kill, Jacobi finished it with her sixth termination of the set.

The Orioles pulled away from a 13-13 deadlock in Game 2 with four straight points, then escaped a 16-16 tie in the finale with a three-point run.

Kendall Pitcher served six aces for the Orioles, five in the second set.

North Cedar has a promising freshman in Caylee Jensen, who converted all 14 of her serves (with three aces), and recorded half of the Knights’ kills, with 14.

Springville 3, North Cedar 0

(25-23, 25-18, 25-20)

Class 1A Regional Semifinal, at Springville

Serving: North Cedar 55-62 (.887), Springville 65-73 (.890)

Aces: North Cedar 8 (Caylee Jensen 3), Springville 11 (Kendall Pitcher 6)

Kills: North Cedar 28 (Jensen 14), Springville 35 (Rowan Jacobi 18)

Assists: North Cedar 26 (Reese Sandberg 20), Springville 31 (Kalleigh Greene 26)

Blocks: North Cedar 5 (Jensen 3), Springville 7 (Lexi Dietiker 3)

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Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com