Linn-Mar comes on late, wins home volleyball tournament

MARION — They were in serious danger of falling short of the championship match.

But once the Linn-Mar Lions got there, they were a completely different team.

A much better team.

Class 5A fifth-ranked Linn-Mar handled 3A No. 4 Davenport Assumption, 21-14, 21-8, to capture the Linn-Mar Invitational volleyball tournament for the second straight year.

'We got our passes up a lot more, and our communication was a lot better,' senior Anna Gorsich said. 'We got our middles involved, and that was big.'

Linn-Mar (15-5) swept through pool play and handled Marion in the quarterfinals. Semifinal foe Solon was a different beast.

The 3A ninth-rated Spartans won the first set and held a 13-12 advantage in the third before Linn-Mar scored the final three points.

Tori Niemeyer's kill got the Lions even, then Gorsich posted back-to-back kills to allow the hostesses to survive and advance.

'We were coming off a long layoff, it was the middle of the day, and we didn't have a lot of energy,' Gorsich said. 'Once we got through the first set, our energy level increased.'

Solon (12-5) is coming off a 15-21 season last year, with mostly the same players.

'We've really focused on our culture,' Spartans Coach Sarah Ferin said. 'Last year, the girls were a little bitey. If the other team made a run, that was it. Now, we're more even-keeled and able to stay in games.'

'(Solon) is a good team,' Linn-Mar Coach Teresa Bair said. 'They got a lot better today from the first time we played them to the second.'

The Lions, meanwhile, saved their best for last, against Assumption (12-1). They rallied from an early 7-3 deficit in Game 1, scoring three straight points to snap a 12-all tie. Then, leading 16-14, they closed out the first set with two kills from Ellie Von Lehmden and two kills and a block from sophomore Allison Feigenbaum.

'They were kind of struggling with our quick sets to our middles,' Feigenbaum said. 'And our seniors, they've been great helping me along.'

Linn-Mar closed out the match easily, scoring the first five points in the second set, then increasing the lead to 12-3.

The Lions have a big MVC Valley Division test Tuesday at home against 5A No. 3 Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

'It's going to be a very, very good match,' Gorsich said. 'If we play like we did at the end of the day today, we'll have a good chance.'

Linn-Mar Invitational

Pool A

Teams — 1. Center Point-Urbana 3-0, 2. Pleasant Valley 2-1, 3. Dubuque Hempstead 1-2, 4. C.R. Prairie 0-3.

Center Point-Urbana def. Pleasant Valley, 21-17, 20-22, 15-12

Dubuque Hempstead def. C.R. Prairie, 21-12, 21-18

Pleasant Valley def. Dubuque Hempstead, 21-15, 21-16

Center Point-Urbana def. C.R. Prairie, 21-9, 21-13

Pleasant Valley def. C.R. Prairie, 20-22, 21-10, 15-9

Center Point-Urbana def. Dubuque Hempstead, 19-21, 21-17, 15-7

Pool B

Teams — 1. Linn-Mar 3-0, 2. Solon 2-1, 3. Fairfield 1-2, 4. Waterloo East 0-3.

Solon def. Waterloo East, 21-8, 21-11

Linn-Mar def. Fairfield, 21-7, 21-17

Linn-Mar def. Solon, 21-18, 21-17

Fairfield def. Waterloo East, 21-12, 15-21, 15-13

Solon def. Fairfield, 21-18, 21-18

Linn-Mar def. Waterloo East, 21-8, 21-14

Pool C

Teams — 1. Davenport Assumption 3-0, 2. C.R. Kennedy 2-1, 3. Marion 1-2, 4. Sumner-Fredericksburg 0-3.

Davenport Assumption def. C.R. Kennedy, 21-15, 21-17

Marion def. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 23-21, 21-15

C.R. Kennedy def. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 21-19, 22-20

Davenport Assumption def. Marion, 21-15, 21-14

C.R. Kennedy def. Marion, 21-18, 21-19

Davenport Assumption def. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 21-13, 21-17

Consolation Semifinals

Sumner-Fredericksburg def. Fairfield, 21-15, 22-20

C.R. Prairie def. Waterloo East, 21-11, 21-8

Consolation Final

C.R. Prairie def. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 21-14, 21-18

Quarterfinals

Linn-Mar def. Marion, 21-13, 21-15

Solon def. C.R. Kennedy, 21-18, 21-19

Davenport Assumption def. Dubuque Hempstead, 13-21, 21-9, 15-10

Pleasant Valley def. Center Point-Urbana, 21-11, 21-13

Semifinals

Linn-Mar def. Solon, 11-21, 21-14, 15-13

Davenport Assumption def. Pleasant Valley, 21-19, 14-21, 15-12

Championship

Linn-Mar def. Davenport Assumption, 21-14, 21-8

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com