Anderson’s turnaround ignites Kennedy comeback

MARION - For two-plus sets, Macy Anderson was a non-factor.

'Oh, I know it,” she said. 'I knew I needed to get after it. I really wanted to pick it up.”

She picked it up, and carried her team to the finish line in an improbable comeback.

Ninth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy rallied from a two-set deficit (and a 22-18 hole in the third) to rally past Linn-Mar in a five-set Class 5A regional-semifinal volleyball classic (23-25, 26-28, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12) Thursday night at Linn-Mar High School.

'Exhilerating,” said Kennedy's Brinley Milbrath, who led all attackers with 25 kills. 'It was a wonderful match. I don't know how to describe it.”

The Cougars (28-11) advance to face No. 3 West Des Moines Dowling (36-5) in a regional final Tuesday at Newton. The winner advances to the state tournament.

Linn-Mar retired at 27-12. Lions Coach Teresa Kehe saluted her team - and the Cougars - after a lengthy session in the locker room.

'What a great match to be part of,” she said. 'It wasn't a matter of us giving it away. Kennedy just raised (its) level of play.”

It started with Anderson.

The junior hitter did not have a kill through the first two sets, finally putting down two in a row early in the third.

'She's usually my go-to hitter when we're down,” said Kennedy setter Anna Fluent. 'The first two sets, she was getting blocked. Then she tried to go around the block. But she stayed up, and we needed her.”

Anderson went on to collect eight kills in Game 3, including two in a row to end it, as the Cougars came back from the ledge. She finished the match with 16.

'Even though we were behind, I thought we could do it if everybody fought through it like they could,” Anderson said.

A three-point run gave the Cougars some separation in the fourth set at 12-9, then another run of three made it 22-18 to put Kennedy on the brink of Game 5.

The final set was tied at 11 before the Cougars made the final, deciding push. A kill by Milbrath and a tip by Anderson made it 13-11. After a kill by Meg Gostonczik brought the Lions within 13-12, Anderson's final kill gave the Cougars match point.

A hitting error by the Lions ended it.

Kennedy made it to four straight state semifinals from 2008 through 2011, then fell a match short of state each of the last two years.

'After that match tonight, I think we can do it,” Anderson said. 'I feel now like we can pull through anything.”

Paige Franck added 15 kills for the winners. Fluent distrubuted 59 assists.

Sami Boekhoff paced Linn-Mar with 14 kills and six blocks. Sarah Renner collected 10 kills and 27 assists.

Linn-Mar emerged from a 23-all tie to win the opener, then rallied from a 21-14 deficit to capture Game 2.

Then Anderson got it going, and so did the Cougars.

'Whatever she did, she can just keep doing it,” Milbrath said. 'She's like my other half on the volleyball court. She's such a smart hitter. She figured it out, how to go to other spots.”

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 3, LINN-MAR 2 (23-25, 26-28, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12)

Class 5A Regional Semifinal, at Linn-Mar

Serving: Kennedy 109-113 (.965), Linn-Mar 102-111 (.919); Aces: Kennedy 6 (Madi Palmer 3), Linn-Mar 9 (Meg Gostonczik 4); Kills: Kennedy 69 (Brinley Milbrath 25), Linn-Mar 59 (Sami Boekhoff 14); Assists: Kennedy 68 (Anna Fluent 59), Linn-Mar 56 (Sarah Renner 27); Blocks: Kennedy 6 (Milbrath 2), Linn-Mar 17 (Boekhoff 6).

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