Dike-New Hartford turns tables on Union

CEDAR RAPIDS — Get to a fifth set, and anything can happen.

Dike-New Hartford wasn't willing to take any chances.

'We said we can't go five,' Baylee Petersen said. 'We have to push. We have to get it over right now.'

The second-rated Wolverines rallied from a 23-18 deficit in the fourth set and closed out No. 1 Union, 25-18, 25-11, 23-25, 27-25 to capture the Class 3A championship at the state volleyball tournament Friday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Center.

It's the 12th championship for the Wolverines (48-5), their first as a 3A school. They avenged a five-set loss to Union (Oct. 4 at LaPorte City).

'It's a tremendous win for us,' said Coach Diane Harms, who won her fifth title with the Wolverines. 'We wanted to maintain focus and play as hard as we have been.'

They also wanted to block, a point Harms made repeatedly in timeouts.

'We weren't setting our block very well. We know we're not going to block them all the time,' she said.

'The first two sets, our blocking was very effective. Then in the next two, it was more sporadic. Down the stretch, it was very good.'

Union (40-5) watched an 18-match winning streak come to an end. You can point to the lost lead at the end of the fourth set. But the Knights, frankly, weren't competitive early, and that forced them into a big hole.

'We played scared. We played tentative,' said Union's Megan Hudson, who led her team with 17 kills. 'That will get you when the other team plays to win.'

The Knights were on the brink of forcing a fifth game, but DNH blocks accounted for three of their last nine points, and Union errors accounted for three more.

Amber Rickert's kill gave the Wolverines a 26-25 lead, then Rickert's block sent them over the top.

A junior outside hitter, Petersen was the all-tournament captain after accumulating a match-high 20 kills and 21 digs. Madison Lavenz (14 kills) and Sydney Petersen (14 digs) also made the all-tournament team.

So did Hudson (17 kills) and Peyton Parker (eight kills) for Union, along with Libby Ryan of Mount Vernon and Abby Lohrmann of Carroll Kuemper.

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