Dubuque Wahlert sweeps Pella to keep title hopes intact

CEDAR RAPIDS - Dubuque Wahlert isn't here to defend a title.

The calendar has flipped. This is a new team. Last year's finish won't change and it won't result in any points or wins for the current Golden Eagles. They have their sights set on their own crown.

'We came in with the mentality that we are a different team,” Wahlert senior Jenna Gremmel said. 'We don't want to dwell on last year. We want to come out as a different team and play to our ability right now.”

Different team, but the same result so far. In a rematch of the 2016 final, the second-seeded Eagles swept No. 7 Pella, 25-13, 26-24, 25-22, in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Class 4A state volleyball quarterfinals Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Center.

Wahlert (20-9) will face Council Bluffs Lewis Central (33-5) in Thursday's semifinal. The Titans swept third-seeded Waverly-Shell Rock on Tuesday.

The Golden Eagles don't have any pressure since they weren't favored at the start of the season, according to sophomore Aliyah Carter.

'We're looking to win another title,” Carter said. 'We're just here. We're playing as a team. It's one game at a time and hopefully we can get it.”

Wahlert cruised in the opening set, closing with six straight points, including two kills from Anna Sherman and the final from Mykenna Horchak, who led Wahlert with 10 kills.

Wahlert doubled up Pella early in the second, leading 10-5, when Pella began to scrap back. Pella fought back to tie the set at three times before taking a 21-20 lead on consecutive kills from Emily Holterhaus.

Holterhaus recorded a match-high 15 kills, providing the points for a 23-22 lead and set point for the Dutch. Pella (33-7) suffered and error and violation and Carter pounded home the winning kill to hold off the Dutch.

Wahlert tries to feed off the competitive energy of the moment and use an opponent's rally to their benefit.

'As much as they build up, their momentum builds us up,” Horchak said. 'They put up a really good fight. We appreciate that, because it makes us better as well as them better.”

The third set was a back-and-forth affair with Wahlert taking an early lead only for Pella to lead 8-5 and 12-11. The Golden Eagles always had an answer, winning six of eight points for a 17-14 lead and five of seven to make it 23-18.

'We were up some and down some,” Carter said. 'We talked our way through it. We played as a team and it was good.

'We are very tough. We have a lot of seniors on the team. They know what they're doing. We're not scared to go dive on the floor when there is a tough hit. We're all doing what we need to do.”

Carter, Carolyn Conlon and Anna Sherman added seven kills apiece for Wahlert. Gremmel set the hitters up well, pacing Wahlert with 25 assists.

'This year, I feel like our middles have improved a lot,” said Gremmel, who also had a team-high 21 digs. 'We depend on them. When we have a good pass we want to get them involved as much as possible.”

After a slow start, Pella made each of the last two sets a contest. They tallied four straight points, pulling within 23-22 and forcing Wahlert to call a timeout in the third. Unfortunately, a hitting error and double-hit violation ended the match and Pella's season.

'We didn't finish how we wanted, but how we battled back impressed me, actually,” Holterhaus said. 'I'm so proud of my team and how we could come back and do that. We worked together really well, I thought.”

Natalie Clayberg added eight kills and 12 digs for Pella. Kara Wichhart had 20 assists and 12 digs, while Holterhaus led the Dutch with 13 digs.

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