Hudson's Kylie DeBerg towers over Springville

CEDAR RAPIDS — Kylie DeBerg embraces the burden.

"My team definitely looks to me," she said. 'They look to me to get the ball down. There's pressure there, but I can handle it.'

A 6-foot-4 middle hitter bound for the University of Illinois, DeBerg slammed 34 kills as second-ranked Hudson defeated No. 3 Springville in four sets (23-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18) in a Class 1A semifinal at the state volleyball tournament Thursday night at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'She was as advertised,' Springville Coach Claude Howard said. 'She gets up high and plays the ball well. We knew where the ball was going.'

DeBerg ranks second in the state in kills (6.56 per set, just behind Dubuque Wahlert's Mackenzie May). That rate rose Thursday.

Some of them were point-blank wallops from the net. But some were powerful attacks from the back row, too.

'We didn't get in front of her as much as we should have,' Springville's Madi Wagaman said. 'We blocked her sometimes, but it was hard. She was jumping so high.'

Hudson (35-4) is making its first state-tournament appearance, and it will conclude in the championship match at 7 p.m. Friday against top-ranked, defending-champion Janesville (34-8), a straight-set winner over Fort Madison Holy Trinity.

Springville (29-8) had won 14 consecutive matches, all via sweep. It started off well enough Thursday for the Orioles, who played from ahead through most of the first set, and led 14-10 in the second after a six-point surge.

But DeBerg got untracked late in the second set. With the Pirates still trailing 17-16, she closed out the set with four kills and an ace, and Hudson won it going away.

'We knew after the first set that they were going to come back harder,' said Springville's Alyssa Jaeger. 'They didn't panic.'

Springville closed a 21-13 deficit to 24-23 in Game 3, but DeBerg closed that one with a kill, as well. And she kept up the pace in the fourth set, helping the Pirates pull away when it was 14-13.

She took 54 swings, committing six errors and posting a lofty .519 kill efficiency. Madison Sallee collected 41 assists.

Springville was more balanced. Mikayla Nachazel led with 12 kills. Wagaman and Rylee Menster had eight apiece, Jaeger seven.

Wagaman also posted 20 assists and 14 digs.

The core returns for next year, and the Orioles will have an opportunity to return, and advance farther.

'We'll fill the holes, and we'll keep pushing this next offseason,' Howard said. 'We'll put another squad together that can get at least this far.'

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