McDermott, Richards help Xavier advance

CEDAR RAPIDS - Every time it seemed like Vinton-Shellsburg was ready to mount a charge, Ellie McDermott or Charlotte Richards was there to swat it away.

The Cedar Rapids Xavier sophomores combined for 25 kills as the Saints won a Class 4A volleyball regional quarterfinal over Vinton-Shellsburg, 25-13, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23 Monday at Ron Thillen Gymnasium.

'They are definitely our two go-to hitters,” Xavier Coach Katie Bailey said. 'Being sophomores, I put a lot of pressure on them and they always come through.”

McDermott contributed three of her game-high 14 kills as Xavier broke a 7-7 tie in the first game with five straight points. She later added an ace serve to push the lead to 12 points as Xavier claimed Game 1, 25-13. In the second game, Richards notched consecutive kills as the Saints pulled away from an 11-11 tie by scoring 14 of the game's final 21 points.

'The team was talking really great and the hustle on the court was great,” Richards said.

Vinton-Shellsburg led by as many as seven points in Game 3, but Xavier continually rallied, even taking a brief lead at 23-22. Vinton-Shellsburg scored the final three points for a 25-23 win in Game 3, then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth game.

A Richards kill tied the final game at 4-4, then McDermott broke an 8-8 tie with a pair of her own.

'We just work well together on the court, bounce ideas off each other,” McDermott said. 'It worked out good today.”

Though Xavier (15-22) never trailed again, the Vikings did get within a point at 24-23 before their final serve landed past the end line.

McDermott finished the match with four aces. Senior Amy Olberding led Xavier with 25 digs, while Richards added 22. Senior Jess Callahan contributed 30 assists.

Senior Anna Sagan led Vinton-Shellsburg (13-22) with 10 kills, while freshman Rebecca Steffen added nine.

Xavier will face No. 1 West Delaware (44-2) in a Class 4A regional semifinal Thursday at Manchester.

'I'm excited,” McDermott said. 'I want to get to state.”

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com