No. 1 Union opens with a sweep

CEDAR RAPIDS — OK, so the Union Knights are a bit predictable.

But 'predictable' and 'stoppable' are two completely different things.

'If Megan (Hudson) is jumping over your block, it doesn't matter if you know it's coming,' Osage Coach Andie Olson said. 'You just don't know how to prepare for that.'

Hudson and Peyton Parker did the majority of the heavy lifting, and top-ranked Union swept No. 14 Osage (25-19, 25-20, 25-20) in a Class 3A quarterfinal at the state volleyball tournament Wednesday morning at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'Our setter (Maggie Driscol) does a nice job moving the ball around, and our middle hitters are really coming along,' Parker said. 'We mix it up a little.'

And a little is enough. Hudson averages 5.42 kills per set this season, Parker 4.32. Both went beyond that Wednesday: Hudson collected 21 kills, Parker 17.

That was 38 of Union's 46 kills.

'We go with what we're comfortable with,' said Hudson, one of the state's top hurdlers who has been offered by the UNI track and field team. 'Our outsides are our go-to hitters, and we're going to keep going to it until it gets shut down.'

Parker had just two attack errors and posted a glossy .536 kill efficiency.

The Knights (39-4) won their 17th straight match — including their 15th straight consecutive sweep. Up next is No. 5 Mount Vernon (34-7) in a semifinal at 2 p.m. Thursday.

'The first time we played, we didn't play that well,' Parker said. 'We need to step up and play like we can play. If we do that, we have a good chance.'

Union didn't trail in the first set, and the Knights' last deficit in Game 2 was at 2-1.

But Osage (23-12), which pulled a big regional-final upset over No. 3 West Delaware, jetted to a 7-1 margin in Game 3 before the Knights came right back.

'We were able to come back and finish strong,' Parker said. 'We moved some things around with our serve reception and kept our energy up.'

Down 14-13, the Knights put together eight straight points, then coasted home.

Driscol collected 39 assists.

Brenna Jacobs led Osage with seven kills.

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