North Cedar aces this test

CLARENCE - Serving practice brings rolled eyes and slumped shoulders from the North Cedar Knights.

'They hate it,” Coach Traci Smith said. 'I make them do it every day, and they hate it.”

They loved it Tuesday night.

Kate Pruess served four straight aces early in the fourth set, and that turned the match on its ear as No. 15 North Cedar outlasted Lisbon in five sets (16-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-7, 15-8), in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal volleyball match at North Cedar Middle School.

The Knights (29-11) delivered seven aces in Game 4, then carried the momentum over into the final set, constructing an eight-point surge to advance to Friday's regional semifinal. They'll host No. 8 West Branch (32-5) in a battle of the River Valley Conference's two division champions.

'We've got to come out strong and excited like we did tonight,” said Pruess, the Knights' libero. 'We need to make plays as a team. We've got just as good a chance as they do.”

Pruess provided the match's turning point. Lisbon (26-10) took two of the first three sets and held a 3-1 lead in the fourth. After a sideout make it 3-2, Pruess served four straight aces, and the Knights controlled play the rest of the way.

'I kind of tried to switch it up - short, long, topspin, whatever,” Pruess said. 'Wherever Traci told me.”

A kill by Danielle Heiken ended that run, but North Cedar had a bigger one in store - 11 in a row for a 17-4 margin. Then six more in succession to close out the set.

The killer blow came in the rubber set. Lisbon led 3-2 before the Knights scored eight straight. Aubrey Cady had four of her eight kills in the finale.

North Cedar has a fine team this year, and the best, likely, is yet to come. There's only one senior on the roster. Leading hitter Darby Hawtrey, a lethal lefty, had 20 kills Tuesday. She's a freshman.

'She's amazing,” Pruess said. 'She's definitely a catalyst for the team.”

Morgan Sander added 15 killsfor the winners, and Emily Hay and Rebecca Ahrendsen combined for 48 assists.

Heiken matched Hawtrey's 20 kills, with Lexie DeJong adding 16 for the Lions. Katie Montgomery distributed 39 assists.

Unlike the Knights, Lisbon is full of seniors.

'I usually don't get emotional, but it was hard tonight,” said Lisbon Coach Lance Kamaus. 'This is my kind of group of kids, and that's the hardest thing about tonight.

'Statistically, we haven't been really good in serve reception, but we've been really good on defense. That's kind of the way it was tonight.”

North Cedar finished with 12 aces (five from Pruess, four from Maddison Hawtrey), compared to three for the Lions.

NORTH CEDAR 3, LISBON 2 (16-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-7, 15-8)

2A Regional Quarterfinal, at Clarence

Serving: Lisbon 79-82 (.963), North Cedar 93-98 (.949); Aces: Lisbon 3 (Katie Montgomery 2), North Cedar 12 (Kate Pruess 5); Kills: Lisbon 47 (Danielle Heiken 20), North Cedar 59 (Darby Hawtrey 20); Assists: Lisbon 44 (Montgomery 39), North Cedar 53 (Emily Hay 30); Blocks: Lisbon 4 (four with 1), North Cedar 6 (Morgan Sander 3).

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com