West Delaware outlasts Marion in 5

CEDAR RAPIDS - Addison Brooks stood in the media room, an ice bag on her right shoulder, a weary smile on her face.

Her team had been in a fierce battle, but survived.

Third-ranked Marion rallied from a two-set deficit to force Game 5, but No. 2 West Delaware led it from start to finish and escaped the Indians, 25-22, 25-20, 24-26, 20-25, 15-9, in a Class 4A semifinal at the state volleyball tournament Thursday at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'We kind of let down there (at the end of the third set),” Brooks said. 'We had to come back full of energy.”

The Hawks (45-2) play for the 4A championship at 12:15 Friday afternoon against No. 1 Harlan. The defending-champion Cyclones (40-2) swept No. 5 Clear Creek Amana on Thursday.

'I can't believe it. We're playing on the last day of the season,” Kristen Wegmann said. 'That's what we've wanted since the start of the season.”

Marion closed at 34-8 but earned the Hawks' complete respect.

'They're a phenomenal team,” said Hawks setter Carlee Ketchum. 'They have a lot of good girls. They gave us a heck of a battle.”

It didn't always look that way.

West Delaware won a couple of close sets and owned a 23-19 advantage in Game 3.

It looked over. It wasn't.

'We're not really a giving-up kind of team,” said Marion libero Abby Phillips.

Instead of fading into the sunset, the Indians rallied behind sophomore Isabella Sade. Her free-ball kill knotted the set at 23-23, then another kill made it 24-all. Her ace gave the Indians the set and prolonged the match.

'The third game, we started reading their tempo better,” Sade said. 'We were able to pick up their hits better.”

Plus ...

'We knew we really didn't have anything to lose,” said Marion setter Amanda Sahm.

Marion came back from another deficit - 12-6 - to claim the fourth set. The Indians pulled even at 13-13, then scored four straight points for a 20-16 lead and took it home from there to force Game 5.

'We needed to get our confidence back up,” Wegmann said. 'It crossed my mind that we could lose. You can't have that mindset.”

Marion never led in the final set. It was 4-all before a 6-2 run put the Hawks in control at 10-6.

And the Indians were out of miracle comebacks.

'We had some serve-receive problems, and we just weren't as crisp as we had been,” said Marion Coach Roxanne Paulsen. 'In a game to 15, it doesn't take much to get you into trouble.”

At 12-9, the Hawks closed it out with two kills by Wegmann and the final blow from Bridget Hoffmann.

Both teams had three in double-figures for kills. Sade led all attackers with 18, which Alyssa Thomas adding 17 and Morgan Swanger 12 for Marion. Sahm and Caitlyn Smith combined for 56 assists, and Phillips recorded 29 digs.

Hoffmann and Brooks paced West Delaware with 15 kills apiece, and Brooks added 11. Ketchum collected 51 assists; Emily Thole counted 21 digs.

Now, after eliminating their conference rivals, the Hawks go after the defending champs.

'Their two big hitters (Jess Schaben and Taylor Frederick) ... they're going to get their kills,” Hawks Coach Brett Mather said. 'If they combine for 10 kills a set, it's up to us to make sure they earn the other 15 points.”

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