Cougars gain first state win

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Sumner-Fredericksburg's response was swift and emphatic.

The third-ranked Cougars stepped off the throttle for a bit, and it cost them the third set.

"We didn't play our game at all," said Kally Frisch. "We let low a little bit, and when you get down, it's hard to get back up."

Sumner-Fredericksburg did, though, scoring the first four points of Game 4, and plenty after that  -- enough to finalize a 25-17, 25-22, 15-25, 25-19 triumph over No. 7 Hinton in a Class 2A quarterfinal at the state volleyball tournament Wednesday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Center.

The Cougars (38-3) picked up their first state-tournament win in school history and earned a shot at No. 2 Western Christian (44-2) in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Momentum is a fickle, fleeting thing in volleyball. Sumner-Fredericksburg had it Wednesday, then lost it.

But the Cougars got it back, and kept it for good.They jumped in front of Game 4, 4-0, then 9-2, then 13-5.

"We really needed to put a big block up. The more we slowed them down, they better off we were," Frisch said.

The key game ultimately was the second game. Hinton (26-8) cut a five-point deficit to one on two occasions (17-16 and 19-18), but the Cougars were able to close. A three-point run -- a kill by Josie Weldrich, then two by Frisch -- gave Sumner-Fredericksburg breathing room at 22-18.

Frisch led the Cougars with 20 kills; Jaydlin Seehase added 11. Becca Pagel contributed 41 assists.

Kasey Reuter delivered 21 kills for the Blackhawks.