DNH repeats; Lions make a mark

CEDAR RAPIDS -- When the Linn-Mar Lions are good, they can be very good.They were very good Saturday. Even in defeat.Especially in defeat.Linn-Mar took two-time defending Class 2A state champion Dike-New Hartford to a decisive set in the semifinals of the Westside Invitational volleyball tournament before bowing, 25-22, 23-25, 15-6.But let's dig a little deeper than that.Only one other team from Iowa has taken a set off the mighty Wolverines (33-1); Janesville has done it twice. And keep in mind that DNH is ranked No. 8 in the nation by prepvolleyball.com and has three players -- all juniors -- committed to Division-I programs."We knew they were good," said Lions libero Kiley Coppock. "When you have 6-foot-6 (Brooke Morgan) in the middle, you're going to be good."Dike-New Hartford has once-in-a-generation talent. And the Lions didn't blink."We had a lot of energy," said Linn-Mar's Aryn Jones, who had a crucial block on Morgan, and also put down the decisive kill in the second set. "This is comparable to the Linn-Mar tournament, when we beat Solon."But today, we ran high all day."Dike-New Hartford went on to win the tournament, 25-17, 25-19 over 5A No. 3 Dubuque Hempstead. But the semifinal with Linn-Mar (18-12) was the match of the day.The Wolverines seemed to have escaped any drama when they rallied from a 15-8 deficit to take the opener. But there was more to come.Down 12-8 in Game 2, Linn-Mar stormed back to take a 19-16 lead. DNH scored four straight to reclaim the lead, but Linn-Mar persevered.Jones' kill gave the Lions a 22-21 edge, then she denied Morgan's kill attempt for a 23-21 lead. Then, at 24-23, she had the kill that sent the match to a pivotal, unlikely Game 3."Linn-Mar came out with so much energy," said Morgan, who has committed to the University of Wisconsin (Briana Weber and Rachel Koop both have chosen UNI). "But we came back out and got it back at the end."The Wolverines stormed to a 10-2 lead in the finale and weren't threatened. Still, the Lions had made their mark.Even before that point, it was a very good day.Linn-Mar opened with an upset win over 4A No. 3 West Delaware in pool play, then controlled its quarterfinal match against 3A No. 6 Mount Vernon."We've been trying to figure out how to sustain effort," said Lions Coach Teresa Kehe. "To do what we did today, all day, it's a huge step."Hempstead (26-4) reached the final by handling 5A No. 7 West Des Moines Dowling (26-4) in the semifinals, 25-17, 25-21. 

WESTSIDE INVITATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

At Cedar Rapids Jefferson & Washington

Pool A -- 1. Dike-New Hartford 2-0, 2. C.R. Kennedy 1-1, 3. Maquoketa 0-2.Dike-New Hartford def. C.R. Kennedy, 21-9, 21-13Dike-New Hartford def. Maquoketa, 21-6, 21-6C.R. Kennedy def. Maquoketa, 21-23, 21-18, 16-14

Pool B -- 1. West Des Moines Dowling 2-0, 2. C.R. Jefferson 1-1, 3. North Cedar 0-2.West Des Moines Dowling def. North Cedar, 21-8, 21-18West Des Moines Dowling def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-17, 21-11C.R. Jefferson def. North Cedar, 21-16, 21-9

Pool C -- 1. Dubuque Hempstead 2-0, 2. C.R. Washington 1-1, 3. Waterloo Columbus 0-2.Dubuque Hempstead def. Waterloo Columbus 21-9, 21-11Dubuque Hempstead def. C.R. Washington, 21-16, 22-20C.R. Washington def. Waterloo Columbus, 21-18, 21-14

Pool D -- 1. Linn-Mar 2-0, 2. West Delaware 1-1, 3. Dubuque Wahlert 0-2.Linn-Mar def. West Delaware, 21-18, 21-17West Delaware def. Dubuque Wahlert, 21-10, 21-11Linn-Mar def. Dubuque Wahlert, 21-6, 21-17

Pool E -- 1. Mount Vernon 2-0, 2. Tripoli 1-1, 3. Waterloo West 0-2.Mount Vernon def. Tripoli 21-12, 18-21, 15-12Mount Vernon def. Waterloo West, 21-17, 21-12Tripoli def. Waterloo West, 21-6, 21-17

Pool F -- 1. C.R. Xavier 2-0, 2. West Liberty 1-1, 3. Williamsburg 0-2.C.R. Xavier def. West Liberty, 16-21, 21-14, 15-7C.R. Xavier def. Williamsburg, 21-13, 21-15West Liberty def. Williamsburg, 22-20, 17-21, 15-8

Pool G -- 1. Marion 2-0, 2. Iowa City West 1-1, 3. Des Moines Roosevelt 0-2.Marion def. Iowa City West, 24-22, 18-21, 15-8Marion def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 15-21, 21-19, 15-6Iowa City West def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 21-16, 21-11 

Bronze Bracket

QuarterfinalDubuque Wahlert def. North Cedar, 25-20, 25-18

SemifinalsMaquoketa def. Dubuque Wahlert, 25-21, 20-25, 15-13Waterloo Columbus def. Waterloo West, 25-18, 25-10

FinalWaterloo Columbus def. Maquoketa, 25-22, 25-22 

Silver Bracket

QuarterfinalsDes Moines Roosevelt def. Tripoli, 25-23, 23-25, 15-8West Liberty def. C.R. Washington, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13C.R. Jefferson def. C.R. Kennedy, 25-18, 25-22West Delaware def. Williamsburg, 25-22, 25-18

ConsolationTripoli def. C.R. Washington, 26-24, 25-14C.R. Kennedy def. Williamsburg, 25-18, 25-19

SemifinalsDes Moines Roosevelt def. West Liberty, 25-22, 25-17West Delaware def. C.R. Jefferson, 25-20, 25-21

Third PlaceC.R. Jefferson def. West Liberty, 25-16, 25-2

FinalWest Delaware def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 25-12, 25-13 

Gold Bracket

QuarterfinalsDike-New Hartford def. Iowa City West, 25-11, 25-13Linn-Mar def. Mount Vernon, 25-16, 25-20Dubuque Hempstead def. C.R. Xavier, 25-11, 25-22West Des Moines Dowling def. Marion, 25-15, 25-14

ConsolationIowa City West vs. Mount Vernon, ccd., mutual consentC.R. Xavier def. Marion, 25-21, 25-22

SemifinalsDike-New Hartford def. Linn-Mar, 25-22, 23-25, 15-6Dubuque Hempstead def. West Des Moines Dowling, 25-17, 25-21

Third PlaceLinn-Mar vs. West Des Moines Dowling, ccd., mutual consent

ChampionshipDike-New Hartford def. Dubuque Hempstead, 25-17, 25-19