Key 5th-set run saves Assumption

CEDAR RAPIDS -- It's difficult to come back from a two-set deficit.It might be harder to lose a two-set advantage, then pick up the pieces in Game 5."We're just resilient," said Davenport Assumption Coach Kyle Condon.The seventh-ranked Knights constructed a 10-point run in the fifth set and held off No. 3 West Delaware, 25-16, 25-17, 19-25, 23-25, 15-8, in a Class 4A quarterfinal at the state volleyball tournament Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Center."We just got into one rotation (in which) we couldn't side out," said Hawks Coach Brett Mather.Assumption (32-6) earned its first victory in state-volleyball competition; the Knights were making their second appearance. They'll face No. 2 Solon (32-2) or No. 8 Indianola (30-10) in a semifinal at noon Thursday.Danielle Cabel counted 28 kills. Claire Bird delivered three aces, including three in the pivotal run."I've been practicing that jump serve all year," Bird said. "We all have a really tough serve."After the first two games, I think we got a little cocky. We'd won two games against a really good team, and maybe we thought it was going to be easy. After we realized we couldn't shut down, we got loose again. And that's when we play best."West Delaware closed at 37-6."We played our hearts out, but we had too many little errors," said Paige Soppe, who led the Hawks with 15 kills.Assumption rolled through the first two games, then the Hawks did likewise in Game 3. They took an early six-point lead in the fourth set, then held on after the Knights got within 24-23.Soppe's kill forced Game 5. Then, she swatted another to put the Hawks in front, 4-2.It was all Knights after that."We thought we'd be OK if we could just find a way to score some points," Condon said. "And it's a huge boost when you get a lot of aces."Bridget Hoffmann added 14 kills for the Hawks. Carlee Ketchum dished out 44 assists.