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Riverside outlasts North Tama in 5-set 1A state volleyball quarterfinal
North Tama battles back from 11 down to go up 2-1 in the match, but Bulldogs take the final 2 sets
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CORALVILLE — Even when things looked bleak, Oakland Riverside volleyball coach Brooke Flathers and her team remained steady.
After dropping the first set of Tuesday night’s Class 1A quarterfinal to No. 5 North Tama, the Bulldogs rebounded to win the second set and were cruising in the third set, building an 11-point lead.
North Tama battled back and took the set, which could have easily been the beginning of the end for the Bulldogs.
“When you get to state, it is usually the top eight teams in your class,” Flathers said. “It is going to be a dogfight and everybody is trying to keep their season alive. Our girls are no different.”
Not only are the No. 4 Bulldogs alive, they are one of four left standing in 1A after an 18-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11 win over the Redhawks.
Next up for Riverside (39-3) is a semifinal battle with two-time defending state champion and top seed Ankeny Christian. The Eagles advanced with a three-set win over Don Bosco.
North Tama (25-16) was dominant in taking the first set. In the second set, the Bulldogs cranked up the offense to draw even. In the third set, Riverside held a 16-5 lead before things changed. North Tama tied it up and 20 and then went on to take a 2-1 lead.
Flathers said her team got back to basics after that point.
“I think our passing kept us in the game and then our offense came around,” she said. “North Tama is a great team. They put some great swings against us. I felt like, in the first set, we were trying to find our footing a little bit, but then in the last three games I thought we played our game just a little bit better.”
Riverside relied on a balanced attack to advance. Sophia Taylor led the way with 17 kills. Bentley Rone added 13 and Elly Henderson had 12.
Kruiz Ewoldt led North Tama with 26 kills. Lily Sell added 13.
Ankeny Christian will be a heavy favorite in the semifinal. Flathers said nothing will change in her team’s preparation.
“We approach every game the same,” she said. “We're 0-0 right now. We won this match and we will celebrate a little and then get ready for the next match.”
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