Wednesday’s best: 5 area Iowa high school volleyball regional matches to watch

Edgewood-Colesburg, North Linn have gone 5 sets in each of their past 5 matches

Oct. 18, 2022 10:45 am, Updated: Oct. 18, 2022 11:27 am

Center Point-Urbana’s Addy Tupa (right) leaps for the ball against Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Mara Fluent during the Linn-Mar Invitational volleyball tournament at Linn-Mar on Sept. 10. The Stormin’ Pointers host Clarion CGD in a Class 3A regional semifinal Wednesday. (Cliff Jette/Freelance for The Gazette)

No more byes.

The top volleyball teams in Class 2A and Class 1A kick off their postseason Wednesday.

The postseason trail reaches the regional-semifinal level in Class 3A, with regional quarterfinals in 2A and 1A.

Here are five of the area’s best matchups; all matches Wednesday begin at 7 p.m.

Clarion CGD (24-3) at Center Point-Urbana (17-17)

Class 3A Region 4

Despite a stellar record, a North Central Conference championship and a No. 13 ranking, the Cowgirls make a 129-mile road trip to Center Point in a quest to reach the 3A regional finals. Both teams swept their way through the first round. The Stormin’ Pointers will be forced to contend with one of 3A’s top hitters in Lexie Lane, who ranks fourth in the class in kills at 4.75 per set. CPU counters with a balanced attack that features senior Taylor Luscomb and sophomores Addy Tupa and Sydney Maue.

Monticello (23-10) at Dubuque Wahlert (13-17)

Class 3A Region 5

Based solely on rankings (Wahlert is No. 12 in the final 3A list; Monticello is No. 14), this is the match of the night in the area. Monticello won the River Valley Conference North Division regular-season championship and swept Waukon in the first round. Sophomore Jayden Kuper ranks second among 3A attackers with a kill rate of 4.76 per set. Wahlert, as always, has been tested by a strong schedule; 22 of the Golden Eagles’ matches have been against 5A/4A competition and out-of-state foes.

Davis County (25-14) at Mid-Prairie (26-11)

Class 3A Region 8

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No. 11 Mid-Prairie is in the midst of its best season since the mid-2000s, and a win Wednesday would likely send the Golden Hawks into a regional-final showdown at mighty Davenport Assumption. Sophomore libero Dakota Mitchell ranks No. 2 among 3A dig producers, with 6.56 per set. Senior Landry Pacha and freshman Jovi Evans share the setting duties, and also rank 1-2 on the team in kills. Davis County’s Chloe Fetcho and Cadan Van Laningham are among the top five in serving efficiency, both above 95 percent.

Iowa City Regina (18-14) at Bellevue (19-7)

Class 2A Region 7

These River Valley Conference cross-division rivals did not tangle during the regular season, and this looks like an even matchup. Regina possesses a rising star in freshman Reese Naeve, who ranks fifth in Class 2A in kills per set (5.14) and terminates at a rate of .350. Junior Sydney Wagner averages 10.5 assists per set. Bellevue is ascendant; its win-loss percentage is its best of the Bound era. The Comets finished an impressive third (behind Monticello and Dyersville Beckman) in the River Valley North.

Edgewood-Colesburg (15-19) at North Linn (20-10)

Class 1A Region 6

Hard to believe, but each of these teams’ last five matches have gone five sets. That includes Ed-Co’s regional win over the Lynx last year, and it also includes the Vikings’ Tri-Rivers Conference West Division victory Sept. 20. Ed-Co went on the road and tripped Upper Iowa Conference co-champion Turkey Valley in four sets Monday while North Linn ousted Maquoketa Valley in four. Audrie Helmrichs and Marin Gaul both average about 3 kills per set for Ed-Co while Evalyn Robinson posts 5.33 digs per set for North Linn.