WOODWARD — Class 2A No. 9 Woodward-Granger found Colfax-Mingo anything but an easy mark Monday, needing four sets to dispose of their guests, 3-1, in Class 2A Region 4 Quarterfinal action.
W-G (31-7) surged to a quick 25-10 win in the first set before emerging with a tough 25-23 win in the second set. Colfax-Mingo (18-11) rallied twice to snatch a 26-24 win the third set, but the Hawks finished the drama with a 25-14 win in the fourth set.
The victory sets up a showdown with Grundy Center (27-11), in Woodward, at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Spartans have bounced the Hawks from the postseason in each of the last two seasons — in Grundy Center in 2014 and in Marshalltown last year. This season it will be the Spartans who travel over 100 miles to play a regional semifinal, setting up what should be a real scrap.
The winner advances to play the victor of No. 5 Tri-Center vs. Des Moines Christian Tuesday at West Des Moines Valley. Game time will be 7 p.m. with a trip to the state tourney on the line.
W-G had a first-round bye and had not played since Oct. 15 but showed little rust in racing to a dominating 25-10 set one victory over Colfax-Mingo.
A suddenly stiffening Tigerhawk defense changed the tone of the match in the second set. The guests did a better job at the net and in covering open spaces on the floor and played back-and-forth until the Hawks finally pulled out a 25-23 win.
The hosts held a 19-14 lead in the third set, but the guests refused to relent and surged back into the game and trailed just 22-21. W-G had match point at 24-23, but three straight points from the visitors sealed the set three win and forced the match to continue.
The lost set appeared to startle W-G, who responded with a return to an attack featuring fewer tips and more power hitting. Strong serving and an attack that quickly piled up points allowed the hosts to open a small lead and then gradually extend their margin throughout the game en route to a 25-14 win that brought the match to an end.
Ries Wilson had 21 kills, 23 digs and two blocks for Colfax-Mingo, with Amy Russell adding 10 kills and 17 digs while Megan Earles had 28 assists. Earles served 13-of-13 with an ace, with Wilson 10-11-1 and Russell 11-of-12.
Olivia McCune’s 20 kills led W-G, with Mary Hansen adding 12 kills, Bree Lesch eight, Alyssa Bice and Julie Pitman six each and Ashley Gales two. Bice distributed 25 assists and Hansen 18, with Kara Bodensteiner tallying three assists and McCune one.
Mary Hansen led the defense with 14 digs while Lesch recorded 13 and Bodensteiner 12. Kaycee Major had 11 digs, Bice 10, McCune, Riley Kirton and Ashley Gales two apiece and Pitman one. Pitman’s three blocks were a team high, with Hansen making two blocks and Gales and McCune one each.
Bice was 20-23-6, McCune 14-14-3 and Bodensteiner 16-17-1 behind the line, with Lesch 12-13-1, Hansen 9-of-10 and Marissa Pasker 1-of-1 while Kirton had three aces on 18-of-19 serving.
