The South Hardin volleyball team needed five sets, but gutted out a 3-2 home win over Iowa Falls-Alden to begin the season Tuesday, as aired on 99 The Wave. The Tigers won 23-25, 25-23, 25-11, 22-25, 19-17.
The Tigers fell behind early after giving up many free points to the Cadets via errors. In set 2, Iowa Falls-Alden led by as many as six points, but the Tigers rallied to tie the match at 1-1. Set 3 was by far the most lopsided of the night. South Hardin was on cruise control, though needed three set points to close it out for a 2-1 lead. In set 4, the Tigers had the advantage most of the way, but the Cadets clawed their way back to make it competitive halfway through the set and grind out the win.
In set 5, South Hardin jumped out to a 9-3 lead, but Iowa Falls-Alden rallied back for a 10-10 tie. The Tigers held match point four times, and the Cadets did once. But South Hardin’s Hadley Thompson recorded the winning kill over the Cadet blockers to finish the night.
South Hardin coach Cindy Holmes on the fifth set.
“You always like to say, you take all those errors out and could have had a sweep or whatever,” Holmes says. “But there is something about what we’re building to become, that because we got that thing pulled off, being a mentally tough team in game five, and not worrying about the calls, but worrying about what’s next for us out there. I think that was key also because there was some gut wrenching things that the kids were going through individually out there. And then they just came back and gave it to the team, gave the reaction that the team needs and things like that. I’m incredibly proud of that. Building that as a core and foundation with a lot of new starters this year and things like that was really, really key for confidence.”
Nora Warburton led with 12 kills; Lucy Anderson and Lexie Tidman each had 10. The Tigers overcame 18 service errors.
Iowa Falls-Alden Co-head Coach Nikki Allen on how the team competed the entire night.
“I’m super proud of the girls, and I hope we proved tonight that we’re trying to turn around the program, and they just have to believe in themselves throughout the entire match,” Allen says. “And I think tonight, they fought. And that’s all I can ask for at this point is that they fought, they didn’t give up, and then we go back to work.”
Carlea Dagel led with 12 kills and two aces.
In their next action, Iowa Falls-Alden will join AGWSR at a triangular at South Tama Thursday. South Hardin will go to BCLUW for a triangular with South Hamilton Thursday.
Nikki Allen interview:
Cindy Holmes interview:
