The #5 (2A) Grundy Center volleyball team needed all the energy it had, and took down #10 (1A) Gladbrook-Reinbeck 3-2 Tuesday, as aired on 99 The Wave. In a nailbiter that featured many momentum swings, the Spartans won 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 23-25, 18-16. It was the first five-set match between the programs in the Bound era.
The Rebels had control early, and made the Spartans pay for lackluster serving. But Grundy Center bounced back with a decisive win in set 2, followed by the most lopsided win of the night in set 3. In set 4, the Spartans built a 23-19 lead to get within two points of finishing the match. But the Rebels scored the next six for an epic comeback to send the match to set 5. The Spartans led 9-6, but GR battled back. Grundy Center had match point at 14-12, but two straight Rebel points sent it to bonus points. GR had match point at 15-14, but back-to-back kills by Ryanne Brubaker and Charlee Kirkpatrick finished the night.
Brubaker says the team dug deep after a disappointing finish to set 4.
“I think we thought we were going to win, and they would just give up like they did last year kind of,” Brubaker says. “And we didn’t expect them to bounce back. I think that we did a good job the fifth set returning it. They had a lot of energy. And I think that that fifth set was just really fun for both teams, honestly. With us sending over the two free balls, getting the kills, I definitely think that that just made our energy skyrocket, and I think it was amazing. And then Charlee Kirkpatrick putting it away was pretty cool for a freshman, she definitely got some confidence. It was really great.”
“It was a really good battle,” Head Coach Lori Willis says. “It was a battle of two really good hitting teams. Each team had really good hitters, and then each team had complimentary hitters to go along with it. And it was about the serve and pass game. I’m glad that we won that because I mean, that helps us obviously win the match, but just super grateful because that was a heck of a battle.”
At 4-0 and 1-0 in conference play, the Spartans will return to action Saturday at a tournament hosted by #2 (1A) North Tama.
Lori Willis interview:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUgR_Ygt0x0?si=IcvsHSxRkiC02SJk&w=560&h=315]
