The #3 (2A) Dike-New Hartford volleyball team will look to avenge Saturday’s home tournament championship loss to #1 (2A) Denver with an upset of the Cyclones in NICL-Central play on Tuesday.
Dike-New Hartford (20-4, 2-0 NICL-Central) went 5-1 at their home tournament on Saturday with a win over Pleasantville and two wins apiece against #15 (3A) Roland-Story and Osage. The Wolverines fell 2-0 to the Cyclones in the tournament championship match. The Wolverines have been balanced with their attacks, as four different players have 100 or more kills this season. Abby Jensen leads the team with 186 kills at 3.6 per set. Head Coach Diane Harms shares the abilities Jensen brings to the floor.
“She’s a very explosive jumper. She’s strong, she’s powerful, she has a lot of shots. Six rotation player. Her defense is very outstanding also, as she used to be a libero. She just brings a great understanding and leadership to our team,” says Harms. “She can score from the back row and the front row for us. That’s always helpful as you’re trying to run different plays or different things, to have someone who’s ready to go whether they’re in the front row or the back row.”
Denver (28-0, 2-0 NICL-Central) went 6-0 at the Dike-New Hartford tournament to win the tournament title on Saturday. The Cyclones have not lost a match since October 5, 2025 to Class 5A’s Ankeny 2-1. Setter Channing Johnson has kept her team playing at a high rate with 578 assists at 9.3 per set. Bailey Mulihan is the Cyclones top attacker with 199 kills at 3.2 per set. Harms shares what the Wolverines need to be prepared for in the rematch.
“They’re a great team. They have five solid weapons on the offensive side. Their setter has been setting for them for quite a few years. We just have to eliminate some of our errors, our mistakes, just try to keep as much pressure as we can on them. They’re going to make some great plays. They’re going to do a lot of really good things. We just have to make sure that we’re focused on what we want to do, know our jobs, our responsibilities and be a little more disciplined.”
The Wolverines lead the Bound Era series 28-3, but the Cyclones have won the last two meetings in the series.
First serve at 7:30 p.m. at the Cyclone Center in Denver.
