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The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk volleyball team finds themselves on the brink of the state tournament tonight when they travel to Center Point-Urbana to face the Stormin’ Pointers in the regional finals of the Class 3A playoffs.
The Golden Hawks are 31-10 this year, regular season Co-Champions of the River Valley Conference. Mid-Prairie is ranked No. 12 in the final Class 3A poll of the year issued by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. They swept their way past Saydel and Prairie City Monroe in the first two rounds of the 3A postseason. Statistically, the Golden Hawks lead the state in four team categories. Mid-Prairie is the best team in 3A this year with 1,939 digs, 1,250 kills, 1,225 assists and 281 aces. Individually, the Hawks are led by another best with junior Dakota Mitchell’s 608 digs, most in 3A. Sophomore Jovi Evans has piled up 649 assists, 456 digs, sixth in 3A, 356 kills, ninth in 3A and 63 aces, fourth in 3A. Junior Callie Huber leads at the net with 71 blocks.
Center Point-Urbana is 26-9 this year. They finished in a third place tie in the WAMAC Conference. The Pointers are ranked No. 7 in the final 3A poll of the year from the IGHSAU. They swept West Marshall and Albia in the first two rounds to reach the regional finals. On the season, CPU has 1,628 digs, ninth in 3A, 998 kills, 10th in 3A and 924 assists, also 10th in 3A. Individually they are led by junior Logan Keller with 463 assists, junior Grace Hoskins with 450 digs, seventh in 3A, junior Sydney Maue with 289 kills, and senior Paige Foltz with 71 blocks and 40 aces. This week, Mid-Prairie head coach Sherry Evans, and Golden Hawk captains Mitchell, Evans and Harper Pacha spoke with KCII sports about how keys to Tuesday’s match and what it would mean to win.
Coach Evans said, “I’m confident in these girls, and they’re confident right now. It’s going to go our way. Build them up. Do what we need to do. They’re prepared. Well, (a win) would be awesome! This is new territory for myself and our coaching staff as far as our time at Mid-Prairie. It’s been a really long time. Nineteen years ago! Older than all of these girls!”
Jovi Evans, Mitchell and Pacha continued, “Definitely serving and serve-receive will be important. Defense will be super important and being scrappy. We have to be smart where we place the ball. Oh my goodness! (A win) would mean so much. It would be crazy, very emotional. It’s going to be so crazy, just knowing that we’re going to the state tournament. I’ve got goosebumps right now. It’s going to be crazy! Knowing how hard we’ve worked toward this. That grit that we want. We’re going to get it!”
These two teams met last season with CPU scoring a two sets to one victory. The winner of tonight’s match will earn a spot at next week’s Class 3A State Tournament at Xstream Arena in Coralville. The Golden Hawks have reached state twice in program history, 1996 and 2004. The Pointers made the state tournament in 1998 and 2015. You can hear all of the action live tonight from Center Point-Urbana High School, on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk volleyball pregame show at 6:30 and the match between the Hawks and Pointers at 7p.m.