Photo Courtesy of Mid-Prairie Volleyball Social Media
The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk volleyball team begins the River Valley Conference schedule tonight when they host the West Branch Bears in Wellman. The Hawks enter play with a 9-2 overall record, winners of eight straight matches including a tournament title at Central Lee Saturday and a sweep of Vinton-Shellsburg and Independence Tuesday. The Golden Hawks are ranked No. 6 in Class 3A in the latest poll from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. This season, Mid-Prairie has 274 kills second most in Class 3A, 259 assists second most in 3A, a .298 kill efficiency rating, seventh in 3A, 406 digs, second most in 3A, 44 blocks, sixth in 3A and 54 aces fourth in 3A in Iowa. Individual leaders include, Dakota Mitchell with 116 digs, third in 3A, and 15 aces, fifth in 3A, Jovi Evans with 103 assists and 78 kills third in 3A, and Brylee Gearhart with 11 blocks.
West Branch is 1-4 this season, having dropped three straight matches, including a loss to Solon Tuesday. The Bears have 116 digs, 47 kills, a .080 kill efficiency, 44 assists, 38 blocks, 10th most in Class 2A, and 20 aces. Individually, West Branch is led by MadeLynn Falcon with 45 digs, Lyla Popkes with 25 assists and five aces, Alyssa Vargason with 17 kills, and Briley Kaalberg with 11 blocks seventh in Class 2A. This week Golden Hawk head coach Sherry Evans talked about what her team has been doing well during their winning streak and what she needs to see Thursday.
Evans said, “Our defense has really stood out. Dakota Mitchell in the libero position is a Division I college commit and her leadership in the back row is amazing. Callie Huber did a good job hitting for us in the middle. I was really proud of Brylee Gearhart, she connected really well at the last tournament when Jeorgia (Evans) was setting her. She has that confidence. Katelyn Harland’s doing a really good job. Her confidence is coming around and it’s really showing. Harper Pacha is doing a great job swinging for us. She’s got a really heavy arm and can place the ball well. Jovi (Evans) really used that energy and drive for motivation. Lanee Duwa is doing a good job in the back row for us as well. I want to see us come out Thursday and play hard from the beginning. Sometimes this season it has taken us a little bit to get going. I feel like the energy in our gym is going to be so high and so good that our girls are going to come out on fire. We also have a chip on our shoulder getting beaten by West Branch last year in a five set match.”
The Bears have won 19 of the last 22 in the series, including last year’s match in five sets. Action starts tonight at 7p.m. At Tim Grady Gymnasium in Wellman.