Rams’ season ends one win short of state

Glenwood got off to a slow start and North Polk took full advantage in the Class 4A, Region 7 finals in Alleman last Tuesday.

The No. 7 ranked Comets (27-13) controlled at the net in the first two sets and rallied to break the No. 10 ranked Rams’ 24-21 game-point serve in the third set to pull off a 25-14, 25-20, 27-25 sweep to punch their ticket to the Iowa State Volleyball Championship.

Glenwood closes its season with a record of 29-9.

“You can’t change the outcome but obviously I’m nothing but proud,” said Glenwood coach Jenn Schneider. “I think we played some phenomenal volleyball tonight, even if the scoreboard didn’t show it. We showed pieces of our game and executed phenomenal volleyball. But also, we showed up mentally. 

“That has been the talk of our season, how we show up mentally. I don’t think any of our girls gave up or had a doubt in their mind from start to find and I’m super proud of them and the heart they showed.”

The Rams had trouble adjusting to North Polk’s attack early but managed to rally to tie the match at 8-8. But the Comets rattled off six straight points as part of a 17-6 run to close the set.

Glenwood once again got down in the second set, 8-2 and twice cut the Comets’ lead to two but could get closer in the 25-20 loss.

In the third and deciding set, the Rams got down 15-10 but Schneider’s team adjusted and began to find gaps in the Comets’ defense. Glenwood used an 8-1 run to wrestle the lead away at 18-16 and then pushed that lead to 24-21 with the serve. But a service error left the door open for North Polk.

The Comets didn’t waste the chance. They had two kills and an ace in a 6-1 spurt to finish on top 27-25 in the decider.

“That was definitely a big momentum change,” Schneider said. “Credit to their crowd and the environment they brought. But it’s like I told the girls, the most fun crowds to play in are the loud ones. I don’t think we were rattled. I think we just let a few things roll off and they didn’t fall our way.”

 Jenna Walter led the Rams with 10 kills. Jordyn Schulte and Addie Madison added eight each.

Kayla Christian paced the offense with 30 set assists.

North Polk was led by Jaslyn Rasmussen with 13 kills and Madelyn Klever with 11.

Despite the disappointing loss, Schneider said the outcome does nothing to dimmish her team’s season.

“Nothing but proud of these girls,” she said. “Had a couple momentum changes gone our way, it’s a different ball game. We get a couple more of those points in the first set maybe it changes set two. But that happens in big nights like this. We can’t change what happened, but we can be proud of what happened this season. I hope people see our whole season and not just our last game.”

In all, five seniors – Baylen Wittrock, Olivia Wright, Gracy Mullanix, Christian and Madison – suited up for the Rams for the last time in the regional finals.

“They’re a special group,” she said. “They’ve changed me as a person and parts of my coaching. Coaching comes with a lot of lows but the number of highs they brought me this year, brought me out of some dark spots from times last year, they’re why I coach. Them as people not just athletes, but also who they bring out in me as a person and who I get see they’ve become from when they were freshman to who they are now as seniors.”