(Guthrie Center) ACGC shook off a slow start to sweep Nodaway Valley 25-20, 27-25, and 25-16. The Chargers improve to 22-12 on the season and advance to Monday’s regional semifinal. Nodaway Valley’s year ends at 15-15.
The Chargers fell behind 7-0 in the first, but an 18-4 stretch put them in control. They led by as many as eight points at 21-13 and won the opening set 25-20. UNI commit Chloe Largent had seven of her match high 25 kills in the first. Senior Alaina Bunde talked with KSOM Sports after the match about the team finding their stride, “We took a timeout to get us all settled down and we came back and got the next point and went on a roll. I think that was great.”
The second set was by far the most competitive of the night. Neither team led by more than three, there were 12 ties, and six lead changes. Nodaway Valley was in front 24-23 at one time, but couldn’t seal it. Bunde had some key blocks early in the 2nd set and polished off the 27-25 win with a kill in the middle. Bunde has led the team in blocks the last couple of years, “I just always try to stay with where the setter is going.”
ACGC jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the 3rd and never trailed in the final set. Nodaway Valley fought back from a 10-2 deficit to get within four on several occasions. There were even as close as three at one time, but it settled at a 25-16 ACGC win.
Largent credited setter Molli Gettler for putting the ball in good position. “Molli was awesome tonight. She was absolutely on fire giving me super great sets and the rest of our team.”
Charger coach Jen Policky said after the win, “After the first seven points when we got settled into the atmosphere and environment I’ll tell you we really are playing our best ball of the year right now. We have a quick offense going on. We are spreading out the sets so we are getting some to the middle and some to the outside. We couldn’t be happier with how they are playing ball right now.”
They are hungry for more. ACGC will move on to face (17-13) SW Valley in Corning on Monday. The Timberwolves ousted Panorama 3-0 in the quarterfinal round. The winner faces either #10 (34-5) South Hardin or (11-20) Woodward-Granger in the Class 2A, Region 3 final on Wednesday.
Nodaway Valley senior Maddax DeVault had a big night and notched not one, but two big milestones. DeVault reached 1,000 career digs and 750 career kills. DeVault posted 19 digs and 12 kills on Wednesday. Lindsey Davis has 17 assists and 14 digs. Genevieve Livingston tallied eight kills and three aces.
