(Coralville, IA) — Riverside will face Union Community in the first round of the Class 2A Volleyball State Tournament this afternoon; coverage on KSOM.
The Bulldogs are making their third appearance at state — they lost in the first round in 2024 and fell just short of state last year, losing in the regional finals. Head Coach Brooke Flathers says everything has come together this year
Senior Lilli Reed leads a balanced offensive attack with 338 kills plus 150 digs, 28 blocks and 49 aces. Senior Sydney Somers has 293 kills, 261 digs, 23 blocks and 62 aces. Riverside has specialty players who can serve, kill and dig but Reed and Somers bring a lot of versatility
Union is making their 11th state tournament appearance and is balanced and deep too — six different players have over 100 kills led by Senior Bianca Grimm with 376. The Knights are strong at the net with Junior Caitlyn Schneider leading with 106 blocks and Senior Taylen Smith with 96 blocks. Flathers says they are used to fighting through blocks all season.
Overall, Flathers hopes her kids will rise in the moment
Union is 44-7; Riverside is 39-0 — the winner will face either #1 Hinton or #8 Hudson in the 2A Semifinals on Wednesday. First serve this afternoon is at 4:00 pm on KSOM.
Complete Interview with Head Coach Brooke Flathers
