Rockford advances to quarterfinals of volleyball regionals
Rockford junior Mackenzie LaCoste, right, chases down a wayward pass near the net to keep a volley alive during the second set of the Warriors’ Class 1A-Region 4 first-round match against Northwood-Kensett. The Warriors advanced and will host Top of Iowa-East Conference rival North Butler, Monday in the quarterfinals.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
ROCKFORD — Controversial calls need a little help from the immediate future to become controversial.
A reversed call late in the fourth set of the Class 1A Region 4 first-round match between Northwood-Kensett and hosting Rockford Tuesday night had fallout potential.
It appeared that the Warriors advanced to quarterfinals after a Vikings’ hit long of the end line was the apparent winning set point to give Rockford a 3-1 match win.
But after a momentary celebration, it was ruled that the ball was tipped at the net by a Warrior, giving the point to the Vikings, who were still alive with the score adjusted to 24-19.
Had Northwood-Kensett took advantage to eventually win the fourth set and force a fifth with momentum on its side, that reversed call could have been a bitter pill to swallow. But the Warriors soon ended the night with no regrets as Kayla Carroll’s two-handed set kill that found an open spot on the Vikings’ side of the net ended the final set at 25-19.
Rockford (15-12) will host North Butler (21-11) 7 p.m. Monday. The Bearcats swept Newman Catholic in their regional opener Tuesday in Greene.
Rockford won the first two sets of the evening. In the first set, Jamie Schuster’s kill of a Viking set that hovered too close to the net put the Warriors up 10-4 shortly before a blocking kill by Carroll capped the set at 25-18.
Northwood-Kensett took a 9-6 lead in the second set before Rockford caught them at 10 when Mackenzie LaCoste assisted a kill by Morgan Thieman. An ace by Viking Laura Hopperstad momentarily regained a lead for N-K (17-16), but LaCoste assisted a kill by Carroll to put the Warriors up 23-21 before an ace by Amber Reams ended the set at 25-21.
The Vikings jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third set and eventually led 17-8. Rockford rallied to pull within 1 (23-22), but a blocking kill by Natalie Cordle finished the set at 25-22 forcing a fourth.
The fourth set was close early on before service aces by Emma Ramon, Jenna Paulus and Reams gave the Warriors some distance.
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