Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs Calamus-Wheatland at West Liberty High School
FORT MADISON - It was just a number, Holy Trinity volleyball coach Melissa Freesmeier said.
Her 1,100th career victory got the Crusaders one game from a return trip to the state tournament.
It was a fun equation for the Crusaders, who swept Wapello 25-14, 25-17, 25-14 in Monday’s Class 1A Region 2 semifinal at Shottenkirk Gym.
Holy Trinity (28-12), ranked No. 3 in 1A, will play Calamus-Wheatland (26-9) in Wednesday’s regional final at West Liberty, with the winner going to the state tournament.
The Crusaders, seeking their fourth consecutive state berth, have swept through their first two matches of the regional tournament, really not threatened by Winfield-Mount Union in the quarterfinals and the Arrows in this one.
“Postseason is where it’s at,” Freesmeier said. “It's where I feel like our kids are really stepping up and playing like they can. We knew all year, they had it in them.”
The milestone number, though, resonated with Freesmeier’s players.
“It’s really good for our program,” said sophomore hitter Adalyn Kruse. “We have a good coach, and I like playing for her. It’s a lot of fun getting her wins.”
“She’s done so much for each and every one of us,” senior libero Teagan Snaadt said. “Not only is she a good coach, but she's a good role model, and she's always there to help you, even outside of the sport.”
The Crusaders won this match in a little more than an hour, taking big leads in all three sets. They were up 11-4 and 20-9 in the first set, 18-11 in the second set and 18-7 in the third.
It has come down to defense, Freesmeier said. Four players were in double figures in digs — Olivia Bendlage (13), Snaadt and Kruse (11 each) and Elizabeth Griffin (10).
“We’re definitely, defensively, playing the best we’ve played (all season),” Freesmeier said.
“I think we’re just doing a really good job of staying in position,” Snaadt said.
Kruse’s maturity has shown all season after playing a big role on last season’s team that reached the state championship match. She had 13 kills in this match, always seeming to find an opening in the Arrows’ defense.
“Last year at this time, I would have been a nervous wreck, not knowing how to keep my emotions down,” Kruse said. “This year, I’ve calmed down. And I got more skilled with my play in club, so I think that’s really helped me hit the shots I’ve wanted.”
“She’s grown so much as a player, and as a sophomore,” Freesmeier said. “We talked about that at the all-conference meeting, she’s a sophomore, but she doesn’t play like a sophomore. She’s a big, big part of this team’s success.”
It was Freesmeier’s milestone night, but she made sure to point out in the post-game every player on the floor, individual performances that had contributed to collective domination.
“Freshman Olivia (Bendlage), she did have a great game tonight,” Freesmeier said. “Defensively, Adalyn Kruse was amazing. Presley (Myers) is on top of her game right now — she is hitting everything. Anna Bendlage, she does her job. She knows where to go when it gets tight. Elizabeth Griffin, she's just there, and she's been getting better and better every day. So I'm proud of these kids. Emma Mohrfeld, Teagan. The bench — Eva (Denning) comes in, and Layne (Schmidt) — they’re taking their roles and doing what they need for us to be successful.”
It was, indeed, the perfect equation.
HOLY TRINITY STATISTICS
Kills — Adalyn Kruse 13, Presley Myers 13, Olivia Bendlage 5, Anna Bendlage 3, Emma Mohrfeld 1.
Assists — A.Bendlage 29, Kruse 3, Snaadt 2, O.Bendlage 2.
Serving — O.Bendlage 17-18 (3 aces), Kruse 11, A.Bendlage 11-11 (2), Myers 11-13 (1), Eva Denning 5-6 (1), Snaadt 4-4 (1), Layne Schmidt 1-1.
Digs — O.Bendlage 13, Snaadt 11, Kruse 11, Elizabeth Griffin 10, A.Bendlage 5, Myers 4, Mohrfeld 1.
Blocks — Myers 3, O.Bendlage 1.
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