HTC rolls to three-set win over Moravia

FORT MADISON - The first point of Holy Trinity’s volleyball postseason came on a kill from freshman Kate Pieper.
The third point belonged to Brynn Denning, another freshman.
The Crusaders’ 46-minute sweep of Moravia in Wednesday’s Class 1A Region 5 quarterfinal at Shottenkirk Gym was a lightning-quick start for a team that is the sum of its parts, from the veteran hitters to the newcomers like Pieper and Denning, who haven’t been daunted by the challenge of playing on one of the top teams in the state.
“I can’t say enough about all of the kids,” coach Melissa Freesmeier said after the 25-9, 25-6, 25-4 win that sent the No. 6 Crusaders (28-6) into Monday’s 7 p.m. semifinal against Wayne (12-10) at HTC. “We stayed sharp, we read the tips and the rolls well, we served aggressively. We were hitting on all cylinders.”
For Pieper and Denning, it was a chance to play in the crucible of October that they have witnessed growing up within the school system.
“It’s so fun,” Denning said. “It’s super exciting. I’ve watched other girls play, now it’s me out there.”
“It was really exciting,” Pieper said. “I was so excited to finally get to play with this team in the postseason.”
Pieper, who had seven kills in the match, is third on the Crusaders with 168 kills.
“It’s a credit to my coaches here, my teammates, and my club coaches for helping me get ready to play at this level,” Pieper said.
Denning started the season as the Crusaders’ libero, leading the Crusaders with 387 digs. But she has moved into a hitter’s role in the absence of Kymber Jones, another freshman.
“It’s fun to try new things,” she said. “I’ve hit before, so I know what to expect.”

Both players credit their club careers with helping prepare them for what they’ve experienced.
“It helps a lot,” Denning said. “There’s a lot of competition, so you get used to it. It's a higher level of competition.”
“It gets you a ton of experience, playing better teams from around the country,” Pieper said. “It really helps getting coached up to play at this level.”
Both were pinpoint with their serving — Pieper was 15 of 15 with two aces and Denning was 6 of 6 with an ace — but then again, so were the rest of the Crusaders, who combined were 70 of 73 serving with 17 aces.
“They were on target, hitting their spots,” Freesmeier said. “We didn’t miss a lot of serves, and we had a lot of aces.”
Senior Adalyn Kruse led the Crusaders with 12 kills and 15 digs. Senior Elizabeth Griffin had 32 assists. Junior Olivia Bendlage had nine kills.
HOLY TRINITY STATISTICS
• Kills — Adalyn Kruse 12, Olivia Bendlage 9, Kate Pieper 7, Makayla Simpson 5, Brynn Denning 4, Elizabeth Griffin 1.
• Digs — A. Kruse 15, Bendlage 12, Denning 6, Griffin 6, Pieper 3, Calli Kruse 1, Layne Schmitt 1, Simpson 1.
• Serving — Pieper 15-15 (2 aces), A. Kruse 12-12 (2), C. Kruse 10-11 (5), Griffin 9-9 (1), Bendlage 9-10 (1), Schmitt 9-10 (5), Denning 6-6 (1).
• Assists — Griffin 32, Denning 2.
• Blocks — Denning 2, Bendlage 1, A.Kruse 1, Simpson 1