Tigers’ season ends in state quarterfinals

Red Oak saw its historic season came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Iowa State Volleyball Tournament last Tuesday.
The Tigers pulled out a marathon, dramatic 27-25 first set victory over Kuemper Catholic but couldn’t hold off their Hawkeye 10 Conference rivals in the final three sets, going down 25-17, 25-16, 25-22 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville.
The loss ends the season for the No. 3 seeded Tigers in a historic year that saw the program break the record for most wins in a season (38) and make its 17th state volleyball appearance.
The early exit at state does nothing to diminish the season or its many accomplishments, but head coach Angie Montrgomery admitted after the match the loss was a tough one for her and her team.
“It was definitely a lot of sadness,” Montgomery said of the emotions after the game. “It takes you a while to kind of cheer up a little bit just because these kids, every single year, and I don’t mean to take away from any other team, you spend so much time with the kids and get to know them on a deeper level. They’re not just volleyball players to us. So, it’s just sad right off the bat because you’re sad it’s over. Obviously, expectations were high.”
Montgomery added, “There’s also a lot to be thankful for.”
“You see the girls come into our rooms getting breakfast with smiles on their faces. They’re more than just volleyball players. It’s just a game at the end of the day, and it’s about the relationships. And that’s what you build and that’s what we’re going to remember first and foremost for these guys.”
The first set against Kuemper was as memorable as they get. The back-and-forth battle established the tone for the match between two evenly matched teams that went five sets back in September with the Tigers coming out on top that time around.
The opener featured 14 ties and nine lead changes before the Tigers came out on top.
“There were a lot of great hustle points, for both sides, and I just love the grit,” Montgomery said. “We said in that first set when we had to sell out. I think it kind of reminded me of that second set against Clarinda (in the regional finals). Where your back is up against the wall and you just never count them out. Even in those later sets where we were down a bit, I don’t ever think the girls ever feel like they’re out of it, they can still come back and fight point for point.”    
But after that first set winner, Kuemper rallied behind their defense and balanced hitting to take control. Their blockers, led by Addy Anthofer and Brianna Whitrock, made everything difficult for the Tigers’ hitters. Kuemper finished the game with 14 blocks. But it felt like more.
Red Oak entered hitting at nearly a .300 kill efficiency on the year and while they did record 41 kills in the match, they hit just .023, a season-low. Every time Montgomery’s hitters got opportunities, they were swinging against two committed Knight blockers.
“We said all season, obviously teams at this level are going to come out and scout, just like we did, trying to take things away,” Montgomery said. “And they’re put up a big block on those outside hitters that we have and make them either hit around them or make some of our other kids step up. I really do think our other kids stepped up.”
Emily Sebeniecher did her best distributing the ball – 36 assists – and getting hitters Jocelyn O’Neal, Keely Jones, Natalie Johnson, Ellie O’Neal and Karly Jenkins involved.
Senior Jocelyn O’Neal led the way with 20 kills. Jones added nine and Jenkins seven.
“Obviously, you know, we didn’t play our best statistically and that hurts a little bit too just knowing that,” Montgomery said. “But, it’s just a game and we’re really happy we got to end it here at the state tournament because only eight teams get to do that.”
The Tigers made one last push in the fourth set to force a fifth, taking a brief lead at 16-15 but it wasn’t quite enough as the Knights pulled out the 25-22 win.
“I really felt there was kind of that turning point,” Montgomery said. “I don’t want to say panic, but there were those moments that it was like ‘Oh my gosh, we’re letting this get away from us.’ And yeah, oh my gosh, we had some great safe plays.
“You started to see the girls take a deep breath, relax and start playing their game. Getting excited for each other and celebrate each point. So, I feel like they really tried and gave a great effort in that fourth set when other teams could have easily just rolled over and be done.”
Kuemper got 10 kills each from Mariah Heuton, Kolbi Peter and Wittrock. The Knights went on to fall to Davenport Assumption in the semifinals to end their season with a record of 32-3.
State marks the final appearances for Red Oak’s three senior starters: Jenkins, Sebeniecher and Jocelyn O’Neal. O’Neal and Sebeniecher are both four-year starters and Jenkins started her final three seasons. All three leave lasting fingerprints on Tigers program in ways both off land on the court.
“I think these kids have been invested in the program for a long time,” Montgomery said. “They are fantastic leaders. They lead by example. They are just kind to everyone. The very first day we came in this summer, your seniors are the ones that are setting the tone for the season, ‘Here’s what our practice is going to look like, here’s what the hustle is going to be, the expectation is.’ I think a lot of it is leading by example both on the court and off the court. The three of them are fantastic examples for our younger kids.”