Wolverines fifth at LC Invite

East Mills finished fifth at the Council Bluffs Lewis Central Tournament Saturday.
For the Class 1A, No. 10 ranked Wolverines (27-8 overall, 7-0 in the Corner Conference) it was their first time competing in the LC invite. They logged wins over Stanton 21-10, 21-7 and Sidney 21-19, 21-16. Their loss came to Clarinda, 21-15, 25-21, 10-15.
Head coach Connie Viner thought her team played well at times.
“The Clarinda match was a tough one, and their fast tempo caused us some problems,” Viner said. “But it was great experience and will make us better.  With the loss, we moved to the Consolation Bracket and defeated Stanton and Sidney for the second time this week.  Our serving continued to be strong. And now we turn our focus to regionals.”
The Wolverines served 127-of-129 (98 percent) with 18 aces.
Ava Grindle had 26 kills, Ellie Hagen 21 and Shaylee Stiverson 11 to lead the Wolverines. Hagen added a team-high 29 digs.
Brynn Williams led the offense with 59 set assists while serving 26-of-26 with five aces.
Stanton finished 0-3 at the LC tournament.
The Titans (14-20) dropped matches to the host Titans 21-14, 22-20, East Mills 21-10, 21-7 and Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 21-19, 11-21, 19-21.
“We faced three tough opponents and came up short in all three matches,” said Stanton coach John Mainquist. “We showed some fight against Lewis Central and Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln but struggled to find consistency against East Mills. Addy Gettler and Cooper Stephens led our attack, while Haylee Joint did a great job distributing the ball. Addie Peterson was a steady presence on defense throughout the tournament.
“We have areas to improve, but we will use these matches as an opportunity to learn, get better, and continue working together as a team.”
Gettler had 14 kills and Joint 45 set assists on the day.

Wolverines win Corner tourney title
After two straight years of disappointment, the East Mills volleyball team finally got over the hump Thursday.
The Wolverines, who lost in the finals of the previous two Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament finals, outlasted Sidney 25-21, 26-28, 25-16, 24-26, 16-14 this time around to win its first tournament title since 2020.
“So proud of these girls for their grit, determination and perseverance tonight,” said East Mills coach Connie Viner. “We were down 8-12 in the fifth set, but the girls rallied back to take the match.  We served well again 97 percent, and we had 20 block assists and 22 blocks in the match.  Our passing was also on.  It was a great win!”
Ellie Hagen led the way with 25 kills and Ava Grindle added 15 kills and a school-record 11 blocks.
  Brynn Williams paced the offense with 47 set assists and Hagen led the way with 22 digs.
Myler Maher led Sidney with 28 kills.

Stanton 25-25-30
Fremont-Mills 21-23-28
Stanton closed out its run in the Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament with a strong performance against Fremont-Mills in a 25-21, 25-23, 30-25 win in the third-place match Thursday in Bedford.
Head coach John Mainquist said his Viqueens (14-17 overall, 4-2 in the conference) showcased “teamwork, determination, and competitive play” in avenging a regular season loss to the Knights (12-16 overall, 6-1 in the conference).
“We came ready to compete, working together on offense and defense to put pressure on the Knights,” Mainquist went on to say. “The Viqueens fought hard for points, using communication and consistent effort to build momentum. Our teamwork and persistence helped us secure the victory. We will look to carry that energy and momentum into their upcoming matches.”
Leilanie Foster-Saye and Cooper Stephens led Stanton with 12 kills each and Haylee Joint dished up 28 set assists.
The Knights were paced by Abby Malcom’s 11 kills. Brookelynn Billingsley added nine kills and Adelynn Billingsley six kills.
Brooklyn Weldon and Adeylnn Billingsley led the way with 15 and 14 set assists each, respectively.

Sidney 25-20-25-28,
Fremont-Mills 9-25-22-26
Five days after Fremont-Mills picked up a five-set win over its rivals to the south, Sidney bounced back to down the Knights 25-9, 20-25, 25-22, 28-22 in the Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament semifinals Tuesday in Malvern.
The No. 2 seeded Cowgirls were aggressive at the net in the win, notching 48 kills on .212 hitting while controlling the Knights’ attack. Fremont-Mills recorded 37 kills but hit just .069 as a team.
“We just did not play our best volleyball and Sidney wanted revenge and they played great,” said Fremont-Mills coach Taylor Sudmann. “However, I am proud of the girls resilience, to lose the first set by the amount we did and come back to win the second and then be down in the fourth set by four when they had game point, to come all the way back and tie it up is impressive. As much as it stings to lose, I am still proud of the girls, and you learn more from your losses than your wins.”
 Myler Maher led Sidney with 16 kills and four aces. Keyana Haggerty added 14 kills.
The Knights were led by Adelynn Billingsley’s 15 kills. Abby Malcom chipped in 13 kills and a team-high 23 digs.
Brooklyn Weldon dished up 33 set assists.

East Mills 25-25-25
Stanton 20-16-13
Stanton fell 25-20, 25-16, 25-13 in a hard-fought match to East Mills in the Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament semifinals Tuesday in Malvern.
“We did a lot better job covering our hitters and blocking than the last time we played Stanton,” said East Mills coach Connie Viner.
Shaylee Stiverson had 11 kills and Ellie Hagen 10 for East Mills in the win. Hagen also logged three ace serves to break the school record for aces in a season with 62 set by Dezirae Drake in 2018.
Brynn Williams dished up 29 set assists to guide the Wolverines’ offense.
Stanton’s offense was stymied by the Wolverines’ defense, holding them to .037 efficiency and 20 kills on 107 attempts.
“The Viqueens continued to compete throughout the contest, working to find their rhythm and create scoring opportunities against a tough Wolverines team,” said Stanton coach John Mainquist. “Stanton will look to learn from the game, regroup, and come back stronger in their next matchup.”
Leilanie Foster-Saye and Cooper Stephens had five kills each to lead Stanton.

Stanton 25-25-21-24-15
Bedford 17-22-25-26-11
Stanton got by Bedford 25-17, 25-22, 21-25, 24-26 15-11 in the opening round of the Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament last Monday in Bedford.
“The players competed hard, stayed focused, and found a way to get the job done,” said Stanton coach John Mainquist. “We’re excited to keep building on this momentum and look forward to the next challenge.”
The Viqueens hit .195 as a team and notched a season-high 57 kills in the victory.
 Leilanie Foster-Saye led the way with 17 kills. Cooper Stephens added 16 and Addy Gettler eight.
 Haylee Joint paced the offense with 30 set assists.
Kalynn Moore led Bedford with 23 kills.

East Mills 25-25-25
Essex 1-4-8
Top seeded East Mills dominated from start to finish in a 25-1, 25-4, 25-8 sweep of Essex in Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament opening round action last Monday in Tabor.
The Class 1A, No. 10 Wolverines hit a blistering .534 with 32 kills in the win. They also had a strong night at the service line with 22 aces.
Ava Grindle led East Mills with 15 kills. Ellie Hagen added seven and Shaylee Stiverson pitched in six.
Brynn Williams dished up a game-high 24 set assists.

Fremont-Mills 25-25-25
Hamburg 10-11-7
Fremont-Mills knocked off Hamburg 25-10, 25-11, 25-7 in Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament action last Monday in Tabor.
Brookleynn Billingsley led the Knights with seven kills. Abby Malcom added four kills.
Brooklyn Weldon had 13 set assists and Izzy Heard paced the defense with 10 digs.

Sidney 25-25-25
Griswold 20-15-7
Myler Maher and Keyana Haggerty combined for 24 kills for Sidney in a 25-20, 25-15, 25-7 win over Griswold in the first round of the Corner Conference Volleyball Tournament last Monday in Sidney.