Mid-Prairie stuns No. 7 Center Point-Urbana in volleyball regional

CENTER POINT

The Golden Hawks were at the end of their season Thursday night.

Set point, match point, season point.

Center Point-Urbana, which is ranked seventh in Iowa 3A, had fought off wave after wave of Mid-Prairie’s challenges in the regional semifinal match, and had gone ahead 15-14 in the fifth and deciding set. The Stormin Pointers needed just a point as their student section roared with noise.

The Golden Hawks silenced the place.

Mid-Prairie scored the next four points, two of them coming on kills by Iowa State recruit Jeorgia Evans, and won the match dramatically, 25-22, 11-25, 26-24, 21-25, 16-14, and advanced to the Region 6 title match Tuesday at No. 10 Roland-Story.

When CP-U’s last attempted defensive hit bounced out of bounds, the Golden Hawks jumped into a celebration at mid-court.

“I’m so proud of this team. Everyone really dug deep there at the end,” said Jeorgia Evans, a junior who had a team-high 22 kills.

The night produced a huge win for a team that includes just two seniors, an eighth-grader and six freshmen, and was never ranked this year.

The Golden Hawks were swept twice by River Valley South champion and 3A No. 8 Wilton, were swept by 2A No. 9 Regina Catholic and nearly knocked off 2A No. 3 Beckman Catholic in the River Valley Conference Tournament.

“We knew this,” co-head coach Zeb Evans said. “It’s not like a big surprise to us. We knew when we started at the beginning of the year, we had the personnel to get it done. It was just a matter of getting it put together. They believed, they trusted, they worked their tail off all year and they’re coming together when it matters. Right now.”

“They never gave up,” co-coach Sherry Evans said.

The Golden Hawks (21-14) are seeking their third consecutive regional championship.

A win would send them to the state tournament in Coralville.

Roland-Story advanced to the regional final with a 3-0 sweep of Pella Christian on Thursday. The Norsemen have won 35 matches, including their last five, but were swept by Center Point-Urbana in a tournament in September.