Mid-Prairie wins dramatic 5-set match against No. 14 West Liberty

WELLMAN

Mid-Prairie struck back in a dramatic way Tuesday night.

Down two games to Iowa 3A 14^th-ranked West Liberty on Tuesday night, the defending River Valley South and unranked Golden Hawks swept to three straight set wins and an emotional 3-2 win over the Comets.

The Golden Hawks (7-8) scored the last two points of the fifth and deciding set for a 16-14 win, finishing off a night in which junior hitter Jeorgia Evans had her 500^th career kill and scored a career high for the second week in a row. Evans, an Iowa State recruit, had 26 kills.

Mid-Prairie won the last three games by 25-19, 26-24 and 16-14 scores.

“It just says a lot about their mentality,” Golden Hawks head coach Sherry Evans said.

West Liberty (12-6) nearly won the match in the fourth set, but a ruling on a touch resulted in a tie score and then the Golden Hawks won the next two points for a two-point win that forced a fifth set.

The Golden Hawks won four of the first five points in the third game and three of the first four points in the fourth game, and the two teams battled back and forth during the entire final game.

“I knew it was going to be a tough game and a fight,” Jeorgia Evans said.

Lydia Witthoft, a freshman, had a career-high 28 assists for the Golden Hawks, and Kinsley Gingerich, a freshman, had a career-high 24 digs and 3 aces. Ashlee Statler, a freshman, had 11 kills.

Mid-Prairie will play Saturday in the Ottumwa Invitational.

Mid-Prairie 3,

Durant 1

Jeorgia Evans delivered a smashing kill that put the Golden Hawks up, 24-23, in the third game of their Sept. 8 River Valley South match against Durant, and they finished out a 25-23 win and then secured the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set.

Evans’ 19 kills, at the time, were a career high and she also had a season-best 24 digs. The Iowa State coaches will like those stats.

Ashlee Statler, a freshman, added 14 kills for Mid-Prairie.

Elise Foster, a sophomore, had 24 digs and 3 service aces. Claire Trimpe, a junior, tied a career high with 20 assists and also had 3 aces.

Allison Toft led Durant with 25 kills.

City West Invite

Jeorgia Evans had 42 kills and 59 digs in five matches Saturday at the Iowa City West Invitational.

The Golden Hawks swept Cedar Rapids Washington, 21-11 and 21-7, and lost to 5A No. 11 Bettendorf, 4A No. 2 Clear Creek Amana, North Scott and Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Elise Foster, a Mid-Prairie sophomore, had 58 digs, including a team-high 18 against Bettendorf.

Lydia Witthoft, a freshman, had a team-high 45 assists, including 11 in matches against Bettendorf and CR Washington.

Jersey Jergens had a team-high five aces.

The Golden Hawks (6-8) took Bettendorf to three sets, losing 15-12 in the deciding set, and also took North Scott to three sets, losing 15-12. Mid-Prairie lost to Prairie, 21-16 and 21-17, and to CCA, 21-13, 21-15. The Clippers are 14-3 and lost to 5A No. 10 Iowa City Liberty and 4A No. 5 Davenport Assumption in the tournament.

5A No. 7 City West, coached by former Mid-Prairie and Regina star Jaedynn Evans, won the tournament title.