The young but scrappy Marion volleyball team fought and fought all day Saturday before finally falling short to Solon in the championship match of the 20th annual Washington Warrior tournament.

Short was the name of the game as the Indian girls could not match up with the towering Spartan front line, led by spiker supreme Kelsey Cave.

“Size was a huge difference in the match,” said Marion Coach Roxanne Paulson. “You can’t control height. But defensively, I thought the girls really picked it up.”

And in all Class 3A Wamac Conference finale, 10th-ranked Marion put up a tough effort against eight-ranked Solon.

After losing the first game 25-19, the Indians refused to cave-in to their big-hitting opponents and came back with a 25-20 win.

Despite taking a 14-13 lead in the tiebreaker, the Indians lost service and the match 16-14.

It was an uphill battle for Marion from the start in the all-day, 14-team tourney which featured Metro teams from Jefferson, Linn-Mar, Prairie, Xavier and host Washington.  Following a 15-7 tiebreaker loss to Johnston at the get-go in pool play, they bounced back to knock off North Fayette, 21-8, 21-12, but then fell to Dyersville Beckman, 21-16, 21-10.

The Indians stormed back in championship bracket pairings, however, whipping Class 4A Washington. 25-14, 25-22, and Xavier 18-25, 25-12, 15-12.

“I thought we played very well,” Paulson said. “The tournament had top-notch competition, and we got stronger as the day went on.

“We improved throughout the day, which really pleased me. Finishing second after losing twice early was great.”

Among the Metro schools, Prairie also advanced into the championship bracket but lost to Xavier, 25-20, 25-17.

In the consolation bracket, Jefferson lost its opener to Davis County in a 15-10 tiebreaker after losing all three of its earlier matches.

Linn-Mar rallied back from two losses in pool play to beat Sigourney and North Fayette before dropping the ninth place match to Oskaloosa.

WARRIOR INVITATIONAL

Pool results

Pool A
CR Xavier def. Sigourney, 21-6, 21-6
Davenport Central def. Oskaloosa, 24-22, 21-19
CR Xavier def. Oskaloosa, 21-11, 17-21, 15-4
Davenport Central def Sigourney, 21-15, 21-4
CR Xavier def. Davenport Central, 21-17, 13-21, 16-14
Oskaloosa def. Sigourney, 21-13, 21-11

Standings - 1. CR Xavier 3-0, 2. Davenport Central 2-1, 3. Oskaloosa 1-2, 4. Sigourney 0-3

Pool B
CR Prairie def. Linn-Mar, 21-14, 21-14
Solon def. Davis County, 21-17, 21-15
CR Prairie def. Davis County, 17-21, 21-19, 15-8
Solon def. Linn-Mar, 21-14, 21-8
Solon def. CR Prairie, 21-8, 21-14
Linn-Mar def. Davis County, 15-21, 21-19, 15-12

Standings - 1. Solon 3-0, 2. CR Prairie 2-1, 3. Linn-Mar 1-2, 4. Davis County 0-3    

Pool C
CR Washington def. North Fayette, 21-13, 21-19
Johnston def. Marion, 17-21, 21-15, 15-7
CR Washington def. Dyersville Beckman, 24-22, 17-21, 15-12
Johnston def, CR Washington, 22-20, 21-13

Standings - 1. CR Washington 2-1, 2. Marion 1-2, 3. CR Jefferson 0-3

Pool D
Johnston def. CR Jefferson, 21-13, 21-13
Dyersville Beckman def. CR Jefferson, 21-15, 21-10
Marion def. North Fayette, 21-8, 21-12
North Fayette def. CR Jefferson, 21-11, 17-21, 15-11
Dyersville Beckman def. Marion, 21-16, 21-10        

Standings - 1. Johnston 3-0, 2. Beckman 2-1, 3. North Fayette 1-2


Championship Bracket
First round
C.R. Xavier def. C.R. Prairie, 25-20, 25-17
Marion def. C.R. Washington, 25-14, 25-22
Johnston def. Dyersville Beckman, 25-19, 25-13        
Solon def. Davenport Central, 25-20, 25-19    

Semifinals
Marion def. CR Xavier, 18-25, 25-12, 15-12            
Solon def. Johnston, 17-25, 25-18, 15-9                

Championship 
Solon def. Marion, 25-19, 20-25, 16-14                                             

Consolation Bracket
Davis County def. CR Jefferson, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10
Linn-Mar def. Sigourney, 25-11, 25-10

Semifinals
Linn-Mar def. North Fayette, 25-12, 22-25, 15-4            
Oskaloosa def. Davis County, 25-19, 25-19

9th Place        
Oskaloosa def. Linn-Mar, 26-24, 25-18