The Xavier girls knew what Kennedy was going to throw at them on the volleyball court Thursday night.

They just couldn't do much about it as the seventh-ranked Cougars overpowered them, 3-0, in a Class 4A regional semifinal in the Kennedy gym.

"We played them in a preseason scrimmage and in the MVC tournament," said Saints Coach Barb Brunow. "So we knew it was going to be a tough match.

"They're much taller and play a very aggressive game. I thought we started out a little timid, and you can't do that against a team that attacks like they do. They're a great team, well-coached and with a lot of good players."

Kennedy (28-9) will play Bettendorf in the Region 6 finals next Wednesday at Clarence at 7 p.m., with a berth in the state tournament hanging in the balance.

It was no surprise that the shorter Xavier front line couldn't handle Kennedy's 6-foot-1 rocket launcher left-hander Allie Hutcheson, as no one else has been able to, either.

The lean but athletic senior, who is scholarship-bound to volleyball power University of Northern Colorado, picked up the pace early with spikes and sets for her teammates. She even recorded kills from the backcourt, leading her team to a 25-12 first-set win.

Hutcheson's bouncy, bubbly court presence seems to set the tone for the rest of her team. "She's an amazing player," said Brunow, in her third year at Xavier after serving for four years as assistant to Kennedy Coach Michelle Goodall.

Her own young Saints team, she said, settled down some as the match went on, displaying more hustle and moxie. The Cougars simply had too many weapons, though, finishing off the straight-set victory with scores of 25-18 and 25-19.

"We have a pretty special team," said Goodall. "We've got dynamic net play that's hard to defend."

For the night, Hutcheson notched 10 kills with no errors and also contributed 21 assists. Also for the Cougars, Lexi Rogers recorded four blocks and Jordan Calef three. The pair of lanky juniors each netted seven kills, as well, with but two errors apiece.

Calef was also near-perfect on serves, hitting 17 of 18. Junior Bre Boote had six kills with one miscue.

"The key was that we were attacking from all over the court," said Cougar assistant coach Tim Johnson. "We weren't just scoring from one spot."

Xavier, which ended its season 19-17, was led by 6-foot-1 senior ace Kelly Biermann with 13 kills. Spunky junior Sarah Homan had 23 assists to go along with six digs. Fellow junior sparkplug Kelsey Boyer contributed steady defense and four digs.

Brunow also singled out junior Audrey Richards, who was credited with four kills from the right side.