Washington Volleyball

Warriors click on Senior Night

In a hit-and-miss year, the Washington volleyball team has always had the parts for a peak performance.

At last, on Senior Night in their home gym Tuesday, the Warriors put all the pieces together and closed out the regular season with a decisive three-set thumping of Linn-Mar.

By winning 25-21, 25-20, 25-19, they overcame a couple of bugaboos that have plagued them all year: When they grabbed a lead, they didn't let go. And when they fell behind, they rallied back.

“We've been so close in so many games,” said senior co-captain Dani Franklin. “We've been right there.

“Tonight, we were finally able to get over the hill. We stayed calm and just kept pushing.”

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Warriors trimmed by Cedar Falls, 3-2

CEDAR FALLS — The Cedar Rapids Washington volleyball team was edged by Cedar Falls, 23-25, 25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 15-11, in a Mississippi Valley Conference volleyball match Tuesday night in Cedar Falls.

Dani Franklin collected 21 kills for the Warriors. Kellie Walters was 19 for 19 on serves.

Rumer Weiland and Sophie Smith had five blocks. Alisa Gerhold had 30 digs. Victoria Adkins finished with 38 assists.

Spunky J-Hawks whip Washington

Under new volleyball coach Mary Kay Van Oort, the Jefferson girls are suddenly full of spunk.

No longer the doormat they used to be, they made it clear Tuesday night that they're a team to be reckoned with by dominating Washington 3-1 on the Warriors' home court.

''Wash is a high quality team,” said Van Oort, who inherited a squad that managed a mere 4-32 mark last year.

“We've had some close games this year, but we haven't had a lot of success with really good teams.

“This win is the first we've had against such a high level team.”

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Clippers spike Metro teams at Prairie

As the quiet leader of the Cedar Rapids Washington volleyball team, senior Aleena Hobbs admits that sometimes she may be too quiet.

“It seems like when we quit talking, we get kind of laid-back,” Hobbs said Saturday afternoon after the Warriors finished 3-2 for the day and took third in the six-team invitational tournament at Prairie.

“We've lost some close games. We've been right there. We just need to get over the hump and finish.”

Two weeks ago, Washington (12-12) was on the verge of blanking Kennedy in straight sets, only to lose match point and then the match itself by dropping three games straight.

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