Waukon volleyball team wins first-round battle with Crestwood; Independence up next


Waukon volleyball senior Jackie Welch swings away at the net in the Indians’ four-set home victory over Crestwood in the opening round of Class 3A Regional Tournament play Monday, October 27. Welch finished the match with nine kills and also posted a solo block in the victory. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link.

The Waukon volleyball team opened Class 3A Regional Tournament play Monday, October 27 at home against its most familiar foe this season, as the Indian net squad was facing the Crestwood Cadets for the fifth time on the year. The two teams had met in three weekend tournaments and once in Northeast Iowa Conference dual match play already this fall, splitting those four matches to set the table for this fifth and final showdown with the end of either team’s season hanging in the balance.
Just as close as the even split of their first four match-ups of the season, the two teams waged war against one another once again in their first-round regional tournament match Monday, splitting the first two sets - 25-17 and 15-25 - before battling the third one to the narrowest of margins, a 25-23 Indian win. The Tribe netters then rode that final wave of momentum from their set three triumph to end Crestwood’s season with a 25-18 victory in set four, earning advancement to the regional semifinals this Thursday, October 30 at and against fourth-rated Independence, beginning at 7 p.m. The first-round win improves the Indians’ season record to 16-21 overall and advances them to the Class 3A Region 5 semifinal match at and against fourth-rated Independence. The Mustangs boast a season record of 31-7 and were first-round winners over North Fayette Valley Monday, October 27 by scores of 25-10, 25-12 and 25-13. That semifinal match will take place this Thursday, October 30 at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing on to the Region 5 championship match Tuesday, November 4 at Waterloo West High School against either Union or Osage, both 3-0 winners over New Hampton (25-10, 25-14, 25-21) and Oelwein (25-19, 25-17, 25-17), respectively, in Monday’s first-round action. The Region 5 champion will then earn the right to play in the Class 3A State Tournament scheduled for November 11-14 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

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