The Iowa Girl hailing from a northern Tama County school showed up in a big way Tuesday at the 2022 State Volleyball Tournament in Coralville via the Class 3A No. 8 Union Knights and the Class 1A No. 2 North Tama Redhawks as both teams were set to compete in the opening quarterfinal rounds.

While North Tama’s match with No. 7 AGWSR will not be played until later tonight, the Knights’ state trip was brought to an early end Tuesday morning in an arduous loss, 3-1, to the first-ranked Des Moines Christian Lions.

Union Knights

Before the Knights’ match with the Lions even began at 10:00 a.m. on Xtreme Arena’s Court One, the prowess of both teams was daunting when viewed through the lens of this year’s 3A leaderboard.

Entering the tournament on Tuesday, Union’s roster boasted the No. 1 players in assists, kills, and serve aces (Avery Knoop, Aubrey Gates, and Gracie Klima, respectively) and No. 2 in serve success (Gracie Klima), while Des Moines Christian featured the No. 1 players in kill efficiency and serve success (Maren Miller and Olivia Lombardi, respectively), No. 3 in digs (Olivia Lombardi), No. 4 in serve aces (Olivia Lombardi), and No. 5 in kills (Gabby Lombardi).

All of Union’s firepower was on full display in the team’s exhilarating opening set win, 28-26, over the Lions with much of the credit going to Gates who was seemingly everywhere while also showing Des Moines Christian what the 3A No. 1 player in kills is truly capable of – raining down kill after kill after kill across the net.

The score stayed close throughout the second set with both teams taking the lead at times – never straying far from the other.

With the score tied at 20-20, Gates let loose a particularly robust kill that knocked a Lions player attempting a dig solidly onto her backside.

At 23-23, a double hit by Union pushed the Lions to 24-23. Following a Knights’ timeout, the second set fell into the Lions’ den, 25-23, due to a Union spike into the net.

The third set opened with a member of the Union crowd calling out, “This one’s ours!” but, ultimately, Union’s loss in the third, 25-21, and again in the fourth, 25-17, appeared to boil down to a matter of stamina and strategy.

While both teams were evenly matched by skillset, the Lions seemed better equipped on Tuesday to handle the endurance required to make it through four grueling sets played at the state level.

By the completion of the fourth match, it was apparent the Union Knights were absolutely drained in contrast to much of Des Moines Christian’s team including the Lombardi sisters and Maren Miller.

Throughout the final two sets, the Lions only increased the ease at which they placed serves, hits, and kills in Union’s weak spots or just out of reach – a strategy that slowly but surely wore their opponent down.

Although Union never gave up – fighting until the end, even winning several long, taxing rallies throughout the fourth set that energized both the team’s fans and the girls themselves – it just wasn’t enough this time.

Union ends the 2022-2023 season 42-10 – a school record for the number of victories in a single season and an impressive run spearheaded by starters Avery Knoop (setter), Gracie Klima (outside hitter), Jaidyn Bush (outside hitter), Aubrey Gates (outside hitter), Sydney Schmuecker (middle hitter), Ava Mehlert (libero), and Dena Robb (middle hitter).

Tuesday’s game was the final of their high school careers for senior starters Bush and Gates.

Gates has verbally committed to playing volleyball for Sioux Falls University next season.

This was the Knights’ ninth trip to the state tournament – the first time taking place in 2010. All nine appearances were led by Union head coach Brian Jesse.