Members of the North Tama volleyball team rush the court to embrace one another immediately following the conclusion of the Class 1A Region 7 final last Wednesday evening at Webster City High School. The No. 5 Redhawks beat the No. 9 River Valley Wolverines 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19) in four intense sets for the regional championship and a return trip to the state tournament. Last season, North Tama was turned away at state’s door after losing to Don Bosco in the regional final. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

WEBSTER CITY — The North Tama volleyball team qualified for state for the fifth time in the last eight seasons by methodically outplaying No. 9 River Valley 3-1 on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the Class 1A Region 7 final at Webster City High School.

The fifth-ranked Redhawks (25-15) beat the Wolverines (30-3) in four intense sets – 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19. By the fourth set, River Valley was no longer able to match North Tama’s stamina and succumbed mostly due to exhaustion.

Following the final set on Wednesday evening, North Tama head coach Channing Halstead briefly spoke with the newspaper while her girls joyously celebrated their hard fought victory mere feet behind her.

“[We won because] we got our heads on straight and started competing instead of being scared,” Halstead said. “We just kept beating and beating and beating … I think they just stopped. Once they couldn’t turn a couple of those digs into points, you know, that was a huge momentum for us.”

Halstead said the win was especially noteworthy for her athletes in light of all they have battled this season including playing much of the fall without their starting setter, senior Zoey Rausch who was benched after the first weekend due to a severe concussion. The Sept. 10 car accident east of Raymond which took the life of Union High School senior Gavin Rohrbach while also severely injuring junior Keegan Brooks – who had been a North Tama student up until the day of the accident – also took its toll, Halstead said.

North Tama volleyball head coach Channing Halstead, fourth from right, high-fives her players as they stand in a line in the Webster City High School gym following North Tama’s defeat of the River Valley Wolverines for the Class 1A Region 7 championship last Wednesday, Oct. 30. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Against River Valley, the Redhawks were led by a whopping 24 kills from Kruiz Ewoldt, as the junior outside hitter took 59 swings and hit at .271 efficiency. Freshman outside hitter Lily Sell scored 12 kills, Briar Blake added eight, Cayleigh Heller had seven and Faith Dvorak six.

Redhawk senior setter Zoey Rausch compiled 29 assists and Heller, a junior, had 19 more.

Defensively, junior libero Addison Hochstetler had 31 digs, while Rausch had 16 and Ewoldt 14. Heller led at the net with two blocks while Blake, Dvorak and Sell had one apiece. Rausch led the team at the service line, going 18-for-18 with two aces, while Haydn Wilson was 18-for-19 with one ace.

“We’ve overcome a lot,” Halstead said to round out her comments Wednesday evening. “[But] it’s so fun to go into a gym. The girls just love to play. And they’re all on the same page. We have no drama. There’s no drama. They love each other.”

In the state quarterfinals, No. 5 seed North Tama is set to face No. 4 seed Riverside (38-3) tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 5, at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

Redhawk senior defensive specialist Grace Kennedy (7) cries out in celebration as she jumps for joy following North Tama’s win 25-22 over River Valley in the third set of the Class 1A Region 7 played on Oct. 30 in Webster City. Also pictured, senior Zoey Rausch (3) and junior Kruiz Ewoldt (9). PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The Telegraph will have full coverage of the match in next week’s edition.

Redhawk junior outside hitter Kruiz Ewoldt (9) sends a kill over the net against the River Valley Wolverines on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Webster City during the Class 1A Region 7 championship. Kruiz played an integral role that evening in the Redhawks’ triumph over the Wolverines by recording a whopping 24 kills. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

North Tama libero Addy Hochstetler digs a River Valley spike on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the Webster City High School gym during the Class 1A Region 7 championship. Hochstetler, a junior, notched 31 digs over the Wolverines that evening, helping propel North Tama to regional championship victory. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Senior middle hitter Briar Blake, center, sends a kill over the net against the River Valley Wolverines on Wednesday, Oct. 30, during the Class 1A Region 7 championship played in Webster City. Blake – who was recently ranked No. 1 by IAWrestle in preseason rankings – recorded eight kills against the Wolverines. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Redhawk Zoey Rausch sets up the ball against River Valley on Wednesday, Oct. 30, during the Class 1A Region 7 championship played in Webster City. The senior setter – who spent much of the season on the bench due to injury – compiled 29 assists and 16 digs against the Wolverines. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER