Union senior outside hitter Bianca Grimm collected her 1,000th career dig during the Knights’ sweep of Colfax-Mingo in the Class 2A Region 5 quarterfinal match, Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Union High School. Congratulations, Bianca! PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION BOOSTER CLUB/FACEBOOK

LA PORTE CITY – The Class 2A No. 5 Union volleyball team had no trouble advancing from last week’s Region 5 quarterfinal match played Wednesday, Oct. 21, here against unranked Colfax-Mingo, with the Knights handily sweeping the Tigerhawks, 3-0.

Union (42-7) defeated Colfax-Mingo (9-18) in sets of 25-10, 25-4, and 25-9 Wednesday night to move on to tonight’s, Monday, Oct. 26, semifinal match.

Against the Tigerhawks, senior Taylen Smith and junior Caitlyn Schneider led with 7 kills apiece. Senior setter Hinley Mast totaled 24 assists.

On defense, senior Bianca Grimm led with 9 digs against the Tigerhawks to record her 1,000th career dig. Junior Chloe Sadler contributed 6 digs, and senior Laikyn Ewoldt had 4 digs plus 2 blocks. Blocks were also recorded by Smith and Schneider with 2 apiece, and senior Abbie Estling and sophomore Maddie Schmitz who both had one.

Union tallied 17 aces total; Colfax-Mingo had 1 ace. Grimm was perfect at the line of service, going 16-for-16 with 5 aces. Schneider went 11-for-11 with 3 aces. Sophomore Ivory Weisert was 11-for-12 with 6 aces.

If the Knights advance from tonight’s semifinal match against Pleasantville (20-21), they will play Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Class 2A Region 5 championship match against either No. 12 Lake Mills (29-6) or No. 15 Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (30-2). The Telegraph will include reporting from both games in the Friday, Nov. 6, print edition.

The Knights last qualified for the state tournament in 2023. In 2025, Union breezed through its postseason opener by beating Pleasantville 3-0 in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal.