Glenwood’s season ends in regional semifinals

Glenwood battled Bishop Heelan to the end but came up short in a 23-25, 25-23, 35-21, 14-25, 13-15 marathon Class 4A, Region 2 semifinals loss Thursday in Sioux City.

“It was hard to walk out on the short end, however I am nothing but proud of the fight our girls put up,” said Glenwood coach Jen Schneider. “They truly left everything they had out on the court. There are so many things to look at from that game other than what the final score was.”

Melina Snoozy led the Crusaders with 20 kills. Dara Mollet added 10 kills and four blocks. Charlotte Patee had 25 set assists and Emma Moody 18 to pace the offense for Heelan.

The Rams notched 40 kills on the night but never found their consistency, finishing with a .070 efficiency on 157 attempts.

 Jacie Kanngieser led the way with 14 kills. Gracy Mullanix added nine kills and Ayrianna Legband six.

Cambree Smothers dished up 14 set assists and Alyssa Liddick 15.

The Rams went 7-4 in the month of October, with three of those losses coming, much like the district setback to Heelan, in tight five game sets.

“In just the past month us as coaches saw a whole different team from the beginning of the year, and I can't begin to explain how much growth our girls made from start to finish,” Schneider said. “We were playing some of our best volleyball in the last stretch. I thought the girls did a great job of staying aggressive, even in the thick of moments.

“They (Heelan) served us aggressive which is something we haven't seen as much this year, so it took a little to get our serve receive down and adjusted, but I thought they did a great job of executing game plans. We saw the grit, heart, and energy through all five sets and as a coach that's all I can ask for. 

The match caps the career for five seniors: Rylie Kendall, Jayme Vinton, Liddick, Smothers and Wray -a group Schneider is nothing but proud of.

When I first started four years ago coaching in Glenwood, they were coming in as freshman too so we were all ‘new,’” She said. “Being able to see them grow from then until now has left me in awe. Not only were they a great part of our volleyball success, but they truly helped shape an amazing culture for our program. We built relationships that will go beyond the game of volleyball, and I am thankful for that. They were absolutely tremendous leaders for our younger players and have set a great example for the groups to follow behind them. 

“It was sad to see their journey end last night, but I hope they walk away from their career being proud of what they did for us this season and their time in our program.” 

The Rams close their season with a record of 21-16, including a 5-5 mark in the Hawkeye 10 Conference.

Glenwood 25-25-25

Harlan 8-14-11

Glenwood used a strong hitting night to make quick work of Harlan in a 25-8, 25-14, 25-11 sweep in the Class 4A, Region 2 opener in Glenwood last Tuesday.

The Rams hit a blistering .326 on the night with 38 kills.

“Getting to 'survive and advance' is always a good feeling in the postseason,” said Glenwood coach Jen Schneider. “I thought the girls came out with great energy, which fed into our physical game. We opened up the first set in a hole early on, but they didn't let it stop them. They went out there and played with such ease and you could tell they were having fun while doing it, which is what it's all about.”

Kaylee Wray led the way with 16 kills while adding a team-leading 11 digs. Gracy Mullanix, Jordyn Schulte and Alyssa Liddick added six kills each.

Cambree Smothers dished up 17 assists and Liddick 13 to direct the offense.

The win advances Glenwood to a regional semifinal against Bishop Heelan (24-16) in Sioux City Thursday.

 “We have one day to prepare for a talented Heelan program, and I think the girls are ready,” Schneider said. “The team has really focused on the mental piece of the game these last couple of weeks, and we will take the time we have to continue to prepare to continue our season as long as we can.”