THE SUPER SOPHS
Tritons honor their veterans in style
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It was all about the sophomores on Tuesday night inside Hodges Fieldhouse.
The third-ranked Iowa Central volleyball team swept Southwestern. The Tritons (29-2 overall, 11-0 in the ICCAC) dominated the Spartans (13-14, 6-5) by scores of 25-10, 25-18 and 25-8.
After the victory, the ICCC sophomores were honored with their families.
"This is a great class," said Triton head coach Sara Horn. "They are hard workers and started working from day one dating back to last year.
"We're not flashy and we're not super tall, but we will out-work anyone."
When the sophomores were recalling their favorite memory, all 10 had the same response: "Beating No. 1 Kirkwood" last season. They'll have a chance to do that again on Thursday when Iowa Central visits top-ranked Kirkwood (30-0, 11-0).
Ten Triton sophomores were honored with their families after the action.
"Being honored was so bittersweet. It felt so full circle to finally be the one on the court after watching Iowa Central volleyball for so many years," said Fort Dodge Senior High graduate Meah McCaleb. "To share the moment with my parents is such a good feeling. They’ve had my back since day one, and have continued to walk by my side and support me every step of the way."
McCaleb had a big night with 26 digs and two aces. Iowa Central had 69 digs and 11 aces on the night, giving up zero aces.
McCaleb packed the stat sheet last week with 75 digs to reach 1,000 career digs, which earned her ICCAC Athlete of the Week honors.
"It’s always a blessing to see my hard work paying off as we close in on the postseason," McCaleb said. "It just shows that we aren't close to being done yet. We still have so much work to put in and have no time to slack off.
"Every point, every win and every time we step on the court is important. It shows that we, as a team, will continue to play our game and show up at all times."
It was all Iowa Central in the opening set, as the Tritons went on an 11-4 run to start the contest and built a 21-7 advantage. They had a stretch of seven straight points with McCaleb at the service line.
The second set was a little tighter, as both teams went toe-to-toe at 10-8. Iowa Central held a 16-3 lead before five straight to put the game out of reach, with the Spartans only getting as close as six.
There was no doubt in the third set. Iowa Central led 11-4, and after both coaches challenged calls and both earned an overturn, the Tritons continued to cruise, reeling off 12 straight points for a 20-4 lead.
Sophomore Cooper Griffin had 10 kills, while freshman Kampbell Brye had nine. Annie Elbert had 20 assists.
Abby Jensen recorded 13 digs, while sophomore Devon Rodewald had 11. Griffin and sophomore Rylyn McCarty had three blocks each.
"This team has grit," McCaleb said. "No one wants to lose, and we have so many people that can step into a role at any time. There is a lot of trust in each other and it is such a great group of girls.
"We all have the same goal in mind and we work hard every day to get there."