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Humboldt sets up rematch

By Chris Johnson, Assistant Sports Editor 3 min read

CORALVILLE -- The fifth-ranked Humboldt volleyball team is on a mission.

The Wildcats (39-4 overall) knew where they wanted to go once they punched the school's first back-to-back state tournament tickets and third overall.

In Tuesday's Class 3A quarterfinal, Humboldt knocked off Solon (38-6) in four sets inside Xtream Arena.

The Wildcats took the opening two sets 25-17 and 25-19. The Spartans won the third set 25-22, but Humboldt advanced to another state semifinal with a 25-17 victory.

"Our three goals were passing, I thought the back row did a wonderful job," said HHS head coach Kara Waldorf. "And obviously we have a very strong offense, so when we can pass well, we can beat a lot of teams."

Humboldt junior Adelynn Goodell was on a mission, slamming down 21 kills.

"She hits those angles, she takes different shots, and that's really what makes her hard to defend," Waldorf said. "She had a fantastic night and we needed that from her."

Junior Jazzie Dodd had 18 kills and sophomore Callie Olson had nine. Dodd also had 20 diggs.

Junior Addie Waldorf had 44 assists, 10 digs and four blocks, while freshman Ryah Cirks had 19 digs.

The Wildcats weren't deterred after the Spartans won the third set.

"Winning that set doesn't mean anything," Waldorf said. "We were still up, so we should be playing aggressive and like we are winning, instead of like we just lost a set."

The victory sets up the rematch with top-rated Western Christian. The Wildcats shocked the perennial power last year to advance to the finals.

"I'm really excited to play them again and just have all the energy and the environment around us just to rematch them and see if we can pull it off again," Dodd said.

The mantra 'Unfinished Business' derived from last year's run, and it's something the Wildcats have been using as motivation to reach the finals again.

"Obviously we played (Western Christian) last year and we won it as a great match, five sets, and I think that we know that we can do it again," Goodell said.

Humboldt came into last year's matchup as the underdog, but this time around, the Wildcats know they are where they should be.

"I really, truly think this team is so talented that I don't want them to think of it as like an underdog mentality," Waldorf said. "Like, I think we can play with any top team in the state."

The Wildcats will face Western Christian on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

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