Cardinals fall to top-ranked Lady Dutch

PELLA — Top-ranked Pella’s Lady Dutch had too much firepower for Newton High’s Cardinals to handle Tuesday in a Little Hawkeye Conference volleyball match. The Lady Dutch defeated the visiting Cardinals, 25-14, 25-14, 25-7.

Pella showed why it’s ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, putting down 39 kills against the Cardinals. Newton wasn’t able to get on a roll to score points.

Newton’s Megan Pressgrove delivered eight kills and two set assists. Ryanne Rausch had two kills while Morgan Allen, Lucy Lilienthal and Alexis Hoffman each put down one kill. Taylor Shipley was credited with eight set assists.

Pella’s Emily Holterhaus had 15 kills and Kiara Bradley downed 10 kills. The Lady Dutch’s setter Kiki Pingel put up 31 set assists.

For the Cardinals, Hoffman made one solo block. She combined with Lilienthal for another block as each was credited with a block assist.

Rausch recorded five digs, and Carter Lee had four digs. Allen had two digs and Shipley had one dig.

Newton dropped to 1-4 in LHC play and 6-13 overall. Pella improved to 5-0 in conference action and 18-4 overall. The two teams will be playing in Saturday’s Newton Cardinal Invitational.

Before their home tournament Saturday, the Cardinals have a return trip to Pella for a 7:15 p.m. LHC match Thursday against Pella Christian.

Newton’s junior varsity lost 25-9, 25-7 to Pella Tuesday.

By the time Saturday’s Newton High Cardinal Invitational rolls around, the Cardinals will have played five volleyball matches this week. They are building toward making a run for their home tournament’s championship.

Newton finished sixth in the 2015 Cardinal Invitational. Harlan, which just fell out of the Class 4A rankings at the end of last week, is out to net a sixth straight Newton volleyball tournament title.

Action begins at 8:30 a.m. with pool play Saturday at Newton High School. There are two four-team pools.

Teams in Pool A, which are Newton, Des Moines North, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont and Boone, play in the NHS upper gym. Pool B — Carlisle, Harlan, Pella and Ottumwa— will be in the NHS lower gym.

Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students.

The top two teams in each pool advance to championship pool matches to be played in the upper gym. The bottom two teams in each pool advance to consolation pool play in the NHS lower gym.

There is a 30-minute break between the conclusion of pool play and start of championship-consolation round matches.

Harlan beat EBF in last year’s championship match. Pella, which has lost four times this season to ranked teams in Class 5A, finished third in last year’s tournament. Pella plays Harlan in the third round of pool play Saturday.

Newton opens pool play against Des Moines North at 8:30 a.m. on court No. 1. The Cardinals take on EBF on court No. 2 in the second round then finish pool play against Boone on court No. 1.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com