April 25, 2024

Newton volleyball takes seventh at LHC tourney

By Newton News

Newton senior Katie McConnell receives a serve in a home match earlier this week. The Cardinals placed seventh at the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament on Thursday, defeating Grinnell in two sets. (Troy Hyde)

INDIANOLA — Newton's volleyball team had the exact same result at this year's Little Hawkeye Conference tournament as it had in 2019.

But the latest version was so much better.

The Cardinals once again defeated Grinnell in the seventh-place match to end their night. After needing three sets to dispatch the Tigers last year, Newton won in a sweep on Thursday.

The pool-play matches also were better even though the end result was 0-3.

"It was nice to take a couple games, but we need to learn how to finish," Newton head coach Kim Florke said. "We saw glimpses of the team we think they can be and then the inconsistency would catch up with us again."

Newton (13-17) defeated Grinnell 25-16, 25-16 in this year's seventh-place match.

Before that, the Cardinals lost to Pella 21-10, 21-12, was defeated by Indianola 18-21, 21-19, 15-8 and knocked off by Pella Christian 18-21, 21-12, 15-13. Pella went on to win the tournament.

Last year, Newton was swept in all three pool-play matches.

In the win over Grinnell (3-21), Kate Callaghan had nine assists, seven kills, four digs and two aces to lead the Cardinals.

Meg Callaghan finished with five kills, two assists and three blocks, Kadance Ahn added four kills and four digs, Katie McConnell chipped in four digs and Kynnedei Terpstra tallied two kills. Tess Brunsmann was 13-of-13 in serves.

Newton opened against Pella (20-11). Kate Callaghan had 10 assists and four digs in that loss, while Terpstra finished with four kills and six digs, Ahn had five digs and Brunsmann put down three kills.

In the loss to Indianola (11-11), Kate Callaghan led Newton with 14 assists, 10 digs and three kills and was 11-of-12 in serves.

Ahn finished with four kills and seven digs and was 13-of-13 in serves, Terpstra tallied four kills and three digs and Jerrica McGuire collected two kills and three digs.

McConnell had six digs, Brunsmann finished with two digs and Meg Callaghan put down three kills.

In the loss to Pella Christian (14-12), Kate Callaghan had nine assists, six kills and five digs and was 12-of-13 in serves.

Ahn tallied three kills and two digs, McGuire pitched in two kills and three digs, McConnell added four digs and Meg Callaghan put down three kills.