ELDON — Just over five weeks earlier, Daphny Wells left the Lakeview Gymnasium on crutches.
The Van Buren County volleyball team left with a three losses including a 21-18, 21-14 loss against Cardinal. It was in that match against the Comets, the first of the day for the Warriors, that Wells came down on the foot of a Cardinal blocker and twisted her ankle forcing the senior to the sidelines for the rest of the day.
"I felt really excited to come back and play," Wells said. "Having to sit out the rest of the day, I just wanted to get back in there and play (Cardinal) one more time."
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union gave Wells what she wanted. Wells responded in a big way, hammering home a match-high 14 kills, six coming in the third and final set, in a Class 2A regional sweep against the Comets. The Warriors won 25-20, 25-12 and 25-17.
"It was almost a redemption game. That's how I saw it," Wells said. "I was ready to go. I was very energetic and ready to swing."
The win sends Van Buren County on to the Class 2A, Region 8 quarterfinals on Wednesday. After winning just two of their 20 matches during the regular season, the Warriors (3-18) head to Iowa City Regina (27-15) to face the ninth-ranked Regals with a 1-0 record in this year's postseason.
"These girls have gotten better every single day. I think it's just a relief to all of them that they're seeing the results of their hard work," Van Buren County head volleyball coach Shea Scott said. "We practice hard every single day. The fact that they're realizing what they're working for is working. Our errors this season have come from the mental side of the game. Keeping those sophomores on the court mentally strong and building on that toughness helped us stay calm and not fall under pressure."
Cady Greever matched Maclain and Maelin Hickenbottom with four kills apiece to lead the Comets. Bella Schlotter added three ace serves, including two in the opening set as Cardinal built a 15-11 lead before a 39-16 run put the Warriors in command of the match.
"Our girls definitely had some fight, which is what we've been kind of working for all season," Cardinal head volleyball coach Maddie Lenschow said. "All the girls did really well. They've had a really great season."
The Comets end the volleyball season with a record of 10-18. While seven seniors graduate, Cardinal will return a class young group that included four sophomores that made at least 20 starts this past season.
"It's encouraging to see the kind of fight that we showed in several matches this season. It's very exciting for the future," Lenschow said. "I'm definitely very excited for the future. When the current seniors were sophomores was my first with the program. Ever since then, I've seen so much growth in those girls. I know there are bright days ahead for this program."