Opening Round Win Advances Triton Volleyball to Semifinals

As the student section's energy grew inside Hodges, Triton Head Coach, Sara Horn could see the Tritons momentum starting to build as well in their Regional Tournament quarterfinal match vs. Western Iowa Tech. "This was such a fun match! That's the loudest crown we've had all year. The crowd and energy in the gym was amazing and our players definitely fed off of it!"

A fast start saw the Tritons win the first set 25-14, before WIT switched to a second lineup and took the second set 25-15. The Tritons answered in set 3, 25-21, and closed the match with a 25-21 win in set four after trailing 18-15. Coach Horn knew WIT would be a tough opening round opponent. "We knew WIT had two different lineups, and we really should have done a better job of adjusting in set two when they came out in their second lineup. We did a much better job of adjusting and finding ways to score in sets 3 and 4."

Leading the way for the Tritons were Talya Sampson with 13 kills, Dani Anela Kapu had 21 assists, and Olivia Benson recorded 24 digs.

After the match, Coach Horn talked about the win and their upcoming weekend, "I was proud of the way we were able to close them out. This was great for our girls. We had to battle and fight against an energetic crowd, which is what we are going to see this weekend." The Tritons now head to Cedar Rapids for a semifinal matchup with Northeast at 3:00 PM on Saturday (11/9). The winner will advance to the finals on Sunday (11/10) against Kirkwood/DMACC for the Region 11 Championship and a berth in the National Tournament. 

Coach's Key Moment – 

When our student section stood up and not only matched but over powered WIT's student section. Their energy really helped us build momentum.

Coach's Key Statistic – 

Olivia Sturgis had a big night both attacking (11 kills) and blocking (6).