Herald Staff Report

CLINTON — As her team was dropping the fourth game, Prince of Peace volleyball coach Shanon Nelson urged her squad to try to gain some momentum heading into the deciding fifth game. He words might have seemed hollow as the Irish fell behind in Game 5, but they roared back to beat Preston in a five-game Big East Conference match Thursday night at Central Catholic Auditorium.

The 24-26, 25-21, 25-11, 12-25, 17-15 victory against the defending conference champions was the high point of a season that has had several highs, according to Nelson.

“By far (it’s the biggest win),” she said. “It’s a great feeling. This is going to do wonders for us. The girls are on Cloud Nine right now. Whether it was a win or loss, it was a great battle.

“Everything on our passes was great. Our serves were great. We had to get over that hump, and we made it.”

Nelson said the Irish showed some confidence they had been lacking recently, and that was a key to the victory.

“The big thing I stressed is just have confidence,” she said. “We had been lacking it recently. Preston has great hitters all around and is a solid team. My big stresser was confidence.”

It came through when it was needed most.

“They were up (in the fourth game), and I just wanted the girls to gain momentum back late in that game and get it for fifth,” Nelson said. “We started down in the fifth game, maybe 1-4, but I think we had a couple of aces that brought us back. They definitely matured. There were no heads down.”

Prince of Peace, which was led by 11 kills from Erica Ugarph and seven kills and 31 digs by Carie Kuehn, improved to 7-11, 3-2 in the Big East.

PRINCE OF PEACE 24-25-25-12-17, PRESTON 26--21-11-25-15

Prince of Peace statistical leaders

Kills — Erica Ugarph 11, Carie Kuehn 7, Megan Lehmkuhl 6, Brittany Horst 5. Assists _ Ari Aquilani 13, Lehmkuhl 10. Digs — Kuehn 31, Horst 20, Kirsten Heeren 19, Aquilani 18, Lehmkuhl 15. Blocks — Ugarph 4, Horst 1, Heeren 1, Kuehn 1. Serving — Horst 14-17, 5 aces; Aquilani 24-25, 4 aces; Ugarph 21-22, 3 aces.

FRESHMEN-SOPHOMORES

Prince of Peace 21-18-15, Preston 11-21-7

Prince of Peace statistical leaders

Kills — Maggie Schnier 8, Julia Isenhour 5, Megan Mulholland 2. Assists — Mulholland 11. Digs — Brittany Williams 16, Emily Gardner 12, Schnier 8. Serving — Gardner 17-18, 3 aces; Allyson Naeve 10-12, 3 aces; Mulholland 8-9, 2 aces.

JUNIOR VARSITY

Preston 21-21, Prince of Peace 10-7

Prince of Peace statistical leaders

Kills — Isenhour 2, Naeve 1, Gardner 1. Assists — Mulholland 2. Digs — Haley Chapman 19, Gardner 8, Kiana Johnson 7. Serving — Naeve 4-4.



Camanche sweeps Midland

WYOMING — Chelsea Moore served 10 aces and she, Ashtyn Dixon and Ashley Gonzalez had six kills apiece Thursday as Camanche remained undefeated in the Big East Conference with a 25-11, 25-6, 25-15 win at Midland.

The Indians (21-3, 5-0 Big East) remained eighth in the Iowa Class 2A state rankings that were released Thursday.

In the opener of a two-game sophomore sweep, Camanche’s Jalyn Deering served all 21 points.

CAMANCHE 25-25-25, MIDLAND 11-6-15

Camanche statistical leaders

Kills — Ashtyn Dixon 6, Chelsea Moore 6, Ashley Gonzalez 6, Haley Pulse 5. Assists — Tiana Bark 20, Moore 2. Serving — Moore 19-21, 10 aces; Bark 18-19, 4 aces; Dixon 9-10, 4 aces; Samantha Drury 5-5, 3 aces. Digs — Dixon 10, Moore 2, Drury 2. Blocks — Drury 2.

Sophomores — Camanche won 21-0, 21-4.

Junior varsity — Midland won 16-21, 21-16, 15-13.



Northeast beats Marquette

GOOSE LAKE — Northeast remained a game behind Camanche in the Big East Conference standings with a 25-18, 24-26, 25-14, 25-22 win against visiting Bellevue Marquette on Thursday.

Brandy Herrington had 18 kills to lead the Rebels, who improved to 17-4, 4-1 in the conference.

“Northeast came out fired up in Game 1, playing to their potential,” coach Sara Deters said. “We were covering the tips and ready for anything that came over the net. During Game 2, things slipped, but we recovered in Games 3 and 4. I’m proud of my girls’ efforts and the intensity they showed all night.”

NORTHEAST 25-24-25-25, MARQUETTE 18-26-14-22

Northeast statistical leaders

Kills — Brandy Herrington 18, Danika Loots 10, Rachael Eberhart 10, Shawna Spain 8, Kelsey McAleer 7. Blocks — Herrington 2, Eberhart 2, McAleer 2. Assists — Roberta Swanton 15, Kelsey Lorenzen 13, Spain 10. Aces — Lorenzen 4, Spain 3. Digs — Spain 11, Loots 11, Herrington 8, Lorenzen 7.



Raiders rally for victory

MILES — East Central lost the first game, then rebounded to win three straight for an 18-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-19 win against Olin in Big East action.

“We came out a bit flat, but the girls did a nice job of playing themselves out of it,” East Central coach Brenda McKone said. “Serving was a big key tonight, with 20 aces as a team.”

Sydney Gray had seven of the aces, and Tessa Daniels added five to go along with 10 kills.

The Raiders are back in action Saturday at the North Cedar Invitational.

EAST CENTRAL 18-25-25-25, OLIN 25-17-16-19

East Central statistical leaders

Kills — Tessa Daniels 10, Sam Lippens 7, Sydney Gray 5, Ryleigh Keeney 5. Blocks — Daniels 1. Assists — Cassie Aldis 23, Kelsey McCloy 3. Aces — Gray 7, Daniels 5, Nicole Hoffmann 4. Digs — Lippens 8, Jaime Frahm 7, McCloy 5, Gray 4, Jackie Myers 3.

Freshmen-sophomores — East Central won 2-0.



Sabers top Anamosa

DEWITT — Central DeWitt swept Anamosa in WaMaC Conference play, winning 25-16, 25-12, 25-12 on Thursday.

The Sabers also won the freshman match in three games, the sophomore match in two games and the junior varsity in a two-game sweep.



Riverdale beats Erie

ERIE, Ill. — Erie battled Three Rivers Conference leader Riverdale before the Rams pulled out a 26-24, 25-13 victory Thursday.

Alex Hunter had six kills to lead the Cardinals.

RIVERDALE 26-25, ERIE 24-13

Statistical leaders

Kills — Erie (Alex Hunter 6, Kara Snowden 3, Taylor Ryan 3); Riverdale (Grib 7, Ickes 4). Blocks — Riverdale (Gibson 2, Ickes 2). Assists — Erie (Tess Burns 7, Howard 4). Aces — Erie (Ryan 3, Johnston 1, Graham 1); Riverdale (Grib 7, Ickes 4). Digs — Erie (Ryan 3, Burns 3, Katelyn Garrison 1); Riverdale (Tori Groves 5, Audrey Byrd 5).

Sophomores — Riverdale won 25-18, 25-10.

Freshmen — Riverdale won 25-6, 25-18.



Prophets beat Fillies

PROPHETSTOWN, Ill. — Ida Koehler had 27 assists, and Desi Adams (13) and Kelsie Stafford (11) were the kills leaders as Prophetstown beat Morrison 19-25, 25-18, 25-17 on Thursday in the Three Rivers Conference.

The Prophets improved to 1-6 in the conference and 2-9 overall.

PROPHETSTOWN 19-25-25, MORRISON 25-18-17

Prophetstown statistical leaders

Kills — Desi Adams 13, Kelsie Stafford 11. Blocks — Adams 3. Assists — Ida Koehler 27. Aces — Danielle Nixon 3. Digs — Stacey Stewa 6.



Clinton freshmen drop 2

Clinton’s freshmen suffered a pair of Mississippi Athletic Conference losses.

North Scott beat the River Queens 25-7, 26-11, 21-14 on Thursday, two days after Davenport Assumption won 25-8, 25-17, 19-25.

NORTH SCOTT 25-25-21, CLINTON 7-11-14

Clinton statistical leaders

Kills — Erin Dickinson 2, Amanda Hatfield 1, Dejanea Shannon 1. Assists — Marquel Schultheis 2, Hatfield 2. Aces — Schultheis 2, Dickinson 1. Digs — Casie Hazlett 2, Kelsey Prather 2.

ASSUMPTION 25-25-19, CLINTON 8-17-19

Clinton statistical leaders

Kills — Schultheis 3, Courtney Harlock 2, Shannon 1. Assists — Natalie McCue 2, Hatfield 2. Aces — Courtney Marr 1, Hatfield 1. Digs — Prather 3.