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Underdog Hawks ready for No. 7 Spartans

WEBSTER CITY – South Hamilton’s volleyball season comes down to one very important question: Can the Hawks buck a season-long trend?

That’s what it will take.

South Hamilton will slip into the role of underdog tonight when it travels to Grundy Center to face the formidable seventh-ranked Spartans in a Class 2A Region 5 semifinal. Play will get underway at 7 p.m.

Grundy Center (27-9) hasn’t lost to an unranked opponent this season, while South Hamilton (15-11) is 0-7 against ranked teams. So the hurdle is obvious, and yet the Hawks won’t take the court intimidated, as a difficult regular season schedule has hardened the players.

“Our season and the tournaments we went to, and playing in our (Heart of Iowa) conference, all of that has helped us prepare for the match (against Grundy Center),” South Hamilton senior middle hitter Tiffany Jacobson said.

The Spartans haven’t exactly taken it easy. All nine of their losses are to teams ranked in the top 11 in their respective classes; four of the setbacks came at the hands of top-ranked teams Dike-New Hartford (2A) and Mount Vernon (3A), and three others are against Nos. 2 and 3 squads.

South Hamilton’s front row power of Ady Wintermote, Alyssa Hegland and Jacobson have been the strength of the team all season, but they’ll be challenged tonight by arguably the top defender in the state, regardless of class. Spartans’ senior all-state libero Riley Sents – a University of Missouri recruit – leads 2A in digs with 552 and, as strange as it may sound, she has the ability to take over a match from the back row.

“We’re going to have to attack smart because they have an awesome libero,” South Hamilton head coach Cindy Holmes said. “So we’re going to have to hit it with a purpose and we’re going to have to have some confidence and a little swag.”

Wintermote has delivered a team-high 185 kills and owns a .249 kill efficiency entering the bout. Hegland (140) and Jacobson (106) also have triple-digit kill totals.

Grundy Center has plenty of balance as well; five players have smacked at least 111 kills, led by Katie Lindeman with 231.

Tonight’s winner will advance to Wednesday’s regional final in Hampton where a spot in the state tournament will be on the line. No. 12 Lake Mills and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows will meet for the other regional final ticket tonight in Lake Mills.

Grundy Center was a state qualifier a season ago.

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