After 25-straight wins, the Kuemper Catholic volleyball team has lost its first match of the season after meeting up with Bishop Heelan, the No. 2 team in Class 4A, in the finals of the CYO Tournament. Despite the loss, the Knights were still dominant throughout the tournament and even pushed the Crusaders in both sets at the end.
Kuemper now sits at 25-1, while still maintaining the top spot in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. The Knights dominance throughout the tournament cannot be understated. After dropping their first set of the day to St.
Edmond in uncharacteristic fashion, they rolled through the rest of the teams in their way. Kuemper did not drop a set until meeting up Bishop Heelan after taking down St. Edmond 2-1 to start the day.
The Knights rolled past Remsen St. Mary’s, not letting up more than 10 points in each set, took down Gehlen Catholic in similar fashion and also made quick work of Bishop Garrigan. With a record of 25-0, the Knights were met with an 18-2 Bishop Heelan team that was near the top of Class 4A.
The Crusaders proved to be a tough matchup right away, winning set one 21-17. The Knights fought back even more in the second set, but could not quite get over Bishop Heelan falling 21-18. Having each set come down to the wire is a good sign going forward, as Bishop Heelan could be battling for a state championship at the end of the season.
Brianna Wittrock, along with the freshmen Mariah Heuton and Kolbi Peter, again dominated on offense. Wittrock ended.