Top Ranked Knights Beat Tigers In Title Match

Tipton senior setter Amanda Smith (6) gets ready to set teammate Jamie Kofron (9) as Sommer Daniel (4) looks on.  The Tigers fought hard but lost in the Class 3A championship match 3-1 to No. 1 Carroll Kuemper.  The Tigers won the first set 25-19 but watched as the Knights took the next three sets to claim the match.  Photo by Ryan Stonebraker.

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor

  CEDAR RAPIDS — The top-two class 3A teams in the state this year met last Friday to decide the Class 3A champion. The Tipton Tigers, champions of the River Valley Conference and ranked No. 2, faced top-ranked Carroll Kuemper, runners-up of the Hawkeye-10 conference in Western Iowa.

  The Tigers brought a lot of fight early in the match winning the first set 25-19. The Knights, however, settled in and used a decisive height advantage to win the next three sets, to capture the state title, 3-1. Kuemper had two starters at least 6-feet tall and no starter under 5-7.

  “I couldn’t have been happier with the way things began. We were hungry, ready, and we showed everybody here that we belonged," said Tipton volleyball coach Amy Calonder.

  Tipton junior Sommer Daniel had nine of her team-high 18 kills in the match, in the first set, a Tipton win. Kuemper limited her to just nine more in the final three sets. Tipton won six of the final seven points in the first set.

  "They did a good job of closing up on Sommer, which is what good teams do," Calonder said. "The way she was playing in the first set, it took us some time to adjust. Once that happened, we got back into it and continued to fight."

  Tipton was making their second straight trip to state and second trip in program history. Kuemper was at state for the seventh time under current head coach Keith Stickrod. The Knights have lost in

Tipton's Kamryn Chapman (15) puts down a kill in the first
set of the Tigers championship match with top-ranked
Carroll Kuemper.  Photo by Ryan Stonebraker.

the state semifinals in each of the previous three seasons. The Knights had a 28-match win streak coming into the state title match, having only lost to Council Bluffs St. Albert 3-2 in conference play this year. The Knights beat Atlantic, Carroll and Red Oak to reach state and beat unranked Clarion-Goldfield-Dows and No.6 Osage to reach the finals.

  Tipton came into the match winners of 12 straight matches. The Tigers lost back-to-back matches only once this season. The Tigers beat Mid-Prairie and Williamsburg at home and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in Grinnell to reach state. At state, Tipton beat No. 13 New Hampton in the quarterfinals and No. 9 Mount Vernon in the semifinals.

  Tipton trailed 8-7 in the second set and was holding their own, but Kuemper used a 17-9 run to close the set-out, winning the set 25-16 to even the match at 1-1. That momentum carried into the third set as the Knights raced to a 17-5 lead before winning the set 25-11 to take a 2-1 lead. Tipton fought hard in the fourth set. With the match on the line, Tipton had the fourth set at 22-20 but could get no closer, losing 25-22 to end the match.

  Kuemper was led in kills by South Dakota Recruit Aimee Adams and Kara Peter. Adams and Peter were second and third in the Hawkeye-10 conference in kills this year and had 22 and 11 in the match with the Tigers. Maci Overmohle led Kuemper in assists with 49 and finishes the season with 1,112, second in assists in any class this year. Kuemper served 85-for-89 in the match with 6 aces. Peter was the top server, going 22-for-24 with three aces.

  Tipton was led in kills by junior Sommer Daniel with 18. Seniors Amanda Smith and Blake Ehler and junior Kamryn Chapman each had 7. Emily Hermsen had 5 and Jamie Kofron had 3. Smith led in

Tipton's Sommer Daniel gets a kill over the net during the second
set of four in the Class 3A championship match. 
Photo by Ryan Stonebraker.

digs with 25 and Daniel had 14. Tipton played well at the net, especially in the first set and had eight blocks in the match. Champman led four Tigers with a team-high four blocks. The Tigers served 72-for-76 with two aces in the match. Jamie Kofron led, going 21-for-21 with an ace serve. Smith was 15-for-16 and Daniel was 13-for-14. Laken Hermiston also was 10-for-10.

  Tipton will say goodbye to seniors Amanda Smith, Madison O’Leary, Emily Hermsen, Jamie Kofron, Laken Hermiston, and Blake Ehler. During their time as Tigers, the seniors have won 117 matches against 34 losses. They have gone 71-11 in the past two seasons. They have won the RVC South Division three years running and have two state tournament trips.

  Kofron will sign a National Letter of Intent soon at the University of Iowa for track and field. Smith finishes her career with over 2,000 assists and Ehler over 800 kills.

  Tipton will return starters in 2019 seniors Karlee Kamberling (libero), Kamryn Chapman (middle hitter) and Sommer Daniel (outside hitter). Also back will be reserves and also 2019 seniors Grace Nichols and Bailey Schmidt. The Tigers had four sophomores dress varsity down the stretch this year and all four will look to step in next year to the rotation. They are Hailey Stewart, Alex Hoffman, Ashlynn Downs, and Kelley Lieser.

  “We’ve got some kids who have been waiting in the wings, waiting for their opportunity," she said. "We’re not going away," said Calonder.

Class 3A State Tournament Box Scores:
Friday, November 9
At U.S. Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids
Site: US Cellular Center
Referees: Shawn Petersen, Stuart Dusenberry.
Line Judges: Jodie Wielenga, Kent Prescott.

Class 3A Championship

Tipton 3, Mount Vernon 1
Tipton 25 16 12 22
Kuemper 19 25 25 25

Tipton (39-4) Statistics:
Attacks (137-161 46 kills): Sommer Daniel 47-57 18 kills, Amanda Smith 26-28 7 kills, Blake Ehler 18-22 6 kills, Kamryn Chapman 19-22 7 kills, Jamie Kofron 14-17 3 kills, Emily Hermsen 11-13 5 kills, Laken Hermiston 2-2.
Assists (43): Amanda Smith 20, Sommer Daniel 16, Blake Ehler 4, Laken Hermiston 2, Jamie Kofron 1.
Blocks (8): Kamryn Chapman 4, Emily Hermsen 2, Sommer Daniel 1, Amanda Smith 1.
Serving (72-for-76 1 ace): Jamie Koforn 21-for-21, Amanda Smith 15-for-16, Sommer Daniel 13-for-14 1 ace, Laken Hermiston 10-for-10, Blake Ehler 8-for-8, Madison O’Leary 5-for-7.
Digs (82): Amanda Smith 21, Karlee Kamberling 19, Sommer Daniel 14, Blake Ehler 13, Jamie Kofron 6, Laken Hermiston 5, Emily Hermsen 3, Madison O’Leary 1.

Carroll Kuemper (45-1) Statistics:
Attacks (149-168 58 kills): Aimee Adams 54-58 22 kills, Kara Peter 30-35 11 kills, Courtney Schenkelberg 24-27 7 kills, Grace Molak 18-21 10 kills, Anna Niehaus 17-18 7 kills, Maci Overmohle 5-7, Mallory Badding 2-2 1 kill.
Assists (55): Maci Overmohle 49, Mallory Badding 4, Kara Peter 1, Anna Niehaus 1.
Blocks (11): Kara Peter 5, Maci Overmohle 3, Aimee Adams 1, Anna Niehaus 1, Courtney Schenkelberg 1.
Serving (85-for-89 6 aces): Kara Peter 22-for-24 3 aces, Maci Overmohle 16-for-16, Aimee Adams 15-for-15 1 ace, Anna Niehaus 14-for-14 1 ace, Courtney Schenkelberg 10-for-11 1 ace, Mallory Badding 8-for-9.
Digs (81): Mallory Badding 20, Aimee Adams 15, Maci Overmohle 15, Brooklyn Bakke 11, Courtney Schenkelberg 7, Kenya Trausch 5, Kara Peter 4, Anna Niehaus 3, Grace Molak 1.