Highland takes baby steps

RIVERSIDE — It was just a baby step, but it was a step forward.

The Highland volleyball team was able to do something Tuesday that hadn’t been done in 14 years. It won against Mediapolis. Now it was just a baby step so the win was just one set. The Huskies lost the match, 3-1 to the Bullettes.

Mediapolis has had Highland’s number on the volleyball court, but Mediapolis has had most every Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division team’s number.

The Bullettes have won 25 conference championships, 21 sectional titles, 16 regional titles and appeared in the state tournament seven times since the Super Conference was formed.

No North Division team won a set against Mediapolis from 2008 to 2015 when Pekin broke the string but lost the match 3-1.

“When it came to playing Mediapolis we decided it was going to be a big game for us,” Highland head coach Gina Trower said. “We know how long it’s been since we’ve taken a set from Mepo. We know how long it’s been since we’ve taken a game from Mepo. And today we took a baby step of at least taking a set. I’m proud as heck of these girls for doing that.”

Not even Highland teams that had 22-11 and 21-12 records in 2015 and 2016 defeated Mediapolis. In the 65-match history between the schools, Mediapolis has won 61.

The last of those four wins was 14 years ago. It was Oct. 9, 2007, when the Huskies recorded a 3-2 match triumph against the Bullettes during a 28-6 season. Kristi Branham spiked 16 kills while Rebecca Lampe had 17 kills and five blocks for Highland that night. Ashlee Simon had 25 assists. Lexy Rozmus and Elley Neuzil combined for 18 digs.

Tuesday Mackinze Hora was digging to help Highland win the second set of the night after losing the first 25-9. The Huskies got a good start with a Jalynn Brown ace and the lead was 8-1 after a Carson Mellinger ace and a Sarah Burton block. MyLei Smith’s block assist made the score 12-7, but the set was tied at 16, 17, 19 and 20. Brown knocked down two kills, and Highland celebrated briefly over the 25-22 victory.

"I asked my girls what they thought they did well, and I want to quote the entire team on this,“ Trower said. ”’At the end of the day, it’s all about who can out-team the other.’ That second set, we definitely out-teamed the other.“

The Huskies have been working on their teamwork and “court culture.” In her three years at the helm, Trower has undertaken a steady slow build. Highland was 3-20 then 4-17 and 7-17 in 2020.

“It has been baby steps, but that is in the right direction,” Trower said. “We almost did it again in the fourth set. It seemed like they were trying to out-team us, so more power to them.”

Highland was within 13-12 in the third set but lost 25-14. The fourth set was tied seven times, the last at 23-23 when Mediapolis coach Erin Steffner called timeout.

“I tell him to be aggressive, go after the ball, pass it, and we will win,” Steffner said. “I like to call my timeouts later because I want them to work through what the problem might be. I want them to have confidence in themselves."

Highland is building that confidence mentally as much as physically.

“The kids had another quote, ‘The perfect mindset changes our game,’” Trower said. “It really does because we know what our statistics are against Mepo. It really was mind over matter because we knew.

“All the credit goes to the girls because we practice every day and when we do, we say practice makes permanent.”

The Huskies are working on making winning seasons a permanent thing. Highland last had double-digit win total in 2017 with a 10-15 record. The previous year was the last winning season at 22-11.

Highland is 3-3 and plays at Pekin Thursday.