The #4 (2A) Dike-New Hartford volleyball team was unable to overcome a spectacular performance by #1 (2A) Denver, falling 3-0 in Wednesday’s 2A semifinal, as aired on 99 The Wave. The Cyclones won 25-12, 25-19, 26-24 in the fourth state tournament meeting in five seasons between the programs.
The match started close in set 1, and DNH held brief leads. But Denver used an eight-point run to go up 20-10 and eventually close the set. In set 2, the Wolverines recovered from a negative hitting performance in the first set to make it more competitive, but Denver’s blocking continued to excel. Trailing 24-21 in set 3, DNH scored three straight to force bonus points, but the Cyclones prevented the match from being extended to a fourth set.
“We didn’t stay as aggressive as we’ve been staying,” Dike-New Hartford Head Coach Diane Harms says. “Denver was definitely the more aggressive team, kind of putting us back on our heels. We battled, we gave ourselves chances here and there, but we were not able to sustain some runs and stuff. Hats off to them, they did a great job, but tonight, we were a little out of system out of our normal rhythm and routine.”
Senior Izzy Norton says the loss won’t define the season.
“We had our doubters that we were going to get back down here,” Norton says. “We lost a lot. So finishing in the top four in 2A is huge. This is such a tough class and there’s a lot of great teams. So I think we have a lot to be proud of.”
Norton and Aubrey Asche each had eight kills, but the team hit just .021 and swung into Denver blocks 13 times.
DNH’s season ends at 30-16.
