The Hinton Blackhawk volleyball team exorcised some demons defeating Dike-New Hartford in a Class 2A semifinal on Wednesday in four sets.
Hinton had lost to the Wolverines in each of their previous two state tournament meetings in 2022 and 2023. The Blackhawks never even won a set against the Wolverines in those previous matches. Co-head coach Kate Ortegren says the Wolverines were a very tough team to play.
The Blackhawks went on to win the first set getting off to a lead late in the set and holding on through the finish. Coach Ortegren says her attackers were able to swing freely making them tough to stop.
Midway through the second set, Hinton trailed Dike-New Hartford 17-10 and looked like the match would be tied going into the third. After a quick timeout, Hinton proceeded to outscore the Wolverines 15-4 to finish the set with a 25-21 win. Bailey Boeve says the team was playing completely different than they were prior to the timeout.
Coach Ortegren says Boeve challenged the girls to fight back, and they responded.
Boeve had a career night as she broke Hinton’s single-match record with 30 kills and eclipsed the career kills record as well. Both of which were held by Jessica Vander Kooi. She says she kept her mentality on doing what had worked in matches prior.
Hinton freshman Adalyn Ortegren finished with a double-double in her second match at the state tournament. She recorded 13 kills and 14 digs proving to be a weapon in any spot in the rotation. She says she is motivated by the support system she has around her.
With the win, the Blackhawks improve to 30-2 and secure a spot in their second state volleyball championship match in three years. Hinton will take on Denver for the Class 2A title on Thursday evening. Boeve says playing with energy will be critical towards success.
Coach Ortegren says taking the way they played against Dike-New Hartford and repeating it against Denver will be important.
Hinton faces off with the Cyclones in Coralville at 4:45 PM on Thursday evening. KLEM Radio will broadcast the match live starting with pregame coverage at 4:30 PM.
