Riverside's historic season ends with a semifinal loss to two-time champion | sport

(Coralville) – A fantastic fall for Riverside came to an end Wednesday night as the greatest Bulldogs volleyball team in school history suffered a three-set loss to two-time defending champion Ankeny Christian.

The Eagles (39-5) started and finished well en route to a 25-12, 25-21, 25-18 victory over the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (39-4), who won their first state tournament game by fewer than 24 victories hours earlier in a five-set thriller with North Tama.

Ankeny Christian scored 11 of the game's first 13 points, prompting two Riverside timeouts. The Bulldogs fought their way to within six several times, but the Eagles managed to close out the frame.

“I thought our kids didn’t play particularly well in the first set,” Riverside head coach Brooke Flathers said. “I think we were out of the system more than we had been in the last few weeks.”

Riverside had much more success in the second and third sets, sharing the first 28 points and pulling to within one point at 18-17 in the second before Ankeny Christian pulled away. There were four more ties in the third game, and the Bulldogs even took a 15-14 lead before the Eagles took a 6-0 lead.

“We started playing our game a little bit more,” Flathers said. “We finished our game and the goal of the day was to play our game. I think our kids did great.”

“We knew we had to stay in control,” Ankeny Christian head coach Michele Quick said of a couple of timeouts the Bulldogs forced midway through the set. “We were very strong in the first set and somehow had to find the rhythm again and stay in control. We always wanted to be a point ahead, and if we could stay a point ahead, we knew we would stay in control of the game.”

Katie Quick led the Eagles' attack with 13 kills, 25 assists and nine digs, and Carley Craighead, Macey Nehring and Anna Weathers each delivered eight game-winning goals. Katelyn Weathers led the team with 13 digs, Anna Weathers threw 11 and Nehring had 10.

Ankeny Christian advances to play sixth-seeded BCLUW, which advanced past Janesville, on Thursday night at 7 p.m. It is the third straight state championship game for the Eagles, who have won eight straight state tournament games.

“We need to get some rest tonight,” Quick said. “We have to recharge our batteries and stay strong mentally. We have to come out as fighting as we did tonight. We're going to do some studying tonight and we need to know what the players are and what they look like. We need to know exactly what position they are in when they step on the field and we will work on that tonight and tomorrow morning.”

As for Riverside, the most successful and successful season in school history is unlikely to be forgotten any time soon. With three seniors – Sophia Taylor, Elly Henderson and Ayla Richardson – at the helm, the program set a new standard.

“They are my family,” Taylor said of the team. “It's great to play with such great girls. I mean, a lot of them still have a lot of room to get better and a lot of room to get back here. I can’t wait to see her here again.”

“We had a great group of girls this year,” Henderson added. “I think being a part of it was one of the best experiences I’ve had in college sports. Helping them set expectations for Riverside volleyball is really great for me and knowing we can reach (that level).”

“It was great,” Coach Flathers said. “This group is just fun. They are good kids and they are hard workers. I can't say enough. They show up every day and do whatever we ask them to do, whether they're excited, whether it's running lines or some other exercise. Maybe they don't care, but they work hard for us every day. They deserve this.”

The Bulldogs got better as the game went on, posting a much better percentage in the third set (.163) than they did in the first (.029). It's a microcosm of their growth over the years.

As freshmen, Henderson, Taylor and Richardson were part of a regional finalist. A year later, they competed in the state tournament for the first time in school history. This year they won a state game for the first time. For Taylor, it is a great joy to be part of the success with the soccer and cross country teams.

“This year all three of us had good results,” Taylor said. “It’s great to be part of this community when that happens. I mean, football made it to the second round. Cross country went to state. Dawson and Brody (Henderson). Now we are here. It’s great for Riverside.”

In her last match, Taylor led the Bulldogs with seven kills, while Henderson was right behind her with six. Richardson, Henderson and sophomore Sophia Fenner each had 10 leading honors. Junior Bentley Rone had another strong night with 14 assists, five kills and five digs, and freshman Ashley Kelley finished the night with nine assists and seven digs.

Sophomore Sydney Somers and junior Madison Kelley also tallied five kills, with Kelley leading the team with four blocks. Sophomore Lilli Reed added two kills. Many of the leaders will be back for another run next year and in future seasons. Coach Flathers believes they will be ready.

“These seniors have set a precedent,” she said. “They will want to achieve that and more. They are competitors. They work hard. They want to win. They want to compete. They want to excel at a high level.”

For more information, watch the video interviews with coaches Flathers and Quick and Taylor and Henderson below.