Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – Regina took a major step this season with its first state tournament appearance since 2017.

The Regals couldn’t quite take the next step on Tuesday.

Second-ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont used a combined 21 kills from sisters Molly and Kate Shafer to down eighth-ranked Regina 25-23, 25-13, 25-19 in a Class 2A quarterfinal at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

“Molly and Kate (Shafer) are two phenomenal players and it’s really hard to adjust your defense to that,” Regina junior Reese Naeve said. “We practice and we practiced but sometimes they just were able to rise above and there is nothing we can do about that.”

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (35-2) will face third-ranked Dyersville Beckman (36-6) in the 2A semifinals on Wednesday at 4:25 p.m.

Regina closes a season of impresses growth at 24-15.

“From the beginning of the season to where we are now I think we are a completely different team,” Regina sophomore Addison Bollier said. “We worked so hard and going into playoffs we knew what we were capable of and we really took advantage of that. Next year we also have a similar chance.”

The state tournament appearance was an important milestone for the Regals in the third year under head coach Lauren Hansen.

With five starters set to return next season led by the state kill leader in Naeve, standout libero Addison Bollier and setter Nora Wilhelm the Regals hope to take another, larger step next fall.

“We know we can do it now,” Naeve said. “We just kept playing better and better. We had hard tournaments and hard competition and we kept rising when the occasion called for it and I just know next season is going to be even better.”

Regina had opportunities early on Tuesday but struggled to close out sets.

The Regals led 14-8 in the opening set and led 17-13 before the Rockets rallied.

“We were with them in the first set and I thought we scouted them extremely well,” Hansen said. “They made some really good adjustments and we just could not serve them aggressively enough to keep them out of system and then we weren’t getting the block touches.”

Regina took a 22-21 lead in the opening set on a Naeve kill but Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont responded with a 3-0 run all courtesy of Molly Shafer.

The Northern Iowa recruit posted back-to-back kills and a solo block to give the Rockets a 24-22 lead.

“We were facing a really good team and two really good players and you have to respect what they were able to do,” Regina senior Caitlin Martin said. “We do the best when we come together and I think we let our energy get a little down at times.”

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont raced to a 25-13 win in the second set and pulled away late to with the third set 25-19.

Regina led 13-12 in the third set before an 8-1 Rocket run that featured four kills from junior Lacey Taylor.

Molly Shafer had a match-high 21 kills to lead Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont  while Taylor had 16 kills and Kate Shafer had eight kills.

“The first set we held with them and played to our level but we made too many errors,” Bollier said. “We played with them, we know we can play with them and we know that we were right there it was just about our side.”

Naeve led Regina with 20 kills while Martin had nine kills for the Regals.

“I definitely feel like we were super underestimated this season, no one expected us to get to where we are now,” Naeve said. “Next year we want to build off of us and keep going higher and higher every season and keep growing as a program.”

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont      25  25  25

Regina                                                       23  13  19

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (Kills-aces-blocks)

Molly Shafer 21-0-1, Kinley Lobberecht 0-1-0, Chloe Lyon 1-0-1, Ella Ray 0-0-1, Lanie Batterson 0-0-2, Kate Shafer 8-1-1, Lacey Taylor 16-1-1, Totals 46-3-7.

Assists – Kate Shafer 32, Kaylee Helm 6, Molly Shafer 5, Lanie Batterson 1, Layni Burch 1

Regina (Kills-aces-blocks)

Adalee Klein 0-0-2, Reese Naeve 20-0-0, Addison Bollier 0-1-0, Ella McLaughlin 1-0-0, Caitlin Martin 9-0-0, Norah Wilhelm 0-0-1, Ruby Greving 0-0-1, Leah Sickels 0-0-2, Totals 30-1-6.

Assists – Nora Wilhelm 26, Addison Bollier 2, Caitlin Martin 1

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