Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – When seasons end and careers come to a close it is easy to get caught up in current moment.

Make no mistake for Solon seniors like libero Macy Fuller Tuesday’s loss to Humboldt in the Class 3A state quarterfinals was a tough ending to a memorable season.

Rather than dwelling on the 25-17, 25-19, 22-25, 25-17 loss to fourth-ranked Humboldt on Tuesday at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Fuller instead chose to focus everything that came before it that made Tuesday’s setback possible.

“I am just so thankful of every opportunity we’ve had and I think we’ve taken advantage of every opportunity,” Fuller said. “I just think about how lucky I am to have something that is so hard to say goodbye to.”

Fuller and fellow seniors like Addison Walter, Kalynn Timmons, Harper Nicholson and Scarlett Ferin helped restore Solon as a volleyball force.

The Spartan seniors increased their win total all four years in the program going from 22-15 as freshman in 2023 to a 38-8 mark this season that included the first state tournament appearance since 2014.

“This season has been awesome,” Walter said. “We hadn’t been to state in a real long time and it was such a good experience, even though we wanted to go farther just getting here was great.”

Solon battled to the finish in its state tournament return but couldn’t quite get over the hump against defending 3A runner-up Humboldt (39-4).
The Wildcats used a match-high 21 kills from junior Adelynn Goodell and 18 kills from junior Jazzie Dodd to return to the 3A semifinals.

Humboldt will face Western Christian (39-5) in the Class 3A semifinals on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

“It was something different, we hadn’t seen a hitter like that,” Solon coach Ruben Galvan said of Goodell. “I think she has a very different swing. You think you know where the ball is going to go and it just throws you a curveball.”

Humboldt pulled away late to win each of the first two sets but Solon wouldn’t go without a fight.

Trailing 22-19 late in the third set Solon rattled off six consecutive points to force a fourth set.

“We weren’t ready to be done, I know that for sure,” Walter said. “We weren’t going to give them that third set. We still wanted it.”
Solon had opportunities to extend the match even further in the fourth.

The Spartans trailed just 16-15 late in the set but Humboldt closed the match on a 9-2 run.

“Their offense was pretty sped up and sometimes we just couldn’t get there,” Fuller said. “When we did get there I think we shut them down pretty quickly.”

Sophomore Amelia Guinn led Solon with 15 kills while freshman Zephie Bishop had seven kills and three blocks.

Walter had five kills and seven blocks, junior Hailey Gorham had five kills and senior Harper Nicholson had four kills and two blocks.

Fuller had a match-high 26 digs and Ferin had 19 assists for Solon.

“I think this team in general was really special,” Fuller said. “This team is something the Solon program will never forget.”

Solon              17  19  25  17

Humboldt      25  25  22  25

Solon (Kills-aces-blocks)

Macy Fuller 0-1-0, Addison Walter 5-0-7, CJ Whitford 0-0-0, Anabelle Boelkins 0-2-0, Kalynn Timmons 1-2-0, Ava Hohn 0-0-0, Kendyl Kidwell 0-0-0, Harper Nicholson 4-0-2, Makinley Galvan 3-0-2, Amelia Guinn 15-0-1, Hailey Gorham 5-0-3, Scarlette Ferin 0-1-0, Zephie Bishop 7-0-3, Totals 40-6-18.

Assists – Scarlette Ferin 19. Ava Hohn 12, Macy Fuller 5, Harper Nicholson 1

Humboldt (Kills-aces-blocks)

Gracie Johnson 2-2-2, Ryan Cirks 0-0-0, Adelynn Goodell 21-2-8, Addie Waldorf 5-0-4, Jazzie Dodd 18-2-3, Brayleigh Angstrom 2-0-4, Callie Olsen 9-0-0, Kaleigh Vinsand 0-0-0, Totals 57-6-21.

Assists – Addie Waldorf 44, Ryan Cirks 6, Gracie Johnson 2, Kaleigh Vinsand 1

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