CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Under the bright lights of the television cameras and surrounded by sports writers, coach Jim Boehmer wore a happy face and said all the right things.

Friday, November 09, 2001

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Under the bright lights of the television cameras and surrounded by sports writers, coach Jim Boehmer wore a happy face and said all the right things.

Then, he walked away and cried.

Some of his players did the same.

It was a sad end to a stellar season for the Lake Mills High School volleyball team, which lost 3-1 to Rock Valley Thursday in the opening round of the Class 1A state tournament at the U.S. West Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. The final tally in favor of the Rockets was 5-15, 15-6, 15-1, 15-7.

While the trip to state was short – there’s no consolation round for teams losing in the first round – the season was definitely sweet for the Bulldogs, who set a school record for victories while finishing 32-7-1. Rock Valley, rated No. 2 in Class 1A most of the season, improved to 33-3-1.

&uot;I’m disappointed it’s over,&uot; said setter Katy Kingland, one of 10 Lake Mills seniors. &uot;But we achieved our ultimate goal, getting to state.&uot;

&uot;It’s not the perfect way to end the season, but it’s an honor to be here,&uot; said Jill Helgeson. &uot;It’s been fun. Rock Valley is a good team. We played hard. Give them credit, they’re a good team. That’s why they’re No. 2.&uot;

&uot;They have a good program,&uot; said Boehmer. &uot;Today they were better than us.&uot;

But not in the early going.

The Bulldogs stunned nearly everyone by dominating game one, taking only 17 minutes for a 15-5 decision. They opened the second game with a 6-3 lead.

Then things took a turn for the worse. The Bulldogs didn’t score again in game two and managed only one point in the third. They kept game four close for a while before the Rockets put it away with another strong run.

&uot;It was just a quick momentum thing,&uot; said Boehmer. &uot;We needed something to break their momentum, and we didn’t get it.&uot;

But Boehmer was pleased with their effort.

&uot;The girls came in here and weren’t intimidated or star struck,&uot; he said. &uot;They battled hard against one one of the best teams in the state of Iowa. I’m proud of the effort.&uot;

The Bulldogs’ statistical leaders Thursday: Helgeson, 11 kills, 24-for-25 serving, eight aces, nine digs; Katie Pederson, six kills, four blocks; Kelsey Christianson, six kills, 16-for-16 serving, two aces, eight digs; Ashley Pederson, four kills; Kingland, three kills, 23 set assists; Becky Nelson, 9-for-10 serving, 11 digs; Staci Hagen, 6-for-7 serving, one ace, seven digs; Kjerstin Back, 8-for-9 serving, eight digs.

The Bulldogs’ seniors include Becky Nelson, Kingland, Back, Helgeson, Christianson, Katie Pederson, Ashley Pederson, Hagen, Natalie Winter and Leah Iverson. The rest of the roster includes juniors Kasey Nelson and Jenny Wilkinson and sophomores Jaci Grotewold, Hannah Iverson and Cristy Nelson.

&uot;When these girls were little, we knew they were a team,&uot; said Boehmer of the seniors. &uot;They’ve been great all along the way. They’ve worked hard in the offseason, and they’re good kids. They fully dedicated themselves to achieving this goal, and they can be proud of their accomplishments.&uot;