For the second straight season the Bulldogs volleyball team watched as another team celebrated a trip to the Class 2A state tournament.

Lake Mills replaced five starters from last year’s team that lost in five sets to Aplington-Parkersburg in the regional final and this year a group of five new starters and senior Darcy Nelson put the Bulldogs back in the regional finals. This time the team believed it would make good on its chance at state.

The season, however, ended in a grueling four set match for Lake Mills as sixth-ranked Sheldon proved bigger and stronger than the 10th-ranked Bulldogs in a 25-19, 17-25, 25-16, 25-17 victory in the Region 4 championship match.

The Orabs, which stands for orange and black, were dynamite around the net, especially Elizabeth Ihnen, a senior middle hitter, and Kellie Goedken, a sophomore middle hitter. Inhnen at 5-foot-10 and Goedken at 6-foot, were able to cause frustration among the Lake Mills hitters with their seemingly constant blocks at the net and hitting prowess.

Ihnen led the Orabs, which totaled 54 kills in the match, with 15 kills and Goedken had 12 in leading Sheldon to its first state tournament since 1977.

“They were big and that size thing makes it tough when you’re giving up potentially 5 to 6 inches,” said Bulldogs head coach Jim Boehmer. “Their back row did a good job of staying outside of their block. So if we were able to get around the block they were able to dig it up because that’s where they were at.”

In the pivotal third set Lake Mills and the Orabs were tied at 8-8 when Inhnen and Goedken took over. Inhnen recorded three consecutive points and Goedken added another as Sheldon took a 12-9 lead and closed out the set on a 17-8 run for a 25-16 victory.

The Orabs’ strong blocking took Lake Mills out of its game and it tried a variety of ways to get the ball down on Sheldon to little success. With the Bulldogs taken out of their game, their aggressiveness wavered in the final two sets.

“When we got away from our game that hurt us,” Boehmer said. “But, hey, if you get blocked a couple of times, you’re more likely to get out of your game. It’s just a normal reaction.”

Lake Mills found its game in the second set to halve the match at one set apiece with some strong hitting from junior Lindy Pins, who recorded four points. The Bulldogs trailed just once in the set.

But things started to change in the final two sets as Sheldon started to block more efficiently.

“The first two games we were just getting touches on them and that’s what changed in games three and four,” said Orabs head coach Michele Hoogers about her team’s blocking. “We needed to terminate them and not just touch them.”

It was an exhausting four sets for the Bulldogs (34-7) and their hitters. Frustration was compounded by the Orabs (36-2) ability to find crucial digs during long rallies and score points. Ihnen also led Sheldon with 22 digs and junior setter Shelby Vogel registered 14 digs.

Nelson led the Bulldogs with 13 kills while Pins, Amanda Lampman and Josie Brackey all had seven. Pins led the team with 15 digs and Morgan Fjelstad had 31 assists.

Nelson finished 14 for 14 serving while Pins finished 18 for 18 and Fjelstad 12 for 12.

While some thought Lake Mills would be rebuilding, instead the Bulldogs reloaded and nearly tied the school record for victories in a single season despite losing five starters.

“I think a lot of people thought maybe they’ll be down a little bit in Lake Mills,” Boehmer said. “Proved a good point, makes me feel proud to be their coach.”

Lake Mills graduates five seniors from this year’s roster, including Nelson, the lone returning starter from last year.