Lake Mills sweeps North Union in region 1 semifinals

LAKE MILLS — The Lake Mills volleyball team came out flat in its first playoff match on Tuesday, but there were no signs of rust in its second match.

The Bulldogs swept North Union 25-15, 25-18 and 25-16 on Friday night at home in the Class 2A, Region 1 match semifinals.

“That team that was playing Tuesday was not the same group of girls,” head coach Jim Boehmer said. “But we hadn’t played in 12 days, and we needed to get on the court, and we needed to play.”

Though North Union led for a while in Game 2, the Bulldogs were dominant. Boehmer said the team had really good Wednesday and Thursday practices, and the seniors held a pep rally before Friday’s game to get the fans and players ready. He also said even though they beat St. Ansgar 3-1 on Tuesday, they were playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.

“St. Ansgar I thought played well, but we wanted to come out and play hard,” Boehmer said, citing the fact that it was the Bulldogs’ last home game regardless of if they won or lost.

Boehmer said the team looked different on Friday night, because none of the girls were playing afraid.

“Tonight they were saying ‘I don’t want to leave this ball in the air, I want to put this ball on the ground,’” Boehmer said. “That’s a whole different mentality, and they were confident in themselves.”

Boehmer said that the team’s aggressiveness may have led to a couple mistakes, especially on serves, but that he was fine with that.

“It’s OK if you’re being aggressive,” he said. “Every girl was serving aggressively. Whether it’s their top spin or their floater or hitting spots, you have to have that, and tonight they did.”

Lake Mills fans took advantage of their last opportunity to see the team at home; the school’s gym was packed on Friday night. Many fans from North Union made the trip, too.

“It was a great atmosphere. Our student body gets into it,” Boehmer said. “And if you ask me, that’s what it should be all about.”

Next, Lake Mills will play Western Christian in the Class 2A, Region 1 final at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Milford, Iowa.