The Colfax-Mingo volleyball team kicked off their season at the Tigerhawk Volleyball Invitational on Saturday, securing two wins out of four matches. The team triumphed over Jasper County rival Baxter and swept Murray, but fell short against Coon Rapids-Bayard and GMG in the semifinals.
Baxter also participated in the tournament, which expanded from four to eight teams this year. They claimed a victory over Murray in pool play but lost to East Marshall and Coon Rapids-Bayard despite winning the first set against East Marshall.
In the tournament’s first match, Colfax-Mingo defeated Baxter with scores of 21-12, 14-21, and 15-9. Trinity Smith’s back-to-back aces helped the Tigerhawks build an early lead in the first set. Smith continued to play a crucial role with a tip kill that brought the score to 18-9, followed by Britney Keeney’s kill that pushed the lead to 20-10. Dakota Allen’s kill sealed the set for Colfax-Mingo.
Baxter responded in the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Strong plays from Kendall Brummel and Abbie Meyer helped maintain their advantage, and Meyer’s back-to-back aces clinched the set for Baxter. However, Colfax-Mingo dominated the third set, forcing a Baxter timeout after a 7-1 run. The Tigerhawks maintained control throughout, and two Baxter service errors ended the match.
Smith led Colfax-Mingo with seven kills and five aces, while Cadence Linn contributed two kills and five digs. Katelyn Steenhoek provided 11 assists, and Keeney added three kills and two blocks. The Tigerhawks served 42-of-50 with seven aces and had a kill efficiency of .188.
Colfax-Mingo followed up with a 21-17, 21-14 victory over Murray. Keeney led the way with two kills, two digs, and five aces, while Smith added four kills and five digs. Steenhoek recorded seven assists and two aces.
In their 21-17, 21-19 loss to Coon Rapids-Bayard, Smith posted five kills and eight digs, and Steenhoek dished out 11 assists. The Tigerhawks served 35-of-37 with four aces and had a kill efficiency of .167.
In the semifinals, Colfax-Mingo faced GMG and lost 21-16, 21-14. Steenhoek led the Tigerhawks with 13 assists, two kills, and three digs, while Smith added five kills, five digs, and two blocks. Colfax-Mingo served 26-of-31 and had a kill efficiency of .107.
Coon Rapids-Bayard went on to defeat GMG in the championship match after downing Iowa Valley in the semifinals. East Marshall beat Baxter in the third-place match.
