The schedule makers were unkind to the Iowa-Grant volleyball team last week as the Panthers had to travel to both Southwestern and Fennimore, the top two teams in the conference, in back-to-back matches in the midst of Homecoming week, then hit the road again on Saturday to participate in the always competitive Wisconsin Heights Invitational.

   In all the Coach Marla Simon’s Panthers dropped six of their seven matches last week falling to 13-11 overall and 4-5 in the Southwestern Activities League. “This past week was one tough week for us,” said Coach Simon.

   Second-place Southwestern (21-2, 7-1 SWAL) and power-hitting senior Katelyn Hoppman swept visiting I-G on Tuesday 25-17, 25-10, 25-22.

   Thursday night host Fennimore swept the Panthers 25-16, 25-12, 26-24. Senior Josi Olson had eight kills and four blocks in the loss.

   On Saturday I-G went 0-3 in pool play with losses to Wisconsin Heights, 18-25, 13-25, Madison West, 19-25, 18-25, and Seneca, 19-25, 24-26.

   The Panthers bounced back with a 30-28, 17-25, 15-10 victory over Monroe in the consolation semifinals, but once again fell to Seneca, 19-25, 22-25, in the fifth-place match.

Platteville finishes third at Wisconsin Heights, improves to 5-3 in SWC

   Platteville also took part in Saturday’s Wisconsin Heights Invitational finishing second in its pool, before dropping a semifinal match to the eventual champion and host Vanguards. The Hillmen (26-9-2) swept Monroe, 25-21, 25-9, and Ithaca, 25-6, 25-8, before dropping a narrow 0-2 decision to Southwestern, 20-25, 23-25.

   The Hillmen then fell to Heights, 20-25, 25-15, 11-15, in a back-and-forth match and finished in a third-place tie with Madison West. Last Thursday Platteville swept host Prairie du Chien 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 to improve to 5-3 in the SWC.

S’western 3, Iowa-Grant 0
(from Tuesday, Sept. 27 @ Southwestern)
Iowa-Grant               17    10    22
Southwestern            25    25    25
Iowa-Grant stat leaders: Kills - Alyssa Larsen 6, Josi Olson 5. Blocks - Olson 2, Kaci Myers 2, Sammie Simon 2. Assists - Simon 15. Aces - Josi Olson 1, Jackie Olson 1. Digs - Foreman 8, Simon 5.

Fennimore 3, Iowa-Grant 0
(from Thursday, Sept. 29 @ Fennimore)
Iowa-Grant            16    12    24
Fennimore             25    25    26
Iowa-Grant stat leaders: Kills - Josi Olson 8. Blocks - Olson 4. Assists - Sammie Simon 19. Aces - Maria Pustina 1, Emily Warne 1, Alyssa Larsen 1, Olson 1. Digs - Rachel Foreman 8.

Wisconsin Heights Invite
(from Saturday, Oct. 1 @ Wisc. Heights)
Championship: Wisconsin Heights def. Southwestern 25-21, 20-25, 15-13.
Semifinals: Wisconsin Heights def. Platteville 25-20, 15-25, 15-11; Southwestern def. Madison West 25-22, 26-28, 15-7.
Consolation championship: Seneca def. Iowa-Grant 25-19, 25-22.
Consolation semifinals: Seneca def. Ithaca 25-12, 25-16; Iowa-Grant def. Monroe 30-28, 17-25, 15-10.

Pool A Standings: Wisconsin Heights 3-0, Madison West 2-1, Seneca 1-2, Iowa-Grant 0-3.
Pool B Standings: Southwestern 3-0, Platteville 2-1, Monroe 1-2, Ithaca 0-3.

Platteville pool play scores
def. Monroe 25-21, 25-9
def. Ithaca 25-6, 25-8
lost to Southwestern 20-25, 23-25
Iowa-Grant pool play scores
lost to Wis. Heights 18-25, 13-25
lost to Madison West 19-25, 18-25
lost to Seneca 19-25, 24-26

Platteville stat leaders: Kills - Julia Lawinger 35, Tess Stecklein 18, Mackenzie Bartels 16. Blocks - Bartels 7, Lawinger 6, Megan Moss 6. Assists - Katie Lucas 66. Aces - Lucas 7, Pagliaro 5. Digs - Briette Updike 24, Stecklein 19, Ashley Budden 13. 100 percent serving - Updike 34-for-34.

Iowa-Grant stat leaders: Kills - Josi Olson 22, Taylor Holder 18, Maria Pustina 13. Blocks - Olson 13, Kaci Myers 5. Assists - Sammie Simon 66. Aces - Rachell Foreman 5, Simon 4, Dani Engelke 4. Digs - Foreman 25.

Platteville 3, Prairie du Chien 0
(from Tuesday, Sept. 27 @ Prairie)
Platteville                     25    25    25
Prairie du Chien            21    20    23
Platteville stat leaders: Kills - Julia Lawinger 18, Tess Stecklein 8. Blocks - Lawinger 3, Mackenzie Bartels 2. Assists -  Katie Lucas 26. Aces - Taylor Pagliaro 4, Megan Moss 2, Briette Updike 2. Digs - Briette Updike 12, Stecklein 9, Megan Moss 7. 100 percent serving - Pagliaro 12-12, Stecklein 12-12, Stephanie Philipps 6-6, Ashley Budden 2-2.

Chieftains vanquish Braves in four

    Belmont came into Potosi High School on Monday night hoping to stun the league-leading Chieftains on their home court. For at least one game the Braves looked capable of doing so.

    In a battle of teams lead by first-year head coaches Megan Richardson’s Braves took the opening game by two points, but Sydney Kittoe’s Chieftains rallied to win three consecutive games to win the match 23-25, 25-10, 25-21, 25-13 as Potosi remained unbeaten in the Six Rivers Conference at 8-0.

    Junior Rylie Bausch smashed 12 kills and made three blocks to lead the Chieftains’ (13-5, 8-0 SRW) balanced attack. Classmate Kate Mish added 10 points and two blocks, while senior Emily Hill directed the offense and passed out 27 assists. Fellow senior Ashley Flesch added a team-high 21 digs and two aces.

    Cassie McCarthy floored eight kills and Keegan Kamps made five blocks to lead the Braves, who fell to 3-10-2 overall and 2-7 in league play.

   Last Thursday Maleah Mumm slammed 10 kills as Potosi swept last-place Benton 25-10, 25-22, 25-18.
That same night Belmont earned its second league win of the season with a 25-23, 25-17, 25-19 sweep of Shullsburg. Sophomore Jordyn Kamps had 11 kills in the win.

   This past Saturday the Braves went 0-1-2 at the North Crawford Invitational, losing to Dodgeville 22-25, 14-25, but earning two-game splits with Royall 18-25, 25-23 and North Crawford 26-24, 16-25.

Potosi 3, Belmont 1
(from Monday, Oct. 2 @ Potosi)
Belmont        25    10    21    13
Potosi            23    25    25    25
Potosi stat leaders: Kills - Rylie Bausch 12, Kate Mish 10. Blocks - Bausch 3, Mish 2. Assists - Emily Hill 27. Aces - Mumm 3, Ashley Flesch 2. Digs - Flesch 21, Abby Ames 19.
Belmont stat leaders: Kills - Cassie McCarthy 8. Blocks - Keegan Kamps 5. Assists - Kailee Kamps 16. Aces - Kamps 2. Digs - Molly Bockhop 19.

Potosi 3, Benton 0
(from Thursday, Sept. 29 @ Potosi)
Benton            10    22    18
Potosi              25    25    25
Potosi stat leaders: Kills - Maleah Mumm 10. Blocks - Bausch 3. Assists - Emily Hill 27. Aces - Kylie Meier 3, Hill 3. Digs - Ashley Flesch 12, Abby Ames 12.

River Ridge 3, Belmont 0
(from Tuesday, Sept. 27 @ River Ridge)
Belmont                 16    12    18
River Ridge            25    25    25
Belmont stat leaders: Kills - Molly Bockhop 6. Blocks - Keegan Kamps 1, McCarthy 1. Assists - Kailee Kamps 10. Aces - Bockhop 1. Digs - Emma Lee 18.

Belmont 3, Shullsburg 0
(from Thursday, Sept. 29 @ Belmont)
Shullsburg            23    17    19
Belmont                25    25    25
Belmont stat leaders: Kills - Jordyn Kamps 11, Cassie McCarthy 10. Blocks - McCarthy 5. Assists - Kailee Kamps 27. Aces - Bockhop 5. Digs - Emma Lee 14. Kailee Kamps 14.

North Crawford Invitational
(from Saturday, Oct. 1 @ North Crawford)
Belmont pool play scores
split with Royall 18-25, 25-23
lost to Dodgeville 22-25, 14-25
split with N. Crawford 26-24, 16-25

Belmont stat leaders: Kills - Cassie McCarthy 11. Blocks - Keegan Kamps 2, McCarthy 2. Assists - Kailee Kamps 19. Aces - Molly Bockhop 6. Digs - Emma Lee 21.