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<p><strong><em>Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area</em></strong></p>
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<p><strong>CORALVILLE -</strong> Heading into the fifth set against the defending state champions, West Des Moines sought to muster up a killer mentality. That's what it would take for the Tigers to take down Pleasant Valley in the quarterfinals of the 2025 state tournament Monday here at Xtream Arena. </p>
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<p>"The whole time it was like, we want to shut these girls down. Balls to the wall. Do whatever you have to do to get the next point," senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='261075' first='Kaelyn' last='Wieland'] said.</p>
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<p>The Tigers opened up a 10-7 lead in the fifth set only to see PV tie it at 10 on a [player_tooltip player_id='261085' first='Maren' last='Ouellette'] kill. A pair of Spartan hitting errors put Valley up 12-10, though. [player_tooltip player_id='843934' first='Nia' last='Finn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='839207' first='Thia' last='Raridon'] followed with kills to set up match point.</p>
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<p>A couple of Ouellette kills trimmed the Valley lead to 14-13. However, [player_tooltip player_id='536274' first='Ryan' last='Connolly'] ended the run and the match with a kill for the resilient Tigers. </p>
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<p>The moment of being down 2-1 at the state tournament against the defending champs was not too big for Valley.</p>
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<p>"It's a lot. It can weigh on you," Raridon said of the pressure. "But our whole moto has been to stay positive and just play for each other. And I think that's what helped us have that endurance all the way up to the end. Even when they came back, we could just find a way to be smart and play those plays." </p>
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<p>Raridon's 14 kills were tied with [player_tooltip player_id='443086' first='Brynn' last='Cibula'] for the team high. Wieland and Connolly each delivered 10 kills. Connolly led the squad with 16 digs, while Cibula and [player_tooltip player_id='803061' first='Myla' last='Rude'] each had 14. </p>
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<p>Pleasant Valley's [player_tooltip player_id='243182' first='Isabelle' last='Kremer'] led all players with 23 kills, while Ouellette and [player_tooltip player_id='555746' first='Clare' last='Yeggy'] each registered 11. [player_tooltip player_id='490015' first='Mazie' last='Sweers'] handed out 43 assists, 11 digs and four kills. </p>
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<p>"They had the momentum (in the fifth set), and we just weren't playing together," Kremer said. "We were sort of frantic and nervous. It was a lot of people's first time (at state). I think that they played harder and wanted it more at the end." </p>
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<p><a href="https://ighsau.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/25statevolleyball/5a$pdf.pdf">BOX SCORE</a></p>
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Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area
CORALVILLE - Heading into the fifth set against the defending state champions, West Des Moines sought to muster up a killer mentality. That's what it would take for the Tigers to take down Pleasant Valley in the quarterfinals of the 2025 state tournament Monday here at Xtream Arena. "The whole time it was like, we want to shut these girls down. Balls to the wall. Do whatever you have to do to get the next point," senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='261075' first='Kaelyn' last='Wieland'] said. The Tigers opened up a 10-7 lead in the fifth set only to see PV tie it at 10 on a [player_tooltip player_id='261085' first='Maren' last='Ouellette'] kill. A pair of Spartan hitting errors put Valley up 12-10, though. [player_tooltip player_id='843934' first='Nia' last='Finn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='839207' first='Thia' last='Raridon'] followed…
