WASHINGTON

Mid-Prairie’s Golden Hawks had just finished off yet another sweeping victory Monday night when talk turned to Thursday’s River Valley showdown match.

The Golden Hawks, ranked sixth in Iowa 3A, go to West Liberty on Thursday night to face the 12^th-ranked Comets, a longtime River Valley volleyball power that had beaten Mid-Prairie 27 consecutive times until a Golden Hawks emotional victory one year ago.

“We’re gunning for them and they’re gunning for us,” said Mid-Prairie junior Jovi Evans.

The Golden Hawks (11-2) head into Thursday’s match with a 10-match winning streak. They haven’t lost since dropping matches to top-ranked Mount Vernon and Pella on the first day of the season and Monday’s sweep of Washington extended a set winning streak to 13. Mid-Prairie hasn’t lost a set since dropping the second set of a three-set win over West Burlington in the semifinals of the Central Lee Invitational nearly two weeks ago.

West Liberty (8-3) has won its last five matches.

Monday, the Golden Hawks dominated Washington by scores of 25-10, 25-22, 25-18.

Washington’s best chance to steal a set was in the second set when the Demons came from four points down to tie it at 22-22. The Golden Hawks ended it with three consecutive points, including a powerful kill by freshman Jeorgia Evans and a set-ending ace by Jeorgia Evans.

Harper Pacha, a junior outside hitter, connected on a match-high 9 kills, and Jovi Evans, Katelyn Harland and Callie Huber each had 8 kills. Jovi Evans had a match-high 19 assists and junior Avery Helmuth had 15, displaying connections that are growing stronger with each match.

“Our connections have definitely grown,” said Jovi Evans, who played on a club team this summer with Pacha that went to the USA Volleyball junior girls national tournament.

Senior libero Dakota Mitchell, who won a national title at that tournament with Iowa Adrendaline Volleyball, had a match-high 19 digs.

Jovi and Jeorgia Evans, and Harland each had 2 serving aces.

Mid-Prairie 3,

West Branch 0

Playing in front of a big crowd in their home opener last Thursday, the Golden Hawks swept West Branch in their River Valley Conference opener, 25-12, 25-13, 25-15.

Jovi Evans had a rare volleyball double-double, scoring a match-high 10 kills and adding a match-high 15 assists.

The Golden Hawks dominated the Bears, winning three consecutive sets and defeating West Branch for the third time in the past four meetings. The Golden Hawks scored 10 of the last 12 points in the opening set and scored the last seven points of the second set as a large student section voiced its approval.

Harper Pacha added 8 kills for Mid-Prairie and Katelyn Harland had 6.

Mid-Prairie buried West Branch from the serving line, scoring 15 aces. Izzy Kite, a sophomore, had 5 aces and freshman Jeorgia Evans added 4.

Avery Helmuth had a match-high 16 assists. Dakota Mitchell had a match-high 17 digs.

Vinton Tri

The Golden Hawks swept Vinton-Shellsburg and Independence in a triangular meet held September 3 in Vinton.

Katelyn Harland led Mid-Prairie with 12 kills in the two matches, including 7 against Vinton-Shellsburg.

The Golden Hawks defeated Independence 21-7, 21-11, and host Vinton-Shellsburg, 21-13, 21-12.

Jovi Evans had 4 kills and an ace in each match, and added 10 assists against Independence.

Dakota Mitchell led Mid-Prairie with 24 digs, 12 in each match, and freshman Jeorgia Evans had 18 digs. Avery Helmuth averaged 11 assists per match, including 12 against Vinton-Shellsburg.