Ottumwa -- In a string of impressive victories over the past couple of weeks, this one might have been the best. No. 10-ranked Indian Hills won a tense five-set battle with No. 4 Iowa Western on Tuesday night at the Hellyer Center, the Warriors' 16th consecutive match win. It allowed IHCC to even the season series with the Reivers, who gave the Warriors their last loss, on Sept. 14 in Council Bluffs.
Indian Hills won sets one (25-21) and three (25-18) while the Reivers took sets two (25-22) and four (25-23). That set up the fifth and deciding set, which saw the Warriors pull away late in the set to win it 15-10.
The match between the two region rivals was as close as you'd expect. In sets 2-4 there were 27 ties and 15 lead changes. But the Warriors prevailed to stretch their season record to 25-3. Iowa Western suffered its fourth loss of the year in 27 matches.
Bailey Darnall led the IHCC attack with 17 kills.
Indian Hills is back in action this Friday in an invitational in Ft. Dodge, playing Iowa Central CC and the Grand View JV. On Saturday, in their own quadrangular, the Warriors will meet Highland (Kans.) and the William Penn JV at the Hellyer Center.