OTTUMWA, IA – Heartbreaking.

There's really no better way to describe the loss that Indian Hills Volleyball suffered in the Midwest B District Tournament Friday at the Hellyer Center.  The Warriors were just one point away, on two different occasions from a trip to the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championships, only to have the dream snatched away as IHCC fell in five sets in the title game to Missouri State-West Plains, 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 25-27 and 17-15.

Add in several plot twists and more drama than a Stephen King novel, and one gets the idea.  It was a rollercoaster of emotions that ultimately did not go the Warriors' way.

The No. 2-seed out of Region XI, Indian Hills already had the difficult task of having to take down not one, but two Region Champions to advance to the National Tournament, but the Warriors were up to the task as IHCC upset Region XXIV Champion Kaskaskia in Friday's semifinals in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20, 25-9.  It was arguably the hosts' finest performance of the season as the Blue Angels came into the Hellyer Center with a sparkling 20-1 overall record and riding an 18-game win streak.

The Warriors were clicking on all cylinders and were never seriously threatened as IHCC sent Kaskaskia home for the season with the three-set rout.

Gabriela Cavalcante Oliveira and Jenna Vallee led IHCC at the net as they each tallied 11 kills, while Jarolin de los Santos and Precious Daley both had eight. Libero Anja Vranic led the digs category with 12 and Bailea Yahnke and Vallee both added 11 each.  Hennesys Lalane dished out 41 assists.  Both Yahnke and Zara McCauley had unblemished performances at the service stripe going 16-for-16 and 12-for-12, respectively.

Waiting in the wings in the District Finals was Region XVI Champ, Missouri State-West Plains, who dismissed Wabash Valley in the earlier semifinal at the Hellyer Center in straight sets to set the stage for the the finale' which ended up nothing short of epic.

The Grizzlies took the first two sets to put the Warriors season on the brink entering the third set.  Both of the first two games featured multiple ties and lead changes throughout and IHCC was tied at 22 in game one and at 23 in game two before finally succumbing.

Undaunted, Indian Hills fought back to take set three by six and needed extra play to settle the fourth set to keep its season alive with a 27-25 win, which forced the winner-take-all fifth stanza.

As unlikely as it looked just two sets earlier, the Warriors were in position to punch their ticket, ironically to play on West Plains' home floor April 15-17 as the Grizzlies host the National Tournament.

In fact, IHCC looked like they were saving their best for last as pair of Oliveira kills put the Warriors up 12-9 in the race to clinch it at 15, when suddenly the host's fortunes took a turn.

After Oliveira's kill teammate de los Santos came up with a lower-leg injury.  The 6-4 Dominican had to be helped from the floor and was visibly in excruciating pain.

Despite losing their best blocker, the Warriors carried on and found a way to make it 13-9 and seemingly a trip to Nationals was imminent.

West Plains wouldn't surrender, however, as the Grizzlies reeled off four straight to tie it at 13 despite IHCC Head Coach Lyndsey Michel's effort to stem the tide with a timeout.  Oliveira came to the rescue with another kill to bring the Warriors to match point at 14-13.  It was the first of what would be two times that Indian Hills held serve with the trip to Nationals hanging in the balance, but neither opportunity bore fruit. 

Following the second failed attempt to seal it at 15-14, controversy ensued as after a brief volley, a Grizzly player was clearly in the net on a block attempt immediately sending Michel and the Warriors into a state of disbelief, even before West Plains ultimately would take the pivotal point to make it 16-15, Grizzlies.  The normally composed Oliveira pleaded with the head referee to no avail, but replays showed that the Warriors indeed had reason to believe that a call had been missed.

There would be no changing of the result, and the Grizzlies took the next point leaving the Warriors stunned as their remarkable comeback fell just short.

Vallee and Oliveira racked up 22 and 21 kills, respectively in the five-set marathon.  Daley chipped in 15 kills of her own.  Lalane tallied 69 assists while Vranic added 24 digs.  Oliveira capped her IHCC career in style by adding 19 digs and going 18-for-18 with an ace from the service stripe.

Indian Hills bows out of the 2021 campaign at 14-9 while Missouri State-West Plains advances to the National Tournament at 17-5.