The Van Buren County Warriors’ volleyball season came to an end Wednesday night with a straight-set loss to West Burlington in the Class 2A Region 8 Quarterfinal, 25-15, 25-17, 25-13. The match was played on October 22nd.
The Warriors finished their season with a 19-15 overall record and a 5-2 conference mark — the program’s best conference finish in recent years.
West Burlington controlled the match from the opening serve, building early leads in each set. Van Buren trailed 6-17 in the first and never recovered. Set two saw the Warriors fall behind 1-5 early and 12-19 late before dropping it 25-17. The third followed a similar pattern, with the Warriors unable to close the gap after falling behind 3-9.
Ashlynn Huff led Van Buren with 13 kills, while Marlee Mertens added eight. Sophia Jirak tallied 18 assists and tied with Lexie Wiley for the team lead in digs with 14 apiece. Mertens contributed 13 digs, and Huff added 12. The Warriors served at a strong 95.6% efficiency, recording aces from Wiley and Daphny Wells, though 21 team kill errors proved costly.
Following the loss, Head Coach Salena Sayre reflected on the match and her team’s effort.
“I think they just came with the drive and momentum,” Sayre said of West Burlington. “I told our girls I’m not disappointed about this game. We played great volleyball out there. We just didn’t capitalize on those times where West Burlington did. They obviously came with a little more push, and we didn’t pull.”
The loss marked the fourth meeting between the two teams this season, with each side splitting the series 2-2. Van Buren had won both early-season matchups — a conference match and a pool play meeting — while West Burlington had victories at the Davis County tournament and Wednesday’s regional contest.
“I told the girls, don’t hang your heads,” Sayre said. “As hard as that is to say on your last game at Van Buren, don’t hang your heads. You guys played good volleyball. It’s hard to beat a team four times in one season when you see them that often. Sometimes you get lucky and win all four, and other times you’ve got to split somewhere.”
Sayre credited West Burlington head coach Maureen Heath for her adjustments and praised Falcons’ standout sophomore Kaylee Webb, who registered 20 kills in the match.
“Yeah, I think Maureen — she’s a good coach. She’s going to adjust where she needs to adjust,” Sayre said. “And I think we adjusted well too against her stellar kid Kaylee over there. We got lots more touches and blocks than we ever have this whole season.”
Sayre identified serve receive as the main difference in the match.
“When I went into the locker room, I told the girls I have nothing to complain about other than serve receive,” she explained. “Had we been able to get our passes, all our hitters would have been on. I think our hitters weren’t necessarily as on as we usually are, especially on our home court. But that’s not on the hitters, it’s not on the setters — it comes down to the pass. Sometimes you either have serve receive or you have defense. You can’t have everything on one night.”
Despite the tough ending, the Warriors compiled an impressive season highlighted by big wins and individual milestones. Van Buren defeated West Burlington twice during the regular season, swept Keokuk three times, and earned victories over conference rivals Central Lee and Mediapolis.
Several Warriors reached career marks: Jirak surpassed 1,500 career assists while also recording 500 digs; Huff eclipsed 500 career kills; and both Wiley and Mertens reached 500 career digs.
With five seniors concluding their careers, Sayre expressed deep gratitude for their impact.
“I told the seniors — your time at Van Buren volleyball is much appreciated. There are going to be some holes that definitely need to be filled next year,” Sayre said. “But like I’ve said in previous interviews, we’ve got some good kids coming up who can step in and take the place of those they’re leaving behind. I’m just thankful for those five seniors who spent their fall seasons with the Van Buren volleyball program.”
The Warriors’ 19-15 record and 5-2 conference finish capped one of the program’s most successful seasons in recent memory — a campaign defined by growth, teamwork, and resilience. Van Buren County will graduate seniors Sophia Jirak, Ashlynn Huff, Marlee Mertens, Adisson McLain, and Lexie Wiley.
