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A strong start didn’t hold up on Tuesday and visiting Itasca rallied to sweep winless Vermilion in community college volleyball action.
The Vikings shook off 4-0 and 7-3 deficits in the opening set and rallied for a 25-8, 25-8, 25-6 Northern Division win.
Itasca closed the opening set on a 22-1 run, putting Vermilion into a tailspin that it would not recover from.
The Ironhawks were in search of their first victory but instead fell to 0-10.
“This year’s team is showing such great signs to be successful but fall behind teams because the mental side of the game gets to them,” said head coach Aaron Bender. “We have to find a way to get past some small fears that hinder our physical ability.”
Freshman Aubree Gerlovich of Ely led the Ironhawks with 11 set assists, six digs, an ace and a kill.
The top hitter was Isabelle Mattson, who recorded five kills to go with eight digs and a block.
Vermilion’s Katy Ellis and Keara Butterfield both had two kills and an ace.
The Ironhawks were slated to host Gogebic Friday night and they have a rematch at Itasca on Monday.
