It was non-league action on Thursday night in volleyball as three teams in search of some wins to build upon meet up at the Roundhouse in Hiawatha as the Red Hawks hosted Horton and Falls City. 

The night started off with the host Hiawatha Red Hawks taking on Falls City and the Red Hawks earned the three set win 19-25, 25-20, 26-24. The Tigers worked out to an early lead up 10-4 when Hiawatha used their first timeout of set one. The lead continued to grow for the Tigers as Elizabeth Bauman dominated at the net with multiple kills and the Tigers led 14-7 when Hiawatha called another timeout. getting down to the wire the Red Hawks made a late flurry to get within four points at 23-19 and Falls City used a timeout to corral the troops and out of the timeout registered the next two points to win the first set 25-19. Set two started off with a 5-0 run by Falls City but Hiawatha answered back with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the match at 5-5 early. The Red Hawks then pounced on an opportunity and took the lead and would not relinquish it the rest of the set as Falls City got as close as one at 16-15 but the Red Hawks held them off to earn the 25-21 set two win and force a third set.  In set three Hiawatha held an early 9-5 lead but four-straight points by Falls City tied it at nine and that run was stretched to seven-straight giving the Tigers the lead. With Falls City up 18-14, Hiawatha called a timeout and responded out of the timeout to tie it at 18-18 and take a 20-18 lead with six-straight points. Down the stretch the Red Hawks made enough plays with Delaney Koerperich and Crystal Barbary coming up with crucial plays to secure set three 26-24, giving Hiawatha the win. 

Falls City was looking to head home with at least one win on the night and that they did as they topped Horton in three sets 25-21, 20-25, 25-21 in the second matchup of the night. The Tigers trailed most of the first set as Horton got a pair of aces from Chelsey Trautloff and Callie Hoobler and three aces from Kristin Becker to continually give them a lead until late in the first set. The Tigers put together a late run and behind a Darcy Snethen ace won set one 25-21. Set two proved to be a see-saw affair bouncing back and forth between the two team until Horton led 18-16 when that seemed to be the turning point and the Chargers held off Falls City for the set two win, 25-20 forcing a third set. The third set was back and forth also and Horton worked to a 14-11 lead, but the Tigers would push back and lead 20-17. The match was tied at 21-21, when a 4-0 run by Falls City secure the set and match in their favor with a 25-21 set three win with Alyssa Frederick delivering the final blow for the Tigers. 

In the nightcap Horton squared off with Hiawatha and it was the Red Hawks finishing the night 2-0 with a straight set win 25-18, 25-18 over the Chargers. Set one was back and forth early with Horton up 7-6 until a rotation/substitution error happened for the Chargers and after a delay to figure out the issue Hiawatha was rewarded with a point to tie the match at 7-7 and that spurred Hiawatha to the lead and set one win. Barbary delivered the kill for set point giving the Red Hawks the set one win 25-18. In set two Hiawatha pounced on Horton early leading 8-2 forcing a Charger timeout and the Red Hawks continued to click as Courtney Brockhhoff continued to set up her teammates leading to the set two win 25-18 for Hiawatha. 

With the two wins the Red Hawks improved to 8-12 on the season, while Falls City moved to 4-12 and Horton fell to 4-16 on the year. The season continues on Saturday for Falls City at the Johnson County Central Invitational, while Horton will host McLouth and Maur Hill in NEKL play on Tuesday, October 6th and Hiawatha will take on Nemaha Central on Tuesday.