“After the match, I hugged each girl and told them you’ve got to be proud of the season we had,” first-year NIC coach Brittany Tilleman said. “We played with so much trust and energy when we’re on. Our practices help us compete for moments like this. It’s always been us against us. To do it against a team like that, we just weren’t prepared for that. Our season was a complete team effort and everyone involved. I’m sad to see the sophomores go, but I’m proud of them.”
Tilleman, a Lake City High graduate who helped the Cardinals finish fifth in the NJCAA Tournament in 2015, has guided the team to a 30-1 record entering the Elite 8 of the conference tournament on Friday against Bellevue at 2 p.m. at Pierce College in Lakewood, Wash.
Freshman Gracie Keisel from Mapleton, Utah, had 17 kills and 17 digs, sophomore Rachael Stacey of Helena, Mont., 15 kills and 18 digs for NIC (30-1), which faces the North No. 2 Bellevue (28-5) on Friday at 2 p.m.
NIC (14-4-3), the third seed from the East Region, advances to face Peninsula (15-0-2), the top seed from the North Region on Saturday at noon in Port Angeles, Wash.
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