By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Dike, IA – The No. 1 (3A) Humboldt volleyball team finished runner-up at the Dike-New Hartford Tournament Saturday, going 5-1 across six matches.
The Wildcats opened the tournament with three pool-play victories, defeating Osage (21-10, 21-17), New Tama (21-13, 21-9), and No. 7 (2A) Denver in three sets (21-14, 19-21, 15-7).
Humboldt then advanced through championship bracket play with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over New Hampton (25-21, 25-16). The win also marked a milestone for head coach Kara Waldorf, who earned her 100th career victory at Humboldt.
The Wildcats followed with a three-set semifinal victory over No. 10 (3A) Roland-Story (23-25, 25-17, 15-13).
In the championship match, No. 6 (3A) Dike-New Hartford defeated Humboldt in a three-set battle. The Wildcats took the opening set 25-21, but Dike-New Hartford answered with a 25-21 win in the second set before taking the winner-take-all third set 15-11.
Waldorf, in her fourth season guiding the Humboldt program, now has a career record of 101-28 at Humboldt, including two North Central Conference championships in 2021 and 2025. She also guided the Wildcats to the state tournament in 2025 and the program’s first state championship match, where Humboldt finished runner-up.
Following Saturday’s tournament, Humboldt is 20-1 (5-0 NCC). The Wildcats return to action Monday night when they host No. 9 (2A) Aplington-Parkersburg at Humboldt High School. First Serve is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.