On the road and facing No. 4 Gladbrook-Reinbeck for the third time this season, the Comets (20-16) led by as many as five points in the first set and had the Rebels off-schedule. But a quick G-R spurt led to the Rebels (31-2) taking the set 25-21. It gave G-R a pathway to a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-16, 25-16) and a trip to the Class 1A Region 4 title game — the team’s third-straight year of advancing to the cusp of state competition.

The game was finely poised early on, with a high intensity out of the gate and numerous service errors from both teams.

The Comets held the lead for the majority of the set, but that Rebels burst caught up with them. A late timeout couldn’t stop the momentum, and G-R’s win in set one was the catalyst for the final two sets, Rebels coach Paula Kelley said.

“Coming from behind in that first set and gaining that momentum to finish that first set really propelled them into that second set,” Kelley said. “They were relentless in what they wanted to do, and they put BCLUW on their heels.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior Saari Kuehl goes up for the attack against BCLUW’s Anistyn Borsch-Rash (34) during the second set of Monday’s regional semifinal volleyball match in Reinbeck. Kuehl tallied a game-high 19 kills as the Rebels won in three sets, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16.

BCLUW struggled to get over the letdown of letting set one slip away. After giving up a 9-2 lead to start the second set, the combination of Saari Kuehl’s dominant hitting (she finished with 19 kills, a game high) and a G-R block that sent back nine Comet hit attempts was too much.

With Emma McClintock running the show in the center of the court with 38 assists, the Rebels were in a rhythm. Getting the nerves from the first set calmed down was crucial, McClintock said.

“We knew there was going to be a big crowd, so in practice we were focusing on getting our serves in and passing,” McClintock said. “Because it was going to be a lot of pressure on us.”

The Rebels led 24-13 at one point before closing out the set 25-16 and consolidating their momentum. The defensive improvements the Rebels made in the second and third sets were key to the sweep, and it showed in the digs and blocks.

Megan Cooley and Katie Clark joined McClintock with two blocks apiece, while G-R was led in digs by Kuehl, who made a huge impact on both ends of the game due to the senior playing a back-row position for a good portion of the match. Kelley said it’s a credit to her willingness to play and hit from anywhere that her numbers were so high.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - G-R’s Katie Clark, left, and Mahayla Olson (5) send the ball back against BCLUW’s Allison Engle during the second set of Monday’s match at Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School.

As the postseason continues, Kuehl continues to be the focal point of the G-R attack and will be key to the Rebels’ chances against Stanton (25-5) at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Norwalk High School.

The third set was close, but after another G-R run it was clear that BCLUW was not going to be able to conquer the Rebels this season.

The season was still a 20-win campaign for the Comets, and head coach Kristen Garber said it was a successful one.

“It’s been a fun season, and we were down in the locker room talking about being grateful for even getting to play,” Garber said. “We really didn’t know that was going to happen. Not only just getting to play, but we earned 20 wins this season, the seventh season in a row we’ve done that.”

Eden Wilson led the Comets in kills with 13, while senior Lizzie Garber contributed 11. Allison Engle led the team with 18 assists to Lizzie Garber’s 11. Engle also had a team-high nine digs, and Emma Averill recorded seven.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

G-R will travel to Norwalk Wednesday at 7 p.m. for a matchup with the Viqueens of Stanton with a state appearance on the line.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE