Pirates Upset No. 3 Union, Finish Third at NICL Tournament

By Siri Olsen

The Hudson Pirate volleyball team traveled to La Porte City on Tuesday, Oct. 6, for the opening round of the North Iowa Cedar League (NICL) conference tournament.

The Pirates opened the night against Gladbrook-Reinbeck, defeating the Rebels in straight sets, 25-18 and 25-20.

Hudson then faced its toughest challenge of the night against Union, ranked No. 3 in Class 2A. The Pirates entered the matchup ranked No. 11.

Hudson came out with fiery energy, building an early lead and taking the first set 25-18.

The Knights, however, did not back down. Union battled back in a closely contested second set, finding its rhythm and pulling away for a 26-24 victory to force a decisive third set.

The Pirates came out strong once again, jumping to an early lead. Union fought back, but Hudson held on for a 15-9 victory, pulling off the upset and securing a spot in the conference final four.

Freshman Brinn Olsen recorded 24 assists, while sophomore Natalie Rausch led the Pirates with 12 kills. Sophomore Paige Davis added 11 kills.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, Hudson traveled to Parkersburg to compete in the conference semifinals, facing No. 3-ranked Dike-New Hartford of Class 3A.

The teams had met earlier in the season, with the Wolverines defeating Hudson in a five-set battle.

Dike-New Hartford came out strong, controlling the opening set and taking a 25-12 victory.

The Pirates responded in the second set, battling point for point with the Wolverines and pushing the set beyond the regulation 25 points. Despite Hudson’s efforts, Dike-New Hartford prevailed 29-27, sending the Pirates to the third-place match.

Hudson faced Aplington-Parkersburg, which had fallen to Grundy Center in the semifinals. The Falcons had defeated the Pirates in four sets earlier in the season.

Hudson came out fighting, edging the Falcons 25-23 in a closely contested opening set.

Aplington-Parkersburg answered in the second set, keeping the pressure on Hudson and earning a 25-21 victory to force a third set.

With third place on the line, both teams battled back and forth. A late run by the Pirates proved to be the difference as Hudson pulled out a 15-13 victory to claim third place in the NICL conference tournament.

The Pirates carried that momentum into Saturday, Oct. 10, capturing the championship at their home tournament. Hudson’s tournament run included a victory over Class 1A-ranked Cedar Ridge Christian, adding another title to the Pirates’ season.