Two senior-laden volleyball teams will battle for a state tournament berth tonight when Norwalk visits North Polk for a Class 4A regional final at 7:00 p.m.

The 10th-ranked Warriors are 25-14 overall and this year’s runner-up from the Little Hawkeye Conference. The 8th-ranked Comets are 29-9 and placed second in the Raccoon River Conference. Both teams are playing in their third consecutive regional final, with Norwalk seeking the program’s first-ever trip to the State Volleyball Tournament.

Norwalk coach John Fulton says his team is excited to be back to this postseason moment, noting that many Warrior players are about to compete in their second or third regional final. Now it’s time to take the next step.

“For them it’s, ‘Let’s go take care of business, let’s do what our goal was at the beginning of the year,’” Fulton says, “and so they’ve sort of had this kind of game in mind. And now with that experience, this moment’s not going to be too big for them. They’re going to be ready to play in this kind of high-leverage game because we’ve been playing in those kind of high-leverage games all season.”

Both teams are led by talented senior outside hitters. Norwalk’s Noelle Sutcliffe has slammed 405 kills on the year and is the single-season and career school record holder. North Polk’s Kaylee Koudelka has 384 kills, with four teammates adding at least 100. Dig leaders include Warrior senior Grace Dehmer with 403 and the Comets’ Madi Nemmers with 429.

Fulton says that two keys to the match for Norwalk will be serve receive passing and being able to consistently set the team’s middles. Tonight’s winner advances to the 4A state quarterfinals on Monday, October 30, at Coralville’s Xtream Arena.