SOUTH WAYNE — Black Hawk’s quest for a second-straight conference championship in volleyball gained an emphatic tally in the win column. Once the Warriors found a rhythm in their Sept. 24 match against Argyle, they couldn’t be stopped.

“I think partially, we figured it out,” Black Hawk coach Rachel Wolff said after her team’s 25-20, 25-15, 25-18 sweep of the Orioles. “(Argyle) came ready to play the whole time. Kudos to them, they did a phenomenal job to keep us on our toes and we had to work through it. It’s good though that we have that capability of adjusting.”

Defending conference player of the year Hannah Butler had 12 kills, two blocks, two aces and three digs for Black Hawk, but what the stat line won’t show is her impact on the game from an intangible standpoint.

“She is a very special girl. I am very, very lucky to have her on my team. I wouldn’t want to coach against her because she makes it tough,” Wolff said.

Several times throughout the match, Butler found herself in the right place at the right time, pulling off a point-saving dig or no-look hit from the back row that set her team up to score.

“She makes everything look so fluid. And she’s a selfless kid, too. With everything else and she’s selfless to boot, what more can you ask for?” Wolff said.

In the first set, Argyle fell behind 5-2 in what appeared to be a foreshadowing of things to come. The Orioles battled back and went on a 9-2 run to take a 12-8 lead, but the momentum was short-lived.

“We worked on a lot of different shots last night in practice and we strategized a few things on our serving,” Argyle coach Jennifer Green said. 

Black Hawk re-took the lead at 14-13, and after a couple of alternating side-outs, the Warriors finished the frame on an 11-4 run.

The momentum stayed on the Warriors’ side in the second set, as they quickly went up 6-3. A short-lived 4-0 run put Argyle back into the lead only for a moment, then the moment was gone. Black Hawk ran off a 14-3 run to go up 20-10.

“We knew it was going to be tough. We know they are a good team,” Green said. “I’m actually very proud of how we played. We just need to find that consistency and side-out quicker, and then I think we are right there with them.”

The third frame continued with more Black Hawk dominance. The Warriors forced Argyle to an early timeout and went up 9-2 after a Butler ace.

The advantage reached eight at 11-3, 13-5 and 17-9. The Orioles tried to rally their way back into the match, bringing the score to as close as 20-15 late in the set after a pair of Maggie Godfrey kills, but the pressure was too little too late.

“There were a lot of battles going back and forth, and I think we’re taking a step in the right direction moving forward,” Green said.

Godfrey finished with nine kills and 13 digs to lead Argyle, while Tori Lantz had five kills and a block. Addisyn Noble added a block, Megan Johnson had two aces and 19 assists, and Grace Ganshert finished with seven digs.

Bailey Butler had six kills for Black Hawk, while Tara Wellnitz had two blocks. Maddy Huschitt had eight assists and two aces.

Part of Black Hawk’s attack is that the Warriors do not need to rely on just one or two players. Huschitt and Macie Stauffacher split much of the time at setter, but other players step in where needed. 

“That’s the thing I really like — it doesn’t matter if we have Emily Triem setting or Tara Wellnitz setting — we don’t get rattled a whole lot,” Wolff said. “I think that just shows the leadership we have, not just from our seniors, but that junior crew that’s seen a lot of court time.”

Up front, Wellnitz, a freshman, and Kristen Knapp, a senior, share duties in the middle, and junior-transfer Makayla Mau is well-versed on the court, adding to her prowess of towering over almost everyone on the court each night.

“(Mau) does add a different dimension. It’s one more hitter, and she serves well, too. We definitely are very lucky to have her as well,” Wolff said.

Argyle, meanwhile, is young. Just one senior on the team has been a part of Green’s system the last few years, and much of her lineup is filled with sophomores.

“It’s a big group of sophomores out there — and I just think if they can figure out that mental side of the game, they are going to be a very strong team,” Green said. “They need to stay confident — trust in themselves and believe in themselves. I think if we stay positive, we can play with any team.”

Black Hawk finished the first half of the Six Rivers East slate unbeaten and hold a one game lead on Monticello. Argyle drops to 4-2 in conference play.

“I think that we are probably gelling better than we did at the beginning of the season, and, of course, that’s what you like to see,” Wolff said. “I’d like to see us be a little bit more aggressive hitting, but we’re doing some things right. We’re going to continue to work hard, because we know the other teams are going to want to pick us off. There is some really good talent in our conference.”