Prep Volleyball- Championship Thursday brought around five new champions for the 2024 season as one team was searching for a three-peat, Class 3A featured aa championship rematch, and another team hoping to pull off the upset.
Class 5A
#6 Waukee Northwest—last year’s champion—was looking to pull off the upset against #1 Pleasant Valley, a team that had won their past 29 games. A five-point rally by the Spartans to start the game set the tone against the Wolves, eventually losing the set 25-20.
But an upstart Waukee Northwest squad would not go away easily as they staged their own run in the second set to score the final four points to win 26-24 to tie the match at one set apiece.
What felt like the set to turn the tide, Waukee Northwest was preparing to steal the third set before an Isabelle Kremer kill supplied the win for the Spartans, 25-22. A 10 to 1 run in the fourth set by Pleasant Valley, which included four blocks, secured their program’s second championship in a 25-16 set four win.
Kremer led the way with 24 kills for the Spartans as she was named Captain of the All-Tournament team with Carsyn Kelley providing 24 assists and the Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Match Abby Staats tallied 23 digs. Logan Vogt had 21 kills for the Wolves.
Class 5A All-Tournament Team
Gabriella Ragins, Pleasant Valley
Avery Vogt, Waukee Northwest
Delaney Miller, Ankeny Centennial
Ella Rogers, Dowling Catholic
Ellie Muller, Dowling Catholic
Logan Vogt, Waukee Northwest
Isabelle Kremer, Pleasant Valley (captain)
Class 4A
#2 Bishop Heelan did not break a sweat in their sweep of #5 Pella (25-10, 25-13, 25-17) with eight points being the closest margin of victory for the Crusaders. Maddie LaFleur was masterful in her performance, finishing the match with 36 assists and 13 digs as she was named All-Tournament Captain.
Maliyah Hacker and Ava Lloyd provided an unstoppable dynamic duo at the net for Bishop Heelan as the two combined for 34 kills in the victory. Katie Scheckel of Pella had six kills and 13 assists, while Emma Eekhoff led the Dutch with eight kills.
Surprisingly, the Dutch had defeated Bishop Heelan 2-1 a week before the tournament. This marked the Crusaders’ fourth state championship and their first since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 with Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Hall of Famer Carli Tritz.
Class 4A All-Tournament Team
Ava Lloyd, Bishop Heelan
Emma Eekhoff, Pella
McKenzie Moeller, North Scott
Bre VanDenTop, Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Maliyah Hacker, Bishop Heelan
Katie Scheckel, Pella
Maddie LaFleur, Bishop Heelan (captain)
Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Match
Maliyah Hacker, Bishop Heelan
Class 3A
It was a rematch of last year’s championship game where #2 Western Christian pulled off the upset and downed #1 Mt. Vernon in four sets. The Mustangs were on a mission to not allow that to happen again, sweeping the Wolfpack (25-17, 25-17, 25-18).
Mt. Vernon’s front line dominated the play the entire match, out swinging Western Christian (0.343 vs 0.159) and out blocking the Wolfpack (11 vs 6).
Leading the Mustangs was the duo of Sydney Maue and Chloe Meester as Maue had 14 kills and two blocks, while Meester contributed 16 kills and two blocks of her own. Sydney Huber directed the offense with 38 assists.
Scarlett Winterfield had 10 kills for the Wolfpack, but it was Morgan Kooiman that led the team with 11 kills for the match. Maggie Van Schepen dished out 28 assists.
Class 3A All-Tournament Team
Sydney Maue, Mount Vernon
Scarlett Winterfeld, Western Christian
Olivia Donovan, Dubuque Wahlert
Hannah Cantwell, West Delaware
Sydney Huber, Mount Vernon
Maggie Van Schepen, Western Christian
Chloe Meester, Mount Vernon (Captain)
Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Match
Sydney Huber, Mount Vernon
Class 2A
In a battle between the two best teams of Class 2A, #1 Denver managed to comeback from deficits in the second and third sets to accomplish the sweep over #2 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 25-16, 25-23, and 25-20.
The Rockets led by University of Northern Iowa commit Molly Shafer had the Cyclones against the ropes in the second set, leading 23 to 22 before a block and two kills for Denver, and the third set when Shafer connected for her 26th kill of the night to give the Rockets a 20 to 17 lead.
Denver relied on a balanced attack up front with Grace Mullihan hitting 0.750 for the match with a team leading 13 kills, followed by Bailey Mullihan and Mylee Thurm who each tabbed 11 kills in the win. Channing Jonhson collected 38 assists for the Cyclones.
Kate Shafer provided 36 assists, while Moly Shafer led the team in digs with 18 and had the team’s lone block of the night.
It was Denver’s first state championship in program history.
Class 2A All-Tournament
Bailey Mullihan, Denver
Kate Shafer, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
Grace Mullihan, Denver
Alli Scherbring, Beckman
Reese Naeve, Regina Catholic
Channing Johnson, Denver
Molly Shafer, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (Captain)
Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Match:
Channing Johnson, Denver
Class 1A
There never was much of a doubt on who would walk away with the Class 1A state championship with #1 Ankeny Christian looming over the bracket and the Eagles did not disappoint, drubbing #6 BCLUW in straight sets 25-15, 25-13, and 25-13.
Before 2022, Ankeny Christian had never been to the state tournament, nevertheless a championship game. The Eagles have now won the last three state championships, losing only four sets in the process.
Katie Quick, who is now aa three-time All-Tournament Team Captain and Drake commit, set her teammates up perfectly, collecting 36 assists in the win as Ankeny Christian swung at a 0.351 kill efficiency. Macey Nehring, a well-documented combination, led the team with 17 kills. Quick also amassed 10 kills along with teammate Carley Craighead.
BCLUW, who had their first tournament appearance a year ago, was simply outmatched in their first state championship game appearance. Grace Farnsworth, a junior, finished the night with 12 kills with Oliva Peters contributing nine kills of her own. Cassie Nason dished out 22 assists in the loss.
Class 1A All-Tournament Team
Carly Craighead, Ankeny Christian
Cassie Nason, BCLUW
Kruiz Ewoldt, North Tama
Anna Weathers, Ankeny Christian
Grace Farnsworth, BCLUW
Macey Nehring, Ankeny Christian
Katie Quick, Ankeny Christian (Captain)
Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Match
Macey Nehring, Ankeny Christian