Prep Volleyball- It has been a slow start to the season for some of our local teams; yet, it has not detracted from the respect that they have earned through the preseason. It is time for the 3^rd edition of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s volleyball rankings.

Class 5A

Waukee Northwest is still enjoying the top of the hill as they sit with a perfect 13-0 record on the season. Ankeny was leapfrogged by Waukee for the #3 slot in the rankings with Ankeny Christian holding on to the #2 slot. Iowa City High was dropped from the top 15 and replaced by the second team in the class with a losing record: (5-9) Linn-Mar at #15.

Class 4A

The top five did not change as Clear Creek-Amana resides as the current favorite with a 13-1 record. Sioux Center is the most intriguing team as they remain undefeated through seven matches, placing them at #5 in the top 15.

Waverly-Shell Rock and Solon entered the top 15 arm-in-arm at #8 and #9, respectively. They replace Western Dubuque and Xavier.

Class 3A

Kuemper Catholic tumbled down the rankings from #2 to #7 after their first loss of the season. Western Christian is still at #1 followed by 15-win Assumption and undefeated Mid-Prairie.

Anamosa and Van Meter were dropped from the rankings and replaced by Unity Christian at #12 and Williamsburg at #13. Mt. Vernon, last year’s champion, is clinging on to the top 15 with a 6-6 record, falling back seven spots.

Class 2A

Class 2A is the home of the undefeated programs as #1 Denver is 16-0, #2 Hinton is 6-0, #4 Grundy Center is perfect through 10, and #7 Riverside is 11-0. Dike-New Hartford, hoping for another shot to lift the title, sits at #3 with a 14-3 record.

Missouri Valley leaps into the top 15 at #13 after Lawton-Bronson was knocked out.

Class 1A

Holy Trinity Catholic has only played five games, at least one less game than everyone else in the top 15, but the Crusaders held on to their #1 spot with a 4-1 record—their only loss to Class 3A’s #8 and undefeated team Wilton. Holy Trinity Catholic has played only one game from their season opening tournament, defeating Danville in four sets.

The game was sloppy by Crusader standards, allowing the Bears to collect eight aces by the night’s end and hit at an efficiency of 0.121. Defense was a big point of emphasis for head coach Melissa Freesmeier and there’s still something there to be desired.

What has gone well this season is the front row attack of Holy Trinity Catholic as Adalyn Kruse and Presley Myers are both swinging above 0.325 and combine for 80 kills on the season. Any team would take 16 kills per game from their two best attackers.

North Tama and Saint Ansgar round out the top three and the team to eliminate the Crusaders last year and finish as the runner-up, BCLUW, is undefeated through nine games and ranked 7^th. Last year’s champion, Ankeny Christian, is located at #14 with a 4-6 record.

For a full look at the rankings: IGHSAU Volleyball Rankings

High School Girls’ Tennis

The Southeast Conference held their conference tournament last night and the best finish for Mt. Pleasant was the team of Lila Cook and Bella Dodds, who went undefeated in the consolation bracket, including a victory over fellow Panthers Lianah Phangchanthong and Shaye Barbee for 5th place. Katana Phangchanthong and Mia Gray captured 6th and 7th place, respectively, in the singles bracket.

Fairfield was headlined by the 1st place pair of Ria Ross and Sriya Yammanur in the doubles bracket, while Natalie Steele finished with the silver in singles.

Mt. Pleasant will celebrate their senior night on Monday, September 15th, against Davis County.

Fairfield prepares to host the Class 1A Region 6 Individual tournament on Wednesday, September 17th.

High School Volleyball

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against West Burlington tonight at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Danville will host Mediapolis tonight at 7:30 pm.

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Van Buren County tonight at 7:30 pm. 

WACO will host Winfield-Mt. Union tonight at 7:30 pm.

New London will travel to Central Lee tonight at 7:30 pm.

Columbus will hit the road to take on Pekin tonight at 7:30 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will compete in the Wilton Tournament on Saturday, September 13th, with Mediapolis and Winfield-Mt. Union also making the trip. 

Fairfield will travel to Williamsburg to compete in a tournament on Saturday along with West Burlington.

High School Cross Country

Fairfield will host the “Ron Hunerdosse” Invite tonight with Mt. Pleasant, Notre Dame/West Burlington, Van Buren County, New London, Wapello, and Winfield-Mt. Union joining the meet. 

Central Lee will run at the Mustang Invitational tonight.

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant gets back to work as they stay on the road to face off against Oskaloosa tomorrow, September 12th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

Wapello will square off against Pekin at 7 pm on the road tomorrow. 

Van Buren County will face off against Cardinal tomorrow at 7 pm at home.

WACO will host HLV/TC tomorrow at 7 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will hit the road to square off against English Valleys tomorrow at 7 pm. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame will compete on the road against Keokuk tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Mediapolis will head to Fairfield tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Danville will host Columbus tomorrow at 7 pm.

Central Lee will make the trip to Fort Madison tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

WACO was our school of focus for the latest episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook with special guests Morgan Meyer, Raefe Davison, and Tristian Luitjens. The seniors are in the midst of their Homecoming week having just celebrated Boom Night, now the volleyball team has to get ready for their match tonight. Meyer talked about what head coach Addison Fort has been preaching to the team,

“…One of the biggest things that she’s preached to us is just that we are family out on that court. And I think that another big thing that we’ve learned from them so far is that you can put in as much work as anyone else, but it’s the work that you put on, on and off the court by yourself, what you choose to put in is what’s going to be the big difference. And I suppose for the big Winfield game tomorrow, I mean, we’ve been watching film. We’ve been preparing for that game. Obviously, homecoming. When you get the big rivalry at home. I assume it’ll be a pretty big game, but we’ll just have to see how that goes.”

If you missed last night’s episode, then follow this link: WACO Episode

Southeastern Community College

The volleyball team will host North Iowa Area Community College tonight at 7 pm.

The women’s soccer team will stay at home to square off against State Fair Community College at 1 pm on Saturday, September 13th.

The men’s soccer team will take on State Fair Community College at 3 pm on Saturday.

College Football

#14 Iowa State will travel to Arkansas State on Saturday, September 13th, at 3 pm. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the call.

Iowa is hoping for a get-right game against UMass on Saturday at home with kickoff at 6:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call.

This Day in Sports History

1951 – Florence Chadwick becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel from England to France. It takes 16 hours and 19 minutes.

1966 – Johnny Miller becomes the first New York Yankee to hit a home run on his first MLB at bat; his second home run came on his final MLB at bat in 1969.

1983 – Pittsburgh running back Franco Harris runs for 118 yards in a Steelers 25-21 win at Green Bay to become only the third player in NFL history at the time to rush for 11,000 yards.