close
close
  • Fri. Nov 8th, 2024
    • '
    Ankeny Christian wins its third straight Iowa 1A volleyball title
    News

    Ankeny Christian wins its third straight Iowa 1A volleyball title

    author
    3 minutes, 13 seconds Read

    play

    CORALVILLE – There is no better feeling than winning a state championship.

    Just ask the Ankeny Christian volleyball players, who have accomplished the feat three times in a row in Class 1A.

    The top-seeded Eagles (40-5) extended their dynasty on Thursday with a win over No. 6 BCLUW in straight sets (25-15, 25-13, 25-13) at Xtream Arena.

    “I think in the (quarterfinals and semifinals) we really focused on what the other teams were doing and we adjusted our defense to accommodate them, but I think tonight we just went full throttle,” said Senior setter Katie Quick. “We said, 'We're going to stay true to our game.' Not that we haven’t done that the last two nights, but we just… hammered it.”

    Ankeny Christian opened the first set with a dominant 25-15 win. The Eagles were the more efficient team and led by as many as 12 points in the first frame. They boasted a .308 batting average on 15 kills. This was compared to the Comets' 11 kills and .073 batting average. Quick, a Drake recruit, accounted for 13 of the Eagles' 15 assists in the opening set.

    The Eagles carried that lead into the second frame, outscoring the Comets in every phase of the game. While the Comets struggled to gain momentum, Ankeny Christian distributed the ball well and took advantage of attacks near the net. The Eagles scored 18 kills, leading to a 25-13 win in the second set.

    BCLUW fought back in the final frame, but the Eagles continued to be the aggressors. Ankeny Christian's firepower was too great.

    “It never gets boring, we stay hungry for it,” Quick said. “Going into the third set, we were all like, 'Stay hungry, stay hungry,' because we don't want to settle, so it's an incredible feeling.”

    Ankeny Christian quickly led Christian with 36 assists. Outside hitter Macey Nehring had 17 kills and threw 12 digs. Anna Weathers led the Eagles with 15 digs of her own.

    Weathers, Nehring, Carley Craighead and Quick were named to the 1A all-tournament team. Quick was named captain of the all-tournament team.

    The Eagles didn't drop a set in three games in the state tournament, defeating Don Bosco and Riverside en route to the 1A state title game. Ankeny Christian coach Michele Quick said this success was a testament to the level of competition the team faced in the regular season.

    “We had a tough schedule this year and knew this was our chance to take on the challenge this year,” Michele Quick said. “A few times we played the Ankeny Hawks, we played Dowling (Catholic) and Waukee, and we played all these bigger schools. We knew we had everything we needed and we knew this would help us continue to grow throughout the season.”

    Grace Farnsworth and Olivia Peters of BCLUW combined for 21 kills. Cassie Nason had 22 assists and 10 digs, while Klayre Gallentine led the Comets with 14 digs.

    Farnsworth and Nason represented BCLUW on the 1A all-tournament team.

    Although it fell short, it is a step in the right direction for BCLUW. It was the Comets' second appearance in the state tournament, reaching the semifinals in 2023 before appearing in the state title game this season. The Comets finished their season with a record of 33-11.

    “It's our second year (at state), the first team in (BCLUW) volleyball ever to make it to the state championship in school history, and I think we were a great team to do it,” Farnsworth said . “We proved game after game that we can make it to the state championship.”

    Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.

    Similar Posts

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *