Four Observations from the Ames Invitational

On Tuesday night, Ames, Des Moines Lincoln, No. 14 Dowling Catholic and No. 11 Waukee met at Ames High for a quadrangular between the 5A schools. Dowling finished the evening undefeated, while Waukee finished 2-1, Ames 1-2 and Lincoln winless. Here is what stood out:   Outstanding liberos Strong liberos and defensive specialists abounded on Tuesday. Dowling’s libero, Anna Flynn, played sparingly as a freshman, but has now moved into a libero role as a sophomore and has posted a team-leading 45 digs this season. On Tuesday, she also flexed her ability to serve, notching an astounding nine aces in the three matches. Waukee’s senior libero Avery Showalter posted 28 digs across the three matches on Tuesday, was 2-for-2 on kill attempts, and also added six aces for good measure. Quick and capable, Showalter dug balls that seemed like definite points, keeping rallies going. However, the day’s top libero had to be Savannah Perry of Ames. The senior, who missed all of last season with injury, was just about flawless in receiving serves and keeping even the most aggressive attacks in play. On multiple occasions, she very keenly let balls drop just out, earning some needed points for the Little Cyclones — who played Dowling and Waukee close, but lost in straight sets. Waukee coach Dani Kohut-Lynch was impressed with Perry. “Their libero dug up everything that we put at her: serve-receive, defense-wise. Our goal was to keep the ball away from her, because she’s a great passer,” she said of Perry, who is committed to play for the University of Colorado next year.   The big hitter Perhaps the most exciting player to watch on Tuesday was Waukee senior Haley Bush. The 6-foot-1 explosive hitter notched 29 kills over the three matches, with a .348 attack percentage. A Drake commit, Bush was aggressive at the net and opposing blockers had a tough time handling her attacks. The tall, long and powerful six-rotation player is third in 5A with 73 kills this season. On Tuesday, her best most dominant match came against Ames when, in two sets, she tallied 11 kills. In the first set, she took over the service at 20-20 and finished the match serving, notching three aces to power Waukee to a 25-20 win. “She does have a heavy arm and she can hit the crap out of it, so she’s one of our go-to hitters. She’s very impressive and when she’s on, it’s lights out,” said coach Kohut-Lynch.   The best match This one is easy. The first match of the evening pitted the best two teams in attendance — Dowling and Waukee — together, and it did not disappoint. Each set was decided by the minimum two points, with Dowling winning 2-1. The third set was a back-and-forth affair as both teams had multiple chances at match points.   Dowling’s youth A state tournament participant last year, Dowling looks to be a strong team again, with a young roster. Nine players on their team have more than two kills, but only one of those players is a senior (it’s Jacey Koeth, who leads the team with 46). Junior Anna Godfredsen was extremely impressive at the net, as was junior Mira Baccile. In their big win over Waukee, it was Baccile and freshman Calliope Coppola, who led with eight kills each. Sophomore Olivia Nahas also stood out; she posted six kills in that match. Their libero, Flynn, is also a sophomore, and their junior setter Allena Shimon, is fifth in 5A with 149 assists. Ames coach Peter Cruz referenced Dowling as a team that “perennially goes to state,” and he isn’t wrong. Based on their youth, their prowess should continue in the immediate future.