Previewing Class 4A State Tournament

Last year's Class 4A finalists, champion Xavier and runner-up Clear Creek Amana, have made it back to Coralville. They've been joined by a strong group of six teams also with designs on winning it all.   Here's a closer look at the matchups in 4A, which begins play on Monday at Xtream Arena:   NO. 1 CLEAR CREEK AMANA (45-0) VS No. 8 NORWALK (26-14)   TOP WINS   CCA - Ankeny, Dowling, North Scott, Marion, Center Point-Urbana   Norwalk - WDM Valley, Council Bluffs Lincoln, North Polk, Nevada   TOP PLAYERS   CCA - No. 4 [player_tooltip player_id='168156' first='Meg' last='Berkland'], SR; No. 6 [player_tooltip player_id='168155' first='Bliss' last='Beck'], SR; No. 7 [player_tooltip player_id='243457' first='Emily' last='Henderson'], SO; No. 15 [player_tooltip player_id='432378' first='Sam' last='Schrage'], SR; No. 22 [player_tooltip player_id='361168' first='Averie' last='Lower'], SO.   Norwalk - No. 5 [player_tooltip player_id='233265' first='Grace' last='Dehmer'], SR; No. 10 Ava Johnson, SR; No. 11 [player_tooltip player_id='493927' first='Hadley' last='Michael'], FR; No. 15 [player_tooltip player_id='490003' first='Emmory' last='Toppenberg'], JR; No. 21 [player_tooltip player_id='168192' first='Noelle' last='Sutcliffe'], SR;   TEAM NOTES   CCA - Most of the Clippers key players from last season returned in hopes of taking the final step to the program's first state championship...CCA has reached the state tournament for the fifth time ('95, '99, '14, '22, '23) in its history...Beck, a Drake commitment, has pounded out 389 kills (.471) and totaled 111.0 blocks, while Berkland posted 486 digs in '23...Lower ranked second on the team in kills (269), and third in digs (285) and blocks (46.0). Schrage produced 165 kills and 74.0 blocks.   Norwalk - The Warriors secured a state bid for the first time in the program's history. They'd lost in the regional finals in each of the last two seasons...Norwalk has won its last seven matches with three of them going the distance. That included a five-set, regional-final win against No. 8 North Polk...Sutcliffe has 428 kills with 256 digs and 37.0 blocks, while Dehmer has been responsible for 432 digs...Toppenberg led the team in blocks (63.0)...Johnson ranked second in kills (198) and blocks (54.0).   SERIES NOTES   In their most recent meeting, Norwalk topped the Clippers, 2-1, at last season's Nevada tournament. According to Bound, the schools have split 10 all-time matches.   NO. 4 NORTH SCOTT (26-4) VS NO. 5 ADM (27-3)   TOP WINS   North Scott - Marion, Iowa City High, Pleasant Valley, Assumption   ADM - Nevada, North Polk, Waukee, CB Lincoln   TOP PLAYERS   North Scott - No. 1 [player_tooltip player_id='215406' first='Abbey' last='Hayes'], JR; No. 5 [player_tooltip player_id='200616' first='Georgia' last='Brunkan'], SR; No. 6 [player_tooltip player_id='206931' first='Kaci' last='Johnson'] , SR; No. 10 [player_tooltip player_id='251673' first='Sydney' last='Skarich'], SR; No. 15 [player_tooltip player_id='215767' first='Emee' last='Allard'], JR;   ADM - No. 8 [player_tooltip player_id='506123' first='London' last='Warmuth'], JR; No. 9 Kaylee Smith, SR; No. 12 [player_tooltip player_id='168158' first='Marissa' last='Gerleman'], SR; No. 13 Madison Siefken, SR; No. 19 [player_tooltip player_id='261081' first='Madi' last='James'], JR.   TEAM NOTES   North Scott - The Lancers landed in the state tournament for the fifth season in a row. It's the ninth time they've played in the event...North Scott won a state championship in 1985, and finished second in '84 and '86...Its lone losses this season have occurred against CCA, Xavier (twice) and Des Moines Christian...Hayes, a Creighton commitment, leads the Lancers in kills (253)...Johnson has 370 assists, 208 digs and 142 kills in '23...Brunkan has 375 digs and Allard's 44.0 blocks pace the squad.   ADM - The Tigers reached the state tournament for just the second time in program history, joining the '05 squad, which made it in 3A...They lost to Indianola in last year's regional finals...ADM has dropped matches against Union (twice) and West Des Moines Valley this season...Gerleman has the most kills (319) and blocks (34.0) on the team...Siefken handed out 789 assists with 106 digs and 29.0 blocks, while James has collected 334 digs...Smith has chipped in with 193 digs and 165 kills.   SERIES NOTES   The teams have not faced each other since North Scott won a 2-0 decision in September of '18 at the Dubuque Senior tournament.   NO. 2 INDIANOLA (36-4) VS NO. 7 MARION (26-12)   TOP WINS   Indianola - Centennial, Waukee Northwest, Waukee, Norwalk (X3), Western Christian   Marion - CB Lincoln, Mount Vernon   TOP PLAYERS   Indianola - No. 3 [player_tooltip player_id='215470' first='Camryn' last='Overton'], JR; No. 4 Dana Blake, JR; No. 8 [player_tooltip player_id='215466' first='Aspen' last='Nelsen'], JR; No. 12 [player_tooltip player_id='215468' first='Makenzie' last='Sloan'], JR; No. 14 [player_tooltip player_id='193202' first='Tori' last='Runyan'], SR.   Marion - No. 1 [player_tooltip player_id='447490' first='Carlee' last='Webber'], JR; No. 6 Sophia Paulsen, SR; No. 7 [player_tooltip player_id='168180' first='Natalee' last='Hartman'], SR; No. 15 Alexis Pierce, SR; No. 17 [player_tooltip player_id='168178' first='Michaela' last='Goad'], SR.   TEAM NOTES   Indianola - Indianola returned to the state tournament last season for the first time since '14. The program reached state for the 12th time in the program's history...It's defeated three Top 10 teams in 5A in '23...Overton shined with a team-high 351 kills, 118 digs and 34.0 blocks...Runyan's 976 assists ranked among the most in 4A...Sloan sat second among Indianola players in kills (224) and blocks (40.0).   Marion - The Wolves clinched their third state berth in a row this season...They also reached the tournament for the 12th time ever, winning a title in '08...Goad leads Marion in kills (381) and ranks second in blocks (70.0), while Webber is tops in blocks (84.0) and second in kills (282). Hartman has piled up 453 digs, and Pierce has produced 736 assists with 145 digs and 42.0 blocks.   SERIES NOTES   The schools met once, back on Oct. 11 of '18. Marion won, 2-0.   NO. 3 CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (24-6) VS COUNCIL BLUFFS LEWIS CENTRAL (31-2)   TOP WINS   Xavier - North Scott (twice), Marion, Nevada   Lewis Central - Iowa City High, CB Lincoln (twice)   TOP PLAYERS   Xavier - No. 9 [player_tooltip player_id='215391' first='Taylor' last='Rexroth'], JR; No. 10 [player_tooltip player_id='215386' first='Carley' last='Jonker'], JR; No. 12 Molly Garrison, SR; No. 13 [player_tooltip player_id='215392' first='Libby' last='Fandel'], JR; No. 19 Ava Turner, SR.   Lewis Central - No. 5 Ashlynne Havermann, SR; No. 6 Haylee Erickson, SR; No. 12 [player_tooltip player_id='251671' first='Anna' last='Strohmeier'], SR; No. 15 [player_tooltip player_id='215459' first='Maddie' last='Roenfeld'], JR; No. 16 [player_tooltip player_id='215458' first='Brooke' last='Larsen'], JR.   TEAM NOTES   Xavier - The defending state champion Saints replaced a lot off of last year's squad and still only lost six matches in '23. Xavier reached the state tournament for an eighth year in a row, also winning it all in '20. Fandel has enjoyed an excellent junior year with a team-best 386 kills with 203 digs and 39.0 blocks, both of which rank third among Saints...Garrison has handed out 746 assists, and Jonker has produced a team-high 261 digs to go with 150 kills and 20.0 blocks...Rexroth paced the squad with 52.0 blocks.   Lewis Central - The Titans returned to state for the first time since '17, which ended a streak of four years in a row making the tournament. Larsen finished the regional final with a Titan-best 261 kills and the third most digs (193) and blocks (35.0)...Strohmeier ranked second on Lewis Central with 212 kills with 192 kills and 30.0 blocks...Havermann had 167 kills, 198 digs and 24.0 blocks...Roenfeld's 57.0 blocks are tied for the most in the team.   SERIES NOTES   According to Bound, this will the first meeting between the two schools.

Last year's Class 4A finalists, champion Xavier and runner-up Clear Creek Amana, have made it back to Coralville. They've been joined by a strong group of six teams also with designs on winning it all.