Previewing Class 4A State Tournament
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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…
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Continue ReadingLast 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 Meg Berkland Meg Berkland 5'6" | DS/L Clear Creek Amana | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 6 Bliss Beck Bliss Beck 6'2" | MB Clear Creek Amana | 2024 State #141 Nation IA , SR; No. 7 Emily Henderson Emily Henderson 5'8" | S Clear Creek Amana | 2026 State IA , SO; No. 15 Sam Schrage Sam Schrage OH Clear Creek-Amana | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 22 Averie Lower Averie Lower 5'11" | OH Clear Creek Amana | 2026 State IA , SO.
Norwalk – No. 5 Grace Dehmer Grace Dehmer 5'6" | DS/L Norwalk | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 10 Ava Johnson, SR; No. 11 Hadley Michael, FR; No. 15 Emmory Toppenberg Emmory Toppenberg 6'0" | MB Norwalk | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 21 Noelle Sutcliffe Noelle Sutcliffe 5'11" | OH Norwalk | 2024 State IA , 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 Abbey Hayes Abbey Hayes 6'2" | OH North Scott | 2025 State #82 Nation IA , JR; No. 5 Georgia Brunkan Georgia Brunkan 5'3" | DS/L North Scott | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 6 Kaci Johnson Kaci Johnson 5'8" | S North Scott | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 10 Sydney Skarich Sydney Skarich 5'9" | OH North Scott | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 15 Emee Allard Emee Allard OH North Scott | 2025 State IA , JR;
ADM – No. 8 London Warmuth London Warmuth 6'2" | MB ADM | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 9 Kaylee Smith, SR; No. 12 Marissa Gerleman Marissa Gerleman 5'10" | MB ADM | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 13 Madison Siefken, SR; No. 19 Madi James Madi James 5'6" | DS/L Adel-Desoto-Minburn | 2025 State IA , 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 Camryn Overton Camryn Overton 5'11" | RS Indianola | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 4 Dana Blake, JR; No. 8 Aspen Nelsen Aspen Nelsen 5'10" | OH Indianola | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 12 Makenzie Sloan Makenzie Sloan 5'11" | MB Indianola | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 14 Tori Runyan Tori Runyan 5'9" | S Indianola | 2024 State IA , SR.
Marion – No. 1 Carlee Webber Carlee Webber 6'0" | MB Marion | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 6 Sophia Paulsen, SR; No. 7 Natalee Hartman Natalee Hartman 5'7" | DS/L Marion | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 15 Alexis Pierce, SR; No. 17 Michaela Goad Michaela Goad 6'1" | MB Marion | 2024 State IA , 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 Taylor Rexroth Taylor Rexroth MB Xavier | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 10 Carley Jonker Carley Jonker DS/L Xavier | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 12 Molly Garrison, SR; No. 13 Libby Fandel Libby Fandel OH Xavier | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 19 Ava Turner, SR.
Lewis Central – No. 5 Ashlynne Havermann, SR; No. 6 Haylee Erickson, SR; No. 12 Anna Strohmeier Anna Strohmeier 5'11" | MB Lewis Central | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 15 Maddie Roenfeld Maddie Roenfeld 6'0" | MB Lewis Central | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 16 Brooke Larsen Brooke Larsen 5'11" | S CB Lewis Central | 2025 State IA , 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.