Previewing Class 5A State Tournament
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For at least the third season in a row, Central Iowa Metro League programs occupied six of eight spots in the Class 5A State Tournament. Against the odds, the last two champions have come from other leagues. Pleasant Valley won…
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Continue ReadingFor at least the third season in a row, Central Iowa Metro League programs occupied six of eight spots in the Class 5A State Tournament. Against the odds, the last two champions have come from other leagues. Pleasant Valley won it in ’21 and Iowa City Liberty claimed the crown last fall.
Pleasant Valley of the Mississippi Athletic Conference and the Mississippi Valley Conference’s Cedar Falls are the non-CIML squads in this year’s field. They’ll be trying to keep the title in Eastern Iowa for a third season in the row.
Here’s a closer look at this year’s first-round matchups in 5A, which begins play on Monday at Xtream Arena in Coraville:
No. 1 WEST DES MOINES DOWLING CATHOLIC (30-7) vs. WEST DES MOINES VALLEY (19-15)
TOP WINS
Dowling – Centennial, Northwest, Johnston, Ankeny, Valley, Waukee
Valley – Dowling, Northwest, Ankeny, Waukee
TOP PLAYERS
Dowling – No. 1 Annalise Grant Annalise Grant 5'5" | DS/L Dowling Catholic | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 5 Kate Nelson Kate Nelson 5'9" | RS Dowling Catholic | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 12 Kenzie Dean Kenzie Dean 6'3" | OH Dowling Catholic | 2024 State #145 Nation IA , SR; No. 13 Ellie Muller Ellie Muller 6'3" | MB Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA , SO; No. 15 Ella Rogers Ella Rogers 6'1" | S Dowling | 2025 State IA , JR.
Valley – No. 1 Dani Schnicker Dani Schnicker 5'4" | DS/L Valley | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 5 Elise Jaeger, SR; No. 7 Finley McAndrew, SR; No. 9 Thia Raridon, SO; No. 10 Kaelyn Wieland Kaelyn Wieland 5'8" | S West Des Moines Valley | 2026 State IA , SO.
TEAM NOTES
Dowling – Dean, a University of Kansas commitment, has pounded out 429 kills (.297)…Rogers has collected 949 assists and Grant has 375 digs…The Maroons have won three matches in a row since losing to one of the state’s other top teams in Dike-New Hartford at the Cedar Rapids Jefferson Tournament. They lost to DNH earlier this season along with other top-flight outfits in Clear Creek Amana, Waukee Northwest, Cedar Falls, Valley and Kansas’s St. James Academy, the nation’s 14th-ranked team, according to USA Today…Dowling reached state for a 12th year in a row, the longest streak in 5A.
Valley – McAndrew, who is headed to D-I New Jersey Institute of Technology, entered state with 458 assists with 192 digs and 111 kills…Jaeger, who leads the team in kills and blocks, has committed to Northern Iowa University for basketball…Despite having the fewest wins among 5A state teams, the Tigers have knocked off current Top 10 teams in Dowling, Waukee, Waukee Northwest and Ankeny this season. They topped No. 11 Iowa City High, 3-1, in the regional finals…Valley qualified for state for a second year in a row and for the 13th time in its history.
SERIES NOTES
For the the fourth year in a row, these teams met twice during the regular season. They split those meetings this fall after Dowling had swept the previous three years. The Tigers took the seven matchups before that, including a 4-0 run in ’19.
No. 4 PLEASANT VALLEY (27-5) vs. No. 5 JOHNSTON (32-6)
TOP WINS
Pleasant Valley – Valley, Assumption (twice)
Johnston – Ankeny Centennial, Valley (twice), Cedar Falls
TOP PLAYERS
Pleasant Valley – No. 7 Lauren Brohm, JR; No. 10 Stella Smith Stella Smith 6'1" | MB Pleasant Valley | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 14 Isabelle Kremer Isabelle Kremer 6'3" | RS Pleasant Valley | 2026 State IA , SO; No. 16 Mazie Sweers Mazie Sweers 6'0" | OH Pleasant Valley | 2027 IA , FR; No. 20 Molly Albrecht, SR.
Johnston – No. 1 Ella Smithson Ella Smithson 5'7" | DS/L Johnston | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 3 Jazmine Bell, SR; No. 4 Jadeyn Pundt, SR; No. 15 Ava Helming Ava Helming 6'0" | MB Johnston | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 18 Josie Pundt Josie Pundt 6'0" | OH Johnston | 2024 State IA , SR.
TEAM NOTES
Pleasant Valley – The Spartans have reached the last two state championship matches, winning their first-ever title in ’21 before falling against Iowa City Liberty last year…They’re here for a fifth season in a row and for the 15th time overall…2A No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (twice), 4A No. 4 North Scott, 3A No. 1 Mount Vernon and 5A No. 7 Ankeny have been the only teams to top PV in ’23…Kremer leads the Spartans in kills (222) and blocks (22.0). Brohm has piled up 665 assists, while Sweers ranks second on the team in kills (184) and digs (173).
Johnston – The Dragons punched their ticket to state for the 11th time in their history, last making in two years ago. They captured a 4A championship in ’07…A Valparaiso commitment, Helming has stood out with one of the state’s top swings as evidenced by her 458 kills (.327), and she’s added 198 digs and 25.0 blocks. Jadeyn Pundt (1,003 assists, 122 digs, 28.0 blocks) and Josie Pundt Josie Pundt 6'0" | OH Johnston | 2024 State IA (323 kills, 196 digs, 30.0 blocks) have shined all around the court.
SERIES NOTES
According to Bound, these teams last met in ’19 with Pleasant Valley winning, 2-0, in the Johnston tournament. The Spartans have won three of the last four meetings in the series.
No. 2 ANKENY CENTENNIAL (30-6) vs. No. 7 ANKENY (24-14)
TOP WINS
Centennial – Johnston, Ankeny (twice), Northwest (twice), Valley (twice), Waukee (twice)
Ankeny – Pleasant Valley, Johnston, Cedar Falls, Northwest (twice), Waukee (three times)
TOP PLAYERS
Centennial – No. 2 Mya Lei-Butters Mya Lei-Butters 5'1" | DS/L Ankeny Centennial | 2026 State IA , SO; No. 8 Jaeden Pratt Jaeden Pratt MB Ankeny Centennial | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 9 Anna Sash, SR; No. 11 Kambria Leazer, SR; No. 15 Delaney Miller, JR.
Ankeny – No. 2 Reagan Hanfelt Reagan Hanfelt 6'0" | MB Ankeny | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 4 Baileigh Carlsen Baileigh Carlsen 5'9" | DS/L Ankeny | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 5 Kamryn Scheib, JR; No. 15 Ava Wille, SR; No. 17 Olivia Eike Olivia Eike 6'1" | OH Ankeny | 2025 State IA , JR.
TEAM NOTES
Centennial – The Jaguars posted a 9-3 mark against squads currently ranked in the 5A Top 10…Miller (405 kills-223 digs-28.0 blocks) and Pratt (302-232-35.0) have performed at a high level for two seasons…Centennial has received rock-solid play at setter (Leazer), libero (Lei-Butters) and middle blocker (Sash) as well…It upended Dowling in last year’s state quarterfinals before falling against eventual champion Iowa City Liberty in the semis…The Jaguars reached state for the fourth year in a row and for the 10th time since ’13.
Ankeny – The Hawks advanced to the state tournament for the sixth season in a row. They’ve finished on top of the mountain six times, their last championship coming in ’20…Scheib has been one of the better juniors in the state this season, leading Ankeny in kills (287) and ranking second in digs (193). Carlsen (476 digs) has replicated a wall in the back row, while seniors Dockendorff (437 assists) and Cloey Wiederin (425) have set up a talented group of hitters. Hanfelt (223 kills, 94.0 blocks) and Wille (152-101.0) have stood out as two-way players.
SERIES NOTES
Centennial outlasted their rival, 3-2, in the latest meeting, which happened on Oct. 3 in the Jaguars’ gym. The Jags also topped Ankeny, 2-0, on Aug. 26 in their own tournament…The Hawks won the two meetings between the rivals last season…Bound indicated that Centennial held a 9-6 all-time advantage in this series.
No. 3 WAUKEE NORTHWEST (24-9) vs. No. 6 CEDAR FALLS (34-6)
TOP WINS
Northwest – Dowling, Johnston, Waukee (twice), Valley
Cedar Falls – Dowling, Xavier (twice), Wahlert, Assumption, Valley, Waukee
TOP PLAYERS
Northwest – No. 6 Kamryn Vogt Kamryn Vogt 6'0" | MB Waukee Northwest | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 8 Chloe Jones Chloe Jones 5'11" | OH Waukee Northwest | 2024 State IA , SR; No. 9 Logan Vogt Logan Vogt 6'1" | RS Waukee Northwest | 2027 IA , FR; No. 14 Katrina Pelds, SR; No. 21 Chloee Hayes Chloee Hayes 5'11" | MB Waukee Northwest | 2024 State IA , SR.
Cedar Falls – No. 3 Paige Paup, SR; No. 4 Brynn Bakula Brynn Bakula 5'8" | S Cedar Falls | 2026 State IA , SO; No. 10 Grace Hannam Grace Hannam 6'1" | MB Cedar Falls | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 16 Natalie Schmadeke Natalie Schmadeke 5'10" | S Cedar Falls | 2025 State IA , JR; No. 17 Kya Bradfield, JR.
TEAM NOTES
Northwest – The Wolves returned a lot of talent from a team that reached the state tournament in ’22, the school’s second year of existence. Pelds has pounded out a team-high 222 kills and has contributed through six rotations. Kamryn Vogt Kamryn Vogt 6'0" | MB Waukee Northwest | 2024 State IA (157 kills, 86.0 blocks) and Hayes (178-74.0) have provided imposing two-way presences at the net. Jones (150 kills, 246 digs) has impacted matches from all around the court. Northwest has won 16 of its last 19 matches, its lone setbacks coming versus Dowling and Centennial (twice).
Cedar Falls – The Tigers make their eighth appearance at state in the last nine seasons. They twice won championships and finished runner-up another time. Bakula has become one of the state’s better players with 720 assists, 51 kills, 171 digs and 40.0 blocks in ’23. Hannam has blocked 125.0 attempts and added 182 kills, and Paup has hammered 375 kills with 46.0 blocks and 201 digs. Schmadeke (183 kills, 68.0 blocks) and Bradfield (102-72.0) have made things difficult at the net for opponents.
SERIES NOTES
Northwest won the two regular-season meetings between these schools. The Wolves took a 2-1 decision on Aug. 26 at the Centennial tournament. They then captured a 2-0 victory on Sept. 23 at the Cedar Falls tournament. The programs were also on each other’s schedule last season but no scores were recorded on Bound. Cedar Falls won the matchup, 2-0, at the ’21 Centennial tournament.