4A State: Sergeant Bluff-Luton Upsets Xavier, North Scott Rolls

<!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://youtu.be/AJsZ_-6bQHw","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/AJsZ_-6bQHw </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CORALVILLE, Iowa - </strong>Eighth-seeded Sergeant Bluff-Luton showed up at Monday's state tournament embracing its underdog role. The Warriors knew few people outside of their locker room believed they could win against Class 4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We had nothing to lose because we were the underdog" setter Bailey Ball said. "We knew that we could do it. We all have confidence. We all have confidence in our teammates, too." </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They proved it to everybody else in pulling out a thrilling five-set victory Monday. Sergeant Bluff-Luton advanced to meet fifth-seeded Pella in Wednesday's state semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Tomorrow we have practice and then we're going to move on to the next one," Ball said. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors (22-13) took the first two sets Monday before Xavier responded by taking the next two. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We decided to change our mentality and were like, OK, we can do this. It's 0-0. Yeah, it worked out," Ball said of the conversation before the fifth set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ball finished with 34 assists, adding 13 digs and three kills. Izzy Schaap produced a team-high 16 kills, and Bre VanDenTop had 13. [player_tooltip player_id='493652' first='Kaitlyn' last='Hardie'] shined with 29 digs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Xavier (28-5) did well in digging itself out of a 2-0 hole but came up just short in the fifth set, 15-13. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We were just really nervous," senior [player_tooltip player_id='215392' first='Libby' last='Fandel'] said of her team's slow start. "Going in there as No. 1, you have a target on your back. We didn't play together. I think we were prepared, but not enough, and they were a really good team."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://ighsau.org/upl/downloads/library/volleyball-2024-4a11.pdf">BOX SCORE</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://youtu.be/wkmS7AY61Ak","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/wkmS7AY61Ak </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DEFENDING CHAMPS ROLL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://ighsau.org/upl/downloads/library/volleyball-2024-4a44.pdf">BOX SCORE</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defending state champion North Scott showed it has every intention of repeating. The third-seeded [program_tooltip program_id='431978' first='Lancers' last=''] overwhelmed No. 6 Glenwood, 25-11, 25-13, 25-16, in Monday's opening round in 4A. They moved on to meet No. 2 Bishop Heelan in Wednesday's semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Creighton commitment [player_tooltip player_id='215406' first='Abbey' last='Hayes'], the star of last year's state title team, was efficient on Monday, leading her team with 17 kills (.438). McKenzie Moeller added 14 kills, [player_tooltip player_id='389008' first='Addison' last='Allen'] dished out 33 assists, and [player_tooltip player_id='215767' first='Emee' last='Allard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='261052' first='Ainsley' last='Haedt'] teamed up for 33 digs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Glenwood (36-7) never settled in Monday, and the [program_tooltip program_id='431978' first='Lancers' last=''] had a lot to do with that. [player_tooltip player_id='214507' first='Charley' last='Hernandez'] led the Rams with 10 kills. [player_tooltip player_id='754245' first='Kaylee' last='Wray'] delivered eight kills and a team-high 10 digs. [player_tooltip player_id='730673' first='Allison' last='Koontz'] recorded 24 assists. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CRUSADERS CRUISE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://ighsau.org/upl/downloads/library/volleyball-2024-4a22.pdf">BOX SCORE</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 2 Bishop Heelan opened up the state tournament with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-18 win against seventh-seeded Carlisle. The Crusaders advanced to face defending state champion North Scott in Wednesday's 4A semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='217136' first='Maliyah' last='Hacker'] and Ava Loyd each cranked out 13 kills for Heelan (41-3). Maddie LaFleur dished out 27 assists and came up with 14 digs. [player_tooltip player_id='389836' first='Ireland' last='Jackson'] posted a team-high 18 digs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='196422' first='AK' last='Christensen'] led Carlisle (25-9) in kills (11) and digs (13). Ava Chanthavong and [player_tooltip player_id='215424' first='Sydney' last='Light'] combined for 15 kills, and Abby Barry had 11 assists and 10 digs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DUTCH DOWN CCA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://ighsau.org/upl/downloads/library/volleyball-2024-4a43.pdf">BOX SCORE</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fourth-seeded Clear Creek Amana and No. 5 Pella were expected to play a close match based on rankings. They did just that. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pella won a five-setter after rallying from a 2-1 deficit. The Dutch (40-7) took the final set, 15-9, to move on to Wednesday's semifinals against eighth-seeded Sergeant Bluff-Luton. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='389942' first='Katie' last='Scheckel'] may have enjoyed the top performance of Day 1 with 23 kills, 25 assists and 25 digs for Pella. Emma Eekhoff and Claire Smock teamed up for 49 digs. Eekhoff and Abbie Brand had 11 kills apiece. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='361168' first='Averie' last='Lower'] was awesome for the Clippers, pounding out 20 kills and coming up with 24 digs. [player_tooltip player_id='243457' first='Emily' last='Henderson'] provided 41 assists and 10 digs for CCA, and Elizabeth Timmerman had 10 kills and seven digs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->