A Look Into The Ankeny Centennial Invite And First Impressions

<p>The Ankeny Centennial Invitational was definitely the tournament to watch. With most teams ranked at the top of their respective classes, you were sure to see some high-end volleyball. Here are my thoughts and first impressions on each team that competed.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Waukee Northwest</h4>   <p>Of course, we have to start with the tournament champs, the Wolves of Waukee Northwest. Although they had a few hiccups throughout the day, that didn't stop them from coming out on top. You can tell the Wolves are still finding their groove after graduating their captain and standout setter, Avery Vogt. However, they've been working hard to remain on top and are quickly strengthening the connections needed to do so. </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Although losing setter and captain Avery Vogt was tough on the Wolves, Jackson wasted no time stepping up and proving herself not only to her team but to everyone watching. The freshman showed clean and consistent ball placement and set a nice pace for the Wolves to succeed. </p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ankeny</h4>   <p>Ankeny showed up on Saturday and proved why they are ranked so high in the 5A class. Although we are still very early in the season, the Hawks played very clean volleyball and showcased amazing connections throughout the day. Everyone knew their role and executed it well like a well-oiled machine. The Hawks finished 2nd in the tournament, only dropping two games to Western Christian in pool play and Waukee Northwest in the championship. </p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Western Christian</h4>   <p>Western Christian showed a lot of promise throughout the tournament. The Wolfpack came out strong in the morning, finishing first in their pool. They even managed to take down 4A's top-ranked Norwalk in a tight two-set thriller and fell short to Waukee Northwest in the semifinals. The Wolfpack showed a lot of grit and aggression, making for a promising season for this group.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Assumption</h4>   <p>Although this team is young, these underclassmen are going toe-to-toe with anyone and everyone across the net. Although they are still trying to solidify their connections, this group was putting up fights against some of the best in the state, even taking a set off of Valley, taking down Ankeny Centennial, and taking a set from Ankeny. If they can get their setter-hitter connections down, you can expect to see this group making quite the run in the postseason. </p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Iowa City Liberty</h4>   <p>Iowa City Liberty showed up and really brought the energy on Saturday. The Bolts were a consistent and powerful force that came into every game guns blazing and ready to compete. Although they weren't the biggest team, they were definitely one of the smartest. Liberty has an insanely well-rounded team and showed that they don't really have many weak spots. The Bolts finished tied for 5th after taking a set off of Waukee Northwest but ultimately falling just short.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Dowling Catholic</h4>   <p>Although I'm sure Dowling didn't get as far as they would've liked, they still had an amazing showing this past weekend. The Maroons had such a strong presence at the net and behind the service line, racking up multiple aces and show-stopping swings. Although they fell short to Ankeny in 3 incredible, close sets, Dowling proved why they should be in the top of the rankings. </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='730098' first='Caroline' last='Crane'] was a terminator at the net, which should come as no surprise to anyone. Crane asserted her dominance throughout the tournament and played fearlessly at the net. The junior had head-turning kills mixed in with smart shots and big blocks. Not only did she get it done at the net, but she also racked up some aces of her own. </p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ankeny Centennial</h4>   <p>The Jaguars came out hot in pool play, sweeping IC Liberty, Dike- NH, and Waterloo United like it was nothing. However, they fell short to Assumption in the first round of bracket play and finished tied for 5th. I truly just think they weren't prepared for the Knights to come out as aggressive as they did and fell short in a close 13-15 3rd set. I don't foresee this happening much for the Jaguars throughout the season and still believe they are in for the long post-season run.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Norwalk</h4>   <p>I had very high expectations for the Warriors, especially with them coming into the season as the top-ranked team in 4A. Although I wasn't disappointed by their gameplay, I was hoping to see a little more aggression at the net. They made very smart plays, but there were a few times when I was expecting them to crush the ball, and it just didn't happen. I still think they're going to remain at the top of the 4A ranks, but I'm excited to see more aggression next time I watch the Warriors.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">WDM Valley</h4>   <p>Valley had a rough go around with pool play, having a 3-way tie and unfortunately going down to the consolation bracket. However, they didn't let that slow them down, and they took down Waukee in the championship of the consolation bracket and finished 9th overall. It seemed that there were only a few hitters that were really reliable for the Tigers; once they start getting more hitters active, it's going to be really hard to slow them down.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Waukee</h4>   <p>Waukee fought hard in a fairly tough pool, but unfortunately went down to consolation. I was most impressed by their defense, especially against Valley in the championship. Everyone stepped up and did their part from the net to the back row. The blockers worked hard all across the net and did a fantastic job getting their hands to the ball. The back was incredibly consistent when it came to getting under the ball.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cedar Falls</h4>   <p>I didn't know what to expect from Cedar Falls, but I turned out to be fairly impressed with their gameplay at this tournament. What stood out the most to me was how well each individual played. Everyone was contributing in their own way, whether it was with blocks, digs, aces, etc. Everyone was working towards the same goal, and everyone wanted to score in their own way. The Tigers have been in the middle of the pack so far this season, but I'm expecting this group to start working their way up to the top half.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Dike- New Hartford</h4>   <p>Dike was not the tallest bunch, but they were definitely one of the scrappiest. Especially when it came to Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='800320' first='Bryn' last='Petersen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='894796' first='Ruby' last='Varney']. The two did a fantastic job working together to keep the back row locked down. Both girls did an extremely good job of reading and adjusting to their opponents and got where they needed to be. Aside from their back row doing a stellar job, their hitters also showcased high-IQ volleyball. They weren't always swinging as hard as they possibly could, but they somehow always found a way to find the open court. </p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Linn- Mar</h4>   <p>The Lions have an incredibly strong, hitter-heavy team this season, and I'm here for it. Throughout the tournament, Linn-Mar had various girls putting the ball away, two of the most notable being [player_tooltip player_id='751769' first='Benita' last='Anyanwu'] and Betty Horaney. However, all of their hitters racked up quite a few points for themselves between blocks and kills. The Lions just had an all-around intimidating front row presence, and I'm excited to see more of them throughout the season.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Although there were many players who could be highlighted from the Linn-Mar group, I just had to do a quick write-up about [player_tooltip player_id='934241' first='Addi' last='Peters']. Peters had an all-around amazing day and contributed in more ways than one. Although she did have various big digs throughout the day, I was far more impressed with her hitting abilities. The Junior OH presented an incredibly strong arm swing and managed to power through most of the blockers she faced. Not only was she putting the ball away at the net, but she also remained a reliable option in the back row as well. </p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pleasant Valley</h4>   <p>Pleasant Valley didn't have the best turnout at the Ankeny Invite, finishing tied for last. However, there were still a few notable successes throughout the day. The Spartans' top priority is finding the most efficient lineup for this season. Unfortunately, because they haven't found that lineup yet, the connections weren't quite there. But once they find it and get in the groove, they'll be a tough group to beat. The most promising parts for PV is definitely their depth and defense. Between Addi Alleman, Eden Russman, and Lexi Stillwell, the Spartans are going to be tough to score on this season. </p>    <p>Kane has proven to be a staple in any and every lineup the Spartans throw on the court. Not only does the junior do an amazing job connecting with all of her hitters, she is also a strong contributor at the net, getting her fair share of kills and blocks. No matter who Pleasant Valley plays, you can expect to see Kane as a standout six-rotation player. </p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Sioux City East</h4>   <p>Sioux City East also did not have quite the turnout they'd have liked; they still had plenty of glimpses of high-end volleyball. Although the Raiders are slightly undersized, they still managed to hang with every team they played and even managed to take down Valley in an intense three-set battle. Once they find that groove and confidence in scoring against bigger teams, they are going to have a major turn around.</p>   <p></p>

The Ankeny Centennial Invitational was definitely the tournament to watch. With most teams ranked at the top of their respective classes, you were sure to see some high-end volleyball. Here are my thoughts and first impressions on each team that competed.