State Tournament Quarters: 5A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first day of the state tournament was full of high energy and even higher competition levels. The 4A and 5A classes came in and hit the ground running. With the end of their season on the line, all of these groups played like they were fighting for their life. There was passion, there were tears, and there was all around amazing volleyball. Here is a recap of two of the 5A matches: #1 Waukee Northwest vs. #8 Pleasant Valley and #4 Dowling Catholic vs. #5 Iowa City West.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Waukee Northwest vs. Pleasant Valley</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I think we were all expecting Waukee Northwest to come into the tournament ready to give it their all, and the Wolves did exactly that. They proved exactly why they are ranked first in the state right off the bat. It didn't take long for <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/logan-vogt/" data-type="players" data-id="490013">[player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt']</a> to heat up, making some head turning swings within the first few points. The Wolves came out swinging aggressively, their defense scrappy, and their energy at an all time high. Both teams did a fantastic job controlling their serve and pass games and you could tell they focused in on clean first touches. Although the Spartans were battling for every point, only a few of their hitters could find the court. <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/clare-yeggy/" data-type="players" data-id="555746">[player_tooltip player_id='555746' first='Clare' last='Yeggy']</a> and <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/avrielle-ohda/" data-type="players" data-id="789484">[player_tooltip player_id='789484' first='Avrielle' last='Ohda']</a> quickly became strong options for the Spartans. Waukee wasted no time taking care of business and took the first set 25-15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolves come into the 2nd set fired up, with <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/leah-janulewicz/" data-type="players" data-id="490011">[player_tooltip player_id='490011' first='Leah' last='Janulewicz']</a> serving up some heat, quickly getting the Spartans out of system. Waukee Northwest's defense and recycle game is incredibly strong as well, allowing the Wolves to stay alive in long rallies and making it incredibly hard to find ways to score. Avri Ohda continues to power through the block and junior <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/rachel-mccaulley/" data-type="players" data-id="773976">[player_tooltip player_id='773976' first='Rachel' last='McCaulley']</a> starts to get heated up in the middle. It didn't take long for Waukee NW to start pulling away from PV, but the Spartans found ways to try and chip away at the gap. Waukee takes a time out at 22-17, comes out of that time out and goes on a five-point run to take set two 25-17. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Realizing that the end of their season is on the line, the Spartans come into the 3rd set with their backs against the wall and some fire within them. The Wolves come into the set calm, and a little giddy knowing that they are one set away from advancing to the semifinals. Waukee NW kept their aggression behind the service line at a high and continued keeping Pleasant Valley out of system, however, the Spartans were doing a much better job of staying aggressive and making smarter decisions when out of system. Pleasant Vallet started to head up and take control of the third set, forcing Waukee Northwest to make a lot of uncommon errors. You can tell after the Wolves take their timeout Pleasant Valley was gaining a little more confidence in their gameplay and started going point for point with the Wolves and the Spartans manage to shut down [player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt'] to get game point at 25-24 but Waukee refuses to go to a fourth. The Wolves block keeps them alive and then the of course find [player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt'] in a tight situation and Waukee NW takes the third 28-26. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">What lead Waukee Northwest to get it done in 3?</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waukee Northwest came in to the match remembering who they were and how hard they've worked for their success so far this season. They trusted their training and worked together as a team to win a tough quarterfinal match. The Wolves were locked and loaded in every aspect and left little to no room for error. Offensively they stayed extremely aggressive with their swings and were smart with their shots. On defense everyone player their role from the block to the back row. They came in ready to set the standard not only for that match, but for the entire tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Stat leaders:</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pleasant Valley: <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/rachel-mccaulley/" data-type="players" data-id="773976">[player_tooltip player_id='773976' first='Rachel' last='McCaulley']</a>, <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/avrielle-ohda/" data-type="players" data-id="789484">[player_tooltip player_id='789484' first='Avrielle' last='Ohda']</a>, and <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/liv-barudin/" data-type="players" data-id="555773">[player_tooltip player_id='555773' first='Liv' last='Barudin']</a> collectively scored 14 of the Spartans 29 kills and had the best hitting percentages. [player_tooltip player_id='897063' first='Elise' last='Kane'] led the Spartan offense with 13 assists. And Addi Alleman held it down in the back row with 12 digs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waukee Northwest: <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/logan-vogt/" data-type="players" data-id="490013">[player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt']</a> led the Wolves in kills, having almost half of the teams kills with 21 on the match and hitting .432. [player_tooltip player_id='1006334' first='Kennedy' last='Jackson'] had 21 assists, <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/london-taylor/" data-type="players" data-id="555820">London T</a>aylor had 11 digs, and both <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/piper-ladwig/" data-type="players" data-id="493601">[player_tooltip player_id='493601' first='Piper' last='Ladwig'] </a>and <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/avery-cordes/" data-type="players" data-id="545971">[player_tooltip player_id='545971' first='Avery' last='Cordes']</a> finished with 5 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Marissa's players of the game:</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pleasant Valley: I couldn't choose one of them, so I'm picking all of the Spartans' DS' for the players of the game. <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/eden-russmann/" data-type="players" data-id="1016421">[player_tooltip player_id='1016421' first='Eden' last='Russmann']</a>, <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/addison-allaman/" data-type="players" data-id="493657">[player_tooltip player_id='493657' first='Addison' last='Allaman']</a>, and <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/alexis-stilwell/" data-type="players" data-id="555775">[player_tooltip player_id='555775' first='Alexis' last='Stilwell']</a> did a fantastic job creating first touches for Pleasant Valley and their defense kept created a lot of opportunities for the Spartan offense. These three girls truly gave it their all from start to finish and you could see the passion and drive from each of them during every single play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waukee Northwest: If I had to pick one person for a player of the game, it would obviously be <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/logan-vogt/" data-type="players" data-id="490013">[player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt']</a> without a doubt. She is an all around monster and a major problem for every single one of her opponents. Her ball control and precision every time she touches the ball is unmatched and she's an incredibly fun kid to watch. However, I have to give a shoutout to every single kid on the Waukee NW roster because every single one of those kids showed up and showed out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dowling Catholic vs. Iowa City West</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iowa City West came into the match with a lot of joy and ready to give it their all and Dowling looked calm and ready for a win. Both teams came out swinging away and stayed super gritty on defense. The Trojans were quick to find <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/sophia-austen/" data-type="players" data-id="360642">[player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen']</a> and the senior wasted no time getting to work and finding the court. Sophomore <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/cyan-blommer/" data-type="players" data-id="754657">[player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer']</a> also heated up quickly and did a great job of moving the ball around. Dowling settled in quickly and got the Trojans out of sorts. There were a lot of great things coming from the Trojan's side, but Dowling managed to play clean and consistent volleyball and refused to let a ball drop on defense. Dowling takes the first set 25-18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>IC West came into the second set with a whole new fire lit within them. <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/josephine-austen/" data-type="players" data-id="610472">[player_tooltip player_id='610472' first='Josie' last='Austen']</a> was feeling herself in the second set and managed to get a big kill followed by a nasty ace. <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/lila-eastvold/" data-type="players" data-id="555736">[player_tooltip player_id='555736' first='Lila' last='Eastvold']</a> did a fantastic job gauging her hitter's matchups and making the best decision possible, she even managed to sneak the ball over on two to score some points of her own. The Maroons started reliying heavily on their back row as well as their aggressive serving. <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/izzie-mcdonald/" data-type="players" data-id="540833">[player_tooltip player_id='540833' first='Izzie' last='McDonald']</a> showed up and showed out, making show stoping saves and giving maximum effort. The Trojans started to kick it into high gear and pull away. Dowling couldn't find their groove and IC West decided to start popping off. [player_tooltip player_id='555736' first='Lila' last='Eastvold'] got some aces of her own and the front row got the job done, leading the Trojans to take set 2 25-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans come into the second set fierce and fired up after taking set 2 and Dowling is still trying to find their groove. They started the set going point for point until the Trojans slowly started to pull away with a six point run. [player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer'] and <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/caroline-crane/" data-type="players" data-id="730098">[player_tooltip player_id='730098' first='Caroline' last='Crane']</a> are going kill for kill and [player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen'] is utilizing her shots and racking up kills of her own and start to toy with Dowling's defense. <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/taylor-otte/" data-type="players" data-id="533845">[player_tooltip player_id='533845' first='Taylor' last='Otte']</a> also starts to heat up and is putting the ball away set after set and getting one block after another. The Trojans start outplaying the Maroons in every aspect and their energy is crazy as [player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer'] makes an amazing adjustment to an out of system set followed by an absolute bomb from [player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer'] off of an overpass, giving Trojans set 3 25-14.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans come into set 3 overwhelmed with joy while the Maroons come in ready to fight to keep their season alive. Dowling started to get their groove back in set 3 and capitalized on clean volleyball, making sure not to over complicate and just play their game. This match went point for point with both of these teams playing some of their best volleyball. Everyone was finding a way to contribute and score. Dowling managed to pull away late in the set and took set 4 25-21. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iowa City West comes into set five unfazed and ready to give it their all, and that's exactly what they do. The Trojans was no time going on run after run, with Dowling finding it hard to go on a run of their own. IC West brought their A game back top set 5, giving Dowling little opportunity to score. The Trojans took down the Maroons in set 5 15-11.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">What pushed IC West to fight through 5 sets and come out on top?</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I think the biggest thing that led to the Trojan's success was their mindset coming into the game. They didn't have many expectations other than to give it their all and try to play to the best of their ability. They came into each set with a smile on their face and fought from start to finish. Their gameplay was definitely fueled by their energy and mindset throughout the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Stat leaders:</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iowa City West: [player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen'] led the Trojans in kills with 22 and 28 on the night. [player_tooltip player_id='555736' first='Lila' last='Eastvold'] got it done and ended with 56 assists on the night. Izzy McDonald held it down in the back row and finished the night with 20 digs. [player_tooltip player_id='533845' first='Taylor' last='Otte'] had herself a game and came up with 5 blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dowling Catholic: <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/kaylie-klein/" data-type="players" data-id="500340">[player_tooltip player_id='500340' first='Kaylie' last='Klein']</a> ended the night with 20 kills and <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/jaya-morrow/" data-type="players" data-id="758163">[player_tooltip player_id='758163' first='Jaya' last='Morrow']</a> finsined with 21 assists. [player_tooltip player_id='775096' first='Avery' last='Baker'] racked up 16 digs and Katie Muller ended the night with 5 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Marissa's players of the game:</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iowa City West: <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/cyan-blommer/" data-type="players" data-id="754657">[player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer']</a>- Blommer had herself quite the match after finding her groove late in the first set. The sophomore quickly gained confidence in her swing and after that, they couldn't stop her. She was staying active in every aspect and played some of the best volleyball I've seen out of her all season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/player/sophia-austen/" data-type="players" data-id="360642">[player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen']</a>- [player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen'] did exactly what was expected of her and did a fantastic job leading this group to their win. Not only was she racking up kill after kill, but she was also doing a fantastic job of reassuring her team in the toughest moments and pushed them to continue to stay strong. As a senior, she did played her role well and helped instill confidence in each and every single one of her teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/player/josephine-austen/" data-type="players" data-id="610472">[player_tooltip player_id='610472' first='Josie' last='Austen']</a>- Sometimes it's hard to get a shoutout when you have athletes like Sophia and Cyan on your team, but that wasn't the case for Josie. This girl was getting it done against Dowling and had a lot of momentum shifting plays from blocks, to kills, to aces, and even some digs were thrown in there. To say the least, she made it her mission to make an impact in this match, and that's exactly what she did. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/player/izzie-mcdonald/" data-type="players" data-id="540833">[player_tooltip player_id='540833' first='Izzie' last='McDonald']</a>- Izzy was an absolute beast in the back row right out the gates and kept that same energy and aggression all throughout the match. There is something so fun about watching a libero with a true "go mentality" and that's exactly what McDonald did. She didn't wait for anyone, she was assertive and took up as much court as she possibly could. In a sport where the team has to rely heavily on first contact, you definitely want a kid like Izzy back there running your serve receive and defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->