5A State Tournament: Matchup previews, who to watch

Regional finals took place across the state this week, with no real surprises. Each of the eight 5A teams advancing to the state tournament were ranked in the top-10 in the latest IGHSAU poll, with seven of the eight sweeping their regional final foe. Here’s what to look for in the 5A state tournament first round, which takes place on Tuesday in Cedar Falls at the U.S. Cellular Center:   (Pictured: Valley's Madi Kubik, the top player in the state, will be among those competing next week.)   No. 1 Cedar Falls (44-0) vs. No. 8 Waukee (29-14) Noon, on court one The defending champs, Cedar Falls has to be the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing. Playing in their hometown, the Tigers are undefeated with nine wins over teams in the 5A state tournament, only dropping one set in those contests. In fact, they’ve only dropped two sets all year. Cedar Falls kills leader is 6-foot-1 junior Akacia Brown, who is the younger sister of former University of Kentucky volleyball player Kaz Brown. With a crew of contributing juniors, the Tigers will also utilize senior Dara Hulstein, a Navy commit. They should be expected to beat Waukee, as they did way back in August, sweeping them 21-12, 21-13. Waukee is led by hard-hitting 6-foot-2 Haley Bush, a Drake commit.   No. 4 Cedar Rapids, Jefferson (37-6) vs. No. 5 Linn-Mar (31-9) 2:00 p.m. on court one Twice these teams have met, and twice Cedar Rapids, Jefferson came out on top winning 3-1 in September and 2-0 earlier this month. Cedar Rapids, Jefferson is led by senior setter Maddy Baxter, another Drake commit. She’s third in 5A with 967 assists and has a team-high 73 aces. They also boast a Division-I commit at libero in senior Kaylee Donner, who will play for Northern Iowa next year, and 6-foot senior Peyton Brokovich, who is committed to North Florida. It’s Sydney Kloubec — an Indian Hill Community College commit — who leads the team with 363 kills and also boasts a .320 hitting percentage. Linn-Mar will counter with electric attacker and passer Megan Renner, a 6-foot-2 senior and Purdue commit. Impressive all over the floor, Renner leads the team in kills, assists and aces.   No. 2 Ankeny Centennial (38-3) vs. No. 7 Dowling Catholic (29-12) Noon, court two Ankeny Centennial is undefeated (3-0, 2-0) against Dowling this year, and will look to advance on Tuesday. Led by 6-foot-1 senior Kenna Sauer, a Missouri commit who has posted a team-high 386 kills this year and 6-foot-1 junior Devyn Robinson, a Wisconsin commit who is hitting .439 this season. They also boast senior setter Riley Morgan, who has 934 assists this year and has a higher hitting percentage (.547) than anyone in 5A with at least 100 attempts. The state tournament appearance is the sixth straight such bid by the Jaguars. Dowling, probably the youngest team in the field, will lean on one senior, Jacey Koethe, and a bevy of freshmen, sophomores and juniors.   No. 3 West Des Moines, Valley (40-3) vs. No. 6 Ankeny (31-12) 2:00 p.m., court two Valley is 3-0 against Ankeny this year, but the last set they played (on Sept. 15) was quite competitive, resulting in a 28-26 Valley win. Of course, the Tigers will be led by 6-foot-1 Madi Kubik — likely the most decorated player in the state and a Nebraska commit. A member of the U.S. women’s junior national team, Kubik will be a real treat for volleyball fans to watch. She leads the state in kills, with 480, and second on the Valley team is her 6-foot freshman sister Hayden Kubik. Ankeny will counter with capable hitters with varying styles, and an elite setter in sophomore Phyona Schrader, a 6-foot-0 lefty setter who is committed to Notre Dame.