Resurgent Iowa City West Headed to State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code:&nbsp;howe30&nbsp;in the coupon code area</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/10/photo-gallery-iowa-city-west-vs-liberty/">Photo Gallery: Iowa City West vs. Liberty</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IOWA CITY - </strong>When I first saw the 2025 Iowa City West roster, the potential was undeniable. Scouting the Trojans at the Prep Dig Sizzle in early August left me wondering if they'd reach it. They lacked chemistry and consistency. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I saw them again at their Live Like Line tournament on Sept. 13. They still were a bit disconnected. A few days later, they dropped an MVC match to a rebuilding Xavier squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then West began finding its footing, fighting through a pair of late-season, five-set, donnybrooks against Liberty and City High. Toughness was building. I saw them at the Westside Invite in Cedar Rapids on Oct. 11. Despite losing to Pleasant Valley in the semifinals of the gold bracket, the Trojans appeared confident and better connected. They'd go on to win the MVC championship three days later.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After cruising in the regional opener last week, one obstacle stood in the way of their first state tournament birth since 2106, the school up the street, Liberty. The Lightning arrived here at the West gym Tuesday night looking to flip the script following a pair of setbacks to its rival already in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That wasn't to be, however.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans, with their talented individual student-athletes, showed they had grown since the Sizzle. The whole was equal to the sum of their parts. They controlled the first set, a [player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen'] kill finishing off the 25-19 win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In Set 2, West built a 22-15 lead before the Lightning stormed back, cutting its deficit to, 23-21. An Austen kill following a slick dig by Liberty's [player_tooltip player_id='316419' first='Edie' last='Miller'] brought up match point, though. The Trojans finished off the 25-22 victory by working together to cover during the decisive point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third set saw Liberty show the grit and determination that has become the hallmark of this group through the last several years. It switched to a 6-2 alignment with No. 1 setter [player_tooltip player_id='316380' first='Hadley' last='Miller'] contributing to an improved attack during the 25-22 triumph.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was time to see if West would respond or head to a fifth set lacking momentum and facing the pressure of a reverse sweep. The state tournament ticket was on the line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans rebounded, building an early, four-point lead before Liberty cut its deficit to 14-12. That's as close as the Lightning would get the rest of the match, however. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='754657' first='Cyan' last='Blommer'] went off with four kills as West built a 22-16 advantage. Austen added a key block to set up match point. An error by the visitors ended the proceedings and set off the celebration. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blommer has been an incredible addition to the program. She looked nervous at times early in the season but is playing with a ton of confidence now. If she's not the No. 1 player among the state's ninth-graders, she's firmly in the discussion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Austen was excellent, as always, Tuesday. She's flourished in a leadership role for a mostly inexperience squad. Her back-row play also has become consistently sound.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Her younger sister, freshman [player_tooltip player_id='610472' first='Josie' last='Austen'], balanced the attack from the opposite pin, and sophomore middle hitters [player_tooltip player_id='533845' first='Taylor' last='Otte'] and [player_tooltip player_id='697463' first='Audrey' last='Small'] provided two-way impact. Their classmate, libero [player_tooltip player_id='540833' first='Izzie' last='McDonald'], solidified the back row and consistently found setter [player_tooltip player_id='555736' first='Lila' last='Eastvold'] with precise passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Millers proved again on Tuesday why they're among the best players at the their positions that the state has to offer. [player_tooltip player_id='273001' first='Ellie' last='Wilson'] delivered impactful plays through six rotations, once again, and Van Heukelom has made great strides in the middle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West will turn from regional favorite to state tournament underdog when it opens play against Ankeny Centennial on Monday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The Jaguars own a 4-0 advantage in the series, winning the last meeting, 3-0, in the 2023 regional semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've seen Centennial several times throughout this season, including when it won the competitive Westside Invite in Cedar Rapids on Oct. 11. The Jaguars are loaded with productive veterans that have been in this spot before. It will take an extraordinary effort from West to pull off the upset. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If the Trojans can overcome the nerves and newness of the state tournament, they have the talent to compete, though. They'll also lean on the chemistry and teamwork built throughout the resurgent season for the program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->