First Round
Class 5A
#1 Waukee Northwest 3, #8 Indianola 0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-12)
Senior outside hitter Leah Janulewicz led the Wolves with 14 kills on an efficient .579 hitting percentage. Avery Cordes added nine kills on .615 hitting, while Logan Vogt contributed eight kills and 12 digs. Setter Avery Vogt guided the offense with 33 assists as Waukee Northwest controlled play from start to finish. Northwest is now 36-1 while the Indians season ends at 27-17.
#2 Ankeny Centennial 3, #7 Iowa City West 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-23)
The Jaguars (32–5) used balanced scoring, efficient setting, and steady defense to hold off several late rallies from the Trojans (27–5). Centennial hit .222 as a team, recording 44 kills to West’s 41, while limiting errors in key moments to close each set. Senior setter Maegen Cheeseman directed the offense with 17 assists and added 10 kills of her own, finishing with a .318 hitting percentage. Tatem Schmidt led the attack with 11 kills and two blocks, while middle hitter Sophia Heither was a force at the net with eight kills and three blocks. Mya Lei-Butters anchored the defense with 15 digs and served at a .529 clip.
#5 Ankeny 3, #4 Dowling Catholic 2 (18-25, 25-17, 17-25, 25-17, 15-11)
The Hawks improved to 18–11 on the season after rallying twice to overcome early deficits. Ankeny hit .151 as a team and recorded seven total blocks while holding Dowling Catholic to a .139 hitting percentage. Hailey Wiederin led Ankeny with 18 kills on a .275 hitting percentage. Teagan Meyer added nine kills, and setter Elie Isaacson finished with 26 assists. Libero Hailey Flanders collected 24 digs to lead the back row, and Raquel Risk contributed six kills and two service aces. Dowling’s season ends at 27-8.
#6 Valley 3, #3 Pleasant Valley 2 (13-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13)
The Tigers, now 28-12, overcame a slow start and rallied twice to pull out the deciding fifth set. Valley finished with 57 kills and nine total blocks, while hitting .152 as a team. Pleasant Valley ended its season at 29-6 with 58 kills and 12 blocks. Brynn Cibula and Thia Raridon led Valley’s attack with 14 kills each. Kaelynn Wieland added 10 kills and 26 assists, while Ryan Connolly and Brooklyn Brown each contributed 10 kills. Libero Myla Rude anchored the defense with 21 digs and a .955 serve-receive percentage. Setter Olivia Grubbs provided 20 assists, and Valley served 10 aces as a team.
Class 4A
#1 Clear Creek Amana 3, #8 Sgt. Bluff Luton 0 (25-23, 25-9, 25-21)
The Clippers, now 42-3, controlled the match from start to finish behind an efficient offense and a dominant defensive effort at the net. Clear Creek-Amana hit .250 as a team and totaled five blocks, while holding Sergeant Bluff-Luton to a .157 hitting percentage. Averie Lower led the Clippers with 17 kills on a .361 hitting percentage. Bailey Simpson added 10 kills and three blocks, while Julia Schlarbaum contributed six kills. Setter Emily Henderson directed the attack with 35 assists, and libero Kendall Ronnfeldt anchored the back row with 11 digs. SB-L ends their season at 19-13.
#5 North Scott 3, #4 Dallas Center Grimes 1 (27-25, 17-25, 25-16, 25-23)
McKenzie Moeller pounded 27 kills to lead the Lancers to the semifinals. Four different players were in double figures in digs and Adalynn Johnson added 10 kills. North Scott is now 24-10 while the Mustangs ends their season at 26-11.
#2 Sioux Center 3, #7 Marion 1 (27-25, 19-25, 25-14, 25-21)
The Warriors, now 29-4, used an efficient attack and solid defensive effort to control the match after splitting the first two sets. Sioux Center hit .284 as a team, finishing with 62 kills and seven total blocks, while Marion hit .165 with 48 kills. Courtney Schmidt led Sioux Center with 21 kills on a .476 hitting percentage. Maryn Franken added 17 kills and 25 digs, and Adison Brantsen contributed 12 kills. Setter Taylor Holverson paced the offense with 30 assists and added two aces, while libero Kaylee Traver led the back row with five digs. Marion finishes their season at 28-14.
#3 Pella 3, #6 Norwalk 1 (25-22, 29-31, 25-17, 25-21)
Katie Scheckel paced Pella with 16 kills on .375 hitting, Abbie Brand added 14, and Brooke Schulte chipped in 12. Setter Julia Settles recorded 31 assists. Libero Elah Hiemstra led the Dutch back row with 20 digs as Pella totaled 64 team digs. Olivia Cutler added four service aces for the Dutch, who improve to 32-10. Norwalk was led by Elle Hatlevig’s 19 kills while Jillian Hammond and Ava Carlson added 11 apiece. Setter Hadley Michael had 47 assists. Reese Heim topped the Warriors’ defense with 26 digs. The Warriors end the season at 29-12.
