Baileigh Carlsen and Reagan Hanfelt each had three aces, their teammates combined for six more, and the Ankeny volleyball squad cruised to a 25-18, 25-15, 25-16 win over visiting Waukee on Tuesday.
Carlsen also completed all 13 of her serves for the eighth-ranked Hawkettes, who went 70-of-74 from behind the line (94.6 percent) while raising their records to 1-1 in the CIML Conference and 5-2 overall. Waukee, which has lost twice to No. 6 Ankeny Centennial, dropped to 0-2 and 2-4.
“I thought we came out with a lot of energy,” said Ankeny coach Liz Baethke. “We had some parts where we didn’t pass as well as I thought we would come out, especially after the confidence we built over the weekend. But I think it’s just that first home (match) jitters piece. We got it out of the way, and it was a solid performance. I’m happy with all the players out there. Everyone almost got to contribute on the bench as well, so it was a great night overall.”
Kamryn Scheib had 11 kills and hit .400 for the match to lead the Hawkettes, who hit .244 as a team. Aowyn Schrader added nine kills as she continues to recover from an elbow injury.
Baethke said Schrader has made a lot of progress over the last week.
“Just even from Saturday to (Tuesday),” she said. “The other thing we don’t think about is just the conditioning. She’s been out for a couple of months. That is going to impact players, especially of her caliber. But she’s getting back. I’m happy with where she’s at. Everyone else is bringing it. I just couldn’t be happier.”
Hanfelt contributed seven kills and hit .385 on the night. Her kill from the middle closed out Set 1.
Cloey Wiederin dished out 15 assists, while Lauren Dockendorff added 12 assists and a pair of aces. Her ace closed out Set 2.
Hanfelt led the defense with five blocks. Scheib and Ava Wille each added three.
Carlsen racked up 14 digs. Wiederin chipped in eight.
Ankeny has won five of its last six matches after opening the season with a loss at No. 2 Dowling Catholic on Aug. 22. The Hawkettes went 4-1 on Saturday at the Centennial Invitational, where they defeated four ranked opponents.
“I could just see the growth (at that tournament),” Baethke said. “They built the trust amongst themselves. You could see it out on the court and the bench. Everybody was involved. Everybody contributed. It was just a great day overall.”
Ankeny will compete in the Marj White Classic on Saturday at Valley. The Hawkettes went 5-1 at last year’s tournament, losing only to Dowling.
