Junior outside hitter Delaney Miller has helped the second-ranked Ankeny Centennial volleyball team to records of 2-0 in the CIML Conference and 10-2 overall. The Jaguars won the Little Hawk Invitational on Saturday at Iowa City High for the third consecutive year.
Miller served 14 straight points to open a match against Bettendorf, igniting Centennial to a 25-5, 25-11 victory. She had 15 kills in the Jaguars’ 25-14, 25-22 win over Council Bluffs Lewis Central, the No. 7 team in Class 4A, and added 13 more in her team’s 27-25, 25-8 win over the host Little Hawks.
Miller leads the squad with 131 kills and has posted a .306 hitting percentage. She has also recorded 12 blocks and 54 digs and is tied for the team lead in aces with 14.
Here is some inside info on Miller:
How is the season going thus far?
This season has been so fun! I’ve been playing with most of these girls for three years now, and they are all amazing people and teammates and I’m so blessed that I get this year with them. All of the younger players just go at everything with no fear and every time we step on the court seeing them grow is awesome, so I’m excited to see where we end up come November.
What did you think of your team’s performance on Saturday?
I truly think that as a team we play better ball every time we step on the court, and that showed this weekend. We went in with the mentality that this tournament was a business trip, and I think that we executed on a high level and had fun along the way!
Your team returned only five varsity regulars this season. Have you tried to take over more of a leadership role?
Yes, definitely. I knew that it was important especially for the younger girls to have someone to look to in the hard moments in practice and games, and I was ready to accept that challenge knowing that the upperclassmen last year had done that for me. I also have experience playing in this type of atmosphere so I knew I could step up and help guide our team in the right direction.
I know you played a lot of volleyball in the offseason. What was the highlight of your summer tournaments?
Club ball was such an awesome experience where I played with amazing people who really just wanted to be the best for each other. Because of that, we played at such a high level and my favorite thing about those tournaments was playing some of the best teams and players in the country and making a name for ourselves.
In what ways do you think you’ve improved the most since last year?
I think that my mental game has improved the most. I’ve always worked hard to improve my physical play, but club ball was high pressure and tough competition and school ball is such a crazy game with so many uncontrollables like a ton of fans and huge rivalries so you just have to be pretty confident in your ability to perform under pressure. I knew that I needed to develop that part of my game if I wanted to become an effective captain and leader on my team.
Your team will host Dowling Catholic in a 1 vs. 2 showdown on Tuesday night. Do you think the Maroons will be looking for some revenge after losing to your squad in five sets in last year’s Class 5A quarterfinals?
I think both teams have different makeups than last year, and Dowling has always been a great team so we always expect a battle going into that game. If we play the game I know that we can, we won’t walk out of our gym disappointed no matter what happens.
What do you remember about that match?
What stands out to me is the constant fight we had knowing that we didn’t want the season to end for our seniors. We truly never lost confidence in ourselves, and I think that will be a big key for us again this year.
What will be the keys to beating them again?
We just need to play our game. Our team does the best when we block out the noise and play with each other and for each other. Serve receive is going to be huge for us so that we can run our offense effectively. They have a very tall group, and they put up some big blocks. So creating gaps with fast tempo will be key as well as getting them out of system with tough serving so our defense can work.
Goals for the rest of the season?
Take everything one step at a time. This season goes by very fast so just embracing every game and practice while continuing to grow as players and together as a team. And hopefully getting to play three awesome games at state!!
I assume you want to play volleyball in college. Do you have any offers yet, and have you looked at any schools?
Yes, I do want to play in college! Competing at such a high level in club helped me get some looks from colleges, and I have gone on some visits. I’m very excited about every opportunity that is being offered to me to play the game I love in college!
Do you know what you want to study?
I don’t yet. But I’m interested in possibly going into the medical field.
