The top four seeds in the Class 5A state volleyball tournament all advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals at Xtream Arena in Coralville.
Will the rankings continue to hold up true to form?
Here are Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Final Four:
No. 1 Dowling Catholic (31-7) vs. No. 4 Pleasant Valley (28-5): These two teams won their quarterfinal matches in similar fashion. After dropping the first set, Pleasant Valley rallied to snap Johnston’s 19-match winning streak, while the Maroons also overcame an early deficit to beat crosstown rival Valley in four sets. The Spartans are trying to win their second crown in three years, and they’ll have to knock off three consecutive CIML Conference opponents in order to do so. Dowling, meanwhile, is making its 12th state tournament appearance in a row, but is still seeking its first title. Kansas recruit Mackenzie Dean pounded 17 kills in the win over Valley. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Dean and teammate Ellie Muller are often difficult for opposing teams to match up with, but Pleasant Valley also has a lot of size in the form of Isabelle Kremer and Stella Smith, who are also 6-2. Smith had four of the Spartans’ 12 aces in the win over Johnston, while Dowling struggled from behind the serving line–misfiring on 16 of its 96 attempts. If the Maroons don’t serve any better than that, they could be ripe for an upset. But I think they’ll find a way to survive and advance. Prediction: Dowling in five sets.
No. 2 Ankeny Centennial (31-6) vs. No. 3 Waukee Northwest (25-9): The conference rivals have already met twice–with the Jaguars winning a pair of close matches. Centennial rallied for a 20-25, 25-17, 15-8 victory in the quarterfinals of the Urbandale Invitational on Sept. 30, then traveled to Northwest on Oct. 10 for a league match and prevailed in five sets. The Jaguars trailed in the fifth set, 14-12, before fighting off two match points and closing out the match with a 4-0 run. The Wolves rely on a balanced attack–five different players had between nine and 12 kills in a four-set win over Cedar Falls on Monday. But the Jaguars racked up 22 total blocks in their five-set victory over Ankeny, including a Class 5A single-match record seven solo blocks by Anna Sash. Look for both teams to go on runs at various times, but it seems likely if not probable that this match will go the distance. And when it gets to crunch time, Centennial might enjoy a mental advantage over the Wolves following its previous wins. The Jaguars know how to win the close matches, and I think they’ll do it again–putting them one victory away from a fifth state championship. Prediction: Centennial in five sets.
