Senior outside hitter Maya Ridgeway had seven kills to help the third-ranked Ankeny volleyball team to a 25-15, 25-10, 27-25 victory over visiting Iowa City High in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday. The Hawkettes (36-4) advanced to the state tournament for the seventh consecutive year.
Ridgeway currently ranks fourth on the team with 217 kills in 583 total attacks. She has compiled a .262 hitting percentage.
Ridgeway ranks second on the squad with 52 blocks. She has also recorded 38 digs.
Here is some inside info on Ridgeway:
The win over Iowa City High was your team’s 11th in a row. Do you feel like your squad is playing its best volleyball of the season?
I think the team is playing amazing, but there are so so many talented and amazing players on this team and our ceiling is so high, I do think the competitive atmosphere of the state tournament will really bring out something different in us.
There were six lead changes and 16 ties in that third set before your team finally closed out the match on a kill by Kamryn Scheib. Did Iowa City High do anything differently in that set to make things more competitive?
I do think Iowa City High got a little fire behind them in the third set, and as we got a little more tired we started to settle down a little, but this team has gotten really good at getting back up on our feet and staying in it mentally in close games like that.
Your team will now play No. 6 Waukee Northwest, the defending champion, in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Monday at Coralville at 2:25 p.m. Since your squad has already defeated the Wolves three times, has that made the preparation for the match easier?
We are definitely prepping just as hard as we would for a team we have never seen before. Our conference is so competitive, and teams are always making changes and tweaking lineups etc.
All three of those previous matches were pretty close, though, including a five-set match at Northwest on Oct. 8. What will be the keys for your team to come out on top again?
The key for this team the whole season has been remembering what we are doing all this for. I try and remind the girls a lot to also remember why we are here and that there is a reason we are out on the court and get to play a sport that we love so much. Nobody can get this far without having some type of love for the game and want for the big goal at the end.
Your team has lost in the quarterfinals in each of the previous two years, and some of your teammates told me after Tuesday’s match that they think this year will be different. Have those losses provided a lot of motivation for you personally?
Every loss is a bit of motivation for me. Nobody likes to lose, and I’m a very competitive person. Yes, those bigger, more heartbreaking losses in our last few quarterfinals matches do give me more motivation to make this last year worth it and special.
All four of your team’s losses came to teams that qualified for state–Ankeny Christian Academy, Waukee, Dowling Catholic and Ankeny Centennial. Do you think Ankeny Christian Academy, which is seeking a third consecutive Class 1A championship, could be competitive in the 5A field?
ACA has a team full of very kind and even more talented girls. They are very fun to play, and they are great competition. I do think that they could compete at the 5A level very well.
Your team’s last loss came to Centennial on Sept. 26, and that is also the team that defeated your squad in a five-set match in last year’s quarterfinals. Would you like another shot at your crosstown rival since you could meet the No. 2 Jaguars in Wednesday’s semifinals?
I would love to play them again. They are a very fun team to play and the energy of rivalry games is indescribable. Hearing both student sections go at it and knowing your school wants it just as bad as you just adds a whole new level to the game. It’s also very fun seeing club teammates like Mya (Lei-Butters) across the net.
The only team in the Class 5A field that you haven’t played is No. 1 Pleasant Valley, but you could potentially face the Spartans in Thursday’s championship match. Do you know much about them?
We know a bit about PV, but our coaches do a great job helping us prepare for the teams we may not know as much about. I have never gone into a match feeling unprepared.
What would that mean to you if you could close out your high school career with a state championship?
Winning this state championship would mean the world to me. I started out my volleyball career on the eighth grade “C” team, so I never imagined then that I would be a contributing member on varsity or see the court in a state tournament game. This group of girls also means the world to me. This senior class is my family, we are all so close and I love them all. Being able to not only win state but win state with some of my best friends would be an absolute privilege.
I believe at least three of your senior teammates have already committed to play at various schools next year. Are you planning to play in college, and what are you going to study?
I am not planning on playing at the next level. Next year I do plan to attend a four-year school and become either a child life specialist or a pediatric occupational therapist.
