Senior setter Maegan Cheeseman has helped the third-ranked Ankeny Centennial volleyball team to a 17-3 record, including a 3-1 mark in the CIML Conference. She leads the Jaguars with 288 assists and has also contributed 62 kills, 28 blocks, 160 digs and 20 aces.
As a junior, Cheeseman helped Centennial to a 32-5 record and a third consecutive appearance in the Class 5A semifinals. She dished out a team-high 625 assists and was named to the all-conference second team.
Here is some inside info on Cheeseman:
How is the season going thus far?
The season is going great. We have had many great wins and just keep getting better every practice.
What has been the highlight for you?
A highlight for me was our home tournament (on Aug. 30). We played so many amazing teams and had so much fun fighting all day.
Your team survived a five-set battle against No. 7 Valley on Thursday after sweeping the Tigers at your tournament last month. Did Valley just play a lot better this time, or do you think your team may have overlooked the Tigers a little bit?
Valley played great in our match on Thursday. They are an impressive team who gel well and are always ready to compete.
After falling behind 2-1, you guys won the fourth set to tie the match and then dominated Set 5. Did you make some adjustments prior to Set 4, or did the team just start executing better?
After being down 2-1, we all took time to reset and just went out trusting each other to rally back and play our best ball of the game in the fifth.
All three of your team’s losses have come against No. 1 Waukee Northwest. What makes the Wolves so tough to beat?
The Wolves are a great team equipped with many weapons. You can always anticipate a great game between us. We are excited to see them again!
After you lost to Northwest for the third time in the semifinals of the Metro Classic on Sept. 13 at Southeast Polk, the Wolves then suffered their first loss in the championship match, dropping a 21-15, 21-19 decision to No. 2 Waukee. Do you think that match showed that Northwest is beatable, or is it more a sign of how good Waukee is as well?
Both Waukee and Northwest are great teams with amazing players. We can always predict to have a great match with high-level competition against both of them.
Your team has played the last two weeks without junior middle hitter Sophia Heither, who suffered a knee injury during the Iowa City High tournament on Sept. 6. What can you say about the performance of middle hitters Mady Ott and Sidney Rogers, who have really stepped up during Sophia’s absence?
I am beyond proud of how Mady and Sidney have stepped up for our team. They are both playing great ball and bring great energy to the court. I can’t wait to see them keep going!
Your team will host No. 4 Ankeny in the annual Jag-Hawk showdown on Thursday. You guys rallied for a 22-25, 27-25, 15-10 win over the Hawkettes in the semifinals of your tournament. What will be the keys for you to beat them again?
Our crosstown rivalry match is always high competition with a huge battle from both teams. Our key is to just be ourselves and trust in each other!
The CIML currently boasts six of the top seven teams in the latest Class 5A rankings. Do you think this is the strongest that the league has ever been from top to bottom?
The CIML has always been competitive usually ranking at the top of all the conferences in Iowa. I think this year’s performance from those six teams backs that up!
I assume you’d like to play volleyball at the next level. Have you looked at any schools yet?
I am committed to the University of Sioux Falls!
What are you going to study?
I am planning to study business.