The Ankeny volleyball team put together a few brief runs against top-ranked Waukee Northwest on Tuesday.
It’s difficult, though, to sustain any kind of momentum against the powerful Wolves–who boast four Division I recruits.
Northwest eventually pulled away in each set to post a 25-19, 25-18, 25-16 victory at No. 4 Ankeny, allowing the Wolves to clinch at least a share of the CIML Conference championship.
“They are really good,” Ankeny junior Teagan Moyer said of the Wolves. “They just kept getting everything up, and we just couldn’t switch.”
It was the 15th straight win for Northwest, which improved to 7-0 in the conference and 32-1 overall. The Wolves’ only loss came to No. 3 Waukee in the final of the Metro Classic on Sept. 13 at Southeast Polk, but Northwest then avenged the loss by sweeping the Warriors 10 days later.
Ankeny’s records dropped to 4-3 and 21-8. The Hawkettes were coming off a loss on Sept. 30 at No. 6 Dowling Catholic, which can earn a share of the CIML crown with a win at Northwest on Oct. 14.
The Wolves defeated Ankeny for the second time this season. They posted a 21-17, 21-8 win during pool play at the Ankeny Centennial Invitational on Aug. 30.
“We haven’t played them since the beginning (of the season),” said Ankeny coach Liz Baethke. “The first time at Centennial, it was early and Saturdays are weird. I think I was most pleased at the level of preparation these kids took. Each time we’re taking away pieces and information. Even though it was 0-3 and the score didn’t really reflect it, we’re making good progress.”
Ankeny held a two-point lead on three different occasions in Set 1. The Hawkettes took advantage of three consecutive Northwest hitting errors to reel off four straight points, their longest run of the night, for a 7-5 advantage.
Ankeny held an 8-6 lead after an exchange of sideouts before the Wolves answered with a 4-0 run of their own. They took the lead for good, 11-10, on a kill by Logan Vogt.
“At first our strategy was working pretty well, but then we became a little less disciplined,” Baethke said. “I wanted to keep it tighter so that we’d at least have an opportunity. I thought if we could go point for point with them and maybe go up a little bit with a lead change, we could maybe get them to start thinking about things too much. We didn’t quite get there, but we’ll be more ready the next time.”
Northwest never trailed in Set 2. A kill by Leah Janulewicz sparked a 5-0 run that broke a 1-1 tie and put the Wolves ahead for good.
Ankeny later got a kill and a block from Moyer to close the gap to 19-15. A kill by Raquel Risk pulled the Hawkettes even closer at 20-17, but Northwest eventually closed out the set with a 4-0 run, capped off by a kill from Piper Ladwig.
“We were getting a lot of good swings–lots of good touches–and they were just everywhere,” Moyer said of the Wolves.
There were eight ties and four lead changes in Set 3 before Northwest went on a 9-2 run to build a 17-10 advantage. The Wolves later closed out the match on an ace by London Taylor.
Baethke wasn’t discouraged by the loss.
“We’re right where I want us to be. It could’ve been better, especially with limiting our unforced errors,” said Baethke, whose team had 21 hitting errors and four service errors. “But we’re getting there, and I want to make sure that we peak at the right time. And when we do, it’s going to be dynamic.”
Elle Isaacson led Ankeny with seven kills, while Marlee Ellison and Hailey Wiederin each added six. Macie Kohl dished out 14 assists, and Miya Steinkamp contributed 13 more.
Libero Hailey Flanders racked up 17 digs and had the Hawkettes’ only ace of the match. Moyer and Quinn Roush each made three blocks.
Moyer is hopeful that her team will get another shot at the Wolves. If the current rankings hold up, the two teams could potentially meet in the Class 5A semifinals.
“I think we just need to go with our game plan a little more, just always swing high and know it’s open,” Moyer said. “We just have to keep doing what we know works, and we can get around (their blocks).”
The Hawkettes will host the Ankeny Quadrangular on Saturday against Cedar Rapids Xavier (10-12), Norwalk (22-8) and Omaha (Neb.) Westside. Norwalk is ranked fifth in Class 4A.
