The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team finally got over the semifinal hump at the Westside Invitational.
The second-ranked Jaguars captured the title at the Cedar Rapids Jefferson tournament on Saturday with a 25-19, 25-17 victory over No. 4 Pleasant Valley. They raised their record to 29-5 by sweeping all six of their opponents on the day.
Centennial had lost in the semifinals of the tournament in each of the last four years, including a three-set loss to Pleasant Valley in 2024.
“Today was huge!” said Centennial coach Jessica Rinehart. “I couldn’t be more proud of a group of people. I feel like today’s results and play are a reflection of their consistent effort, commitment to their team, positive attitudes and selflessness that they’ve displayed all season! When you do the right things day in and day out, it’s bound to pay off.”
The Jaguars outhit Pleasant Valley (25-5) by a .250 to .027 margin. Mady Ott had six kills to lead the way, while Kaelyn Rinehart and Tatem Schmidt each added five.
Maegan Cheeseman dished out 11 assists in the win, and Schmidt chipped in eight. Mya Lei-Butters racked up 12 digs and also completed all 11 of her serves.
In the semifinals, Centennial rolled to a 25-12, 25-20 win over No. 9 Iowa City Liberty (22-8). The Jaguars hit .290 in the match.
Schmidt had 12 kills and six assists, while Cheeseman added six kills and 15 assists. Lei-Butters finished with 15 digs, and Ellie Pollock contributed two blocks and two aces.
“We knew with so many top-ranked 5A schools there that we had to bring it and I thought we faced the challenge, rose up and everyone took care of their jobs!” Rinehart said. “I’m happy they got to experience today. They deserve that, and I know we’re excited to get back in the gym and keep working!”
The Jaguars posted a 27-25, 25-16 victory in the quarterfinals over Dike-New Hartford (29-9), the No. 2 team in Class 2A. The Wolverines lost to Centennial for the second time this season.
Ott had eight kills and three blocks in the match, while Rinehart and Sophia Heither each added six kills. Schmidt had 12 assists, and Cheeseman added eight.
Lei-Butters led the defense with 22 digs.
Centennial went 3-0 during pool play, including a 21-8, 21-18 win over West Delaware (28-9), the No. 9 team in Class 3A. The Jaguars also posted a 21-12, 21-10 win over Cedar Rapids Washington (2-29) and a 21-7, 21-11 triumph over West Liberty (21-14).
Centennial will close out the regular season on Tuesday with a CIML Conference match at Southeast Polk. The Rams are 1-6 in the league and 13-15 overall.
Both teams have been placed in Class 5A Region 2 and could meet again in the regional final on Oct. 28 at Centennial.