The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team won’t need a map to Coralville.
The Jaguars have made a habit of qualifying for the state tournament, so coach Jessica Rinehart and her players already know the way to Xtream Arena.
Second-ranked Centennial advanced to the state tournament for the 12th time in the 13-year history of the program by sweeping visiting Southeast Polk in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday. The Jaguars won by scores of 25-17, 25-11, 25-18.
“It feels amazing knowing that we will be back in Xtream in a few days,” said Centennial setter Maegan Cheeseman, who had four kills and dished out 14 assists. “We did not take this win for granted at all. We know any team can catch fire at any time.”
It was the 10th consecutive triumph for Centennial, which hit .318 on the night while improving to 32-5 on the season. The Jaguars’ winning streak began on Oct. 7 and included a sweep at Southeast Polk in the regular-season finale on Oct. 14.
The Rams (14-17) managed to score six more points than they did in the loss to Centennial two weeks ago, but the Jaguars were still in complete control.
“Winning (the first match) did give us confidence, but most of all (our confidence) comes from practice!” Cheeseman said.
Tatem Schmidt racked up seven of Centennial’s 27 kills. She also had nine assists and a pair of blocks.
Mady Ott and Ellie Pollock each contributed six kills. Ott had just one hitting error in eight total attacks for a .625 hitting efficiency.
“Mady had a great night,” said Rinehart. “We were all impressed with her competitive spirit and the energy she brings to the court.”
Sophia Heither added three kills and a team-high three blocks in the win. Libero Mya Lei-Butters chipped in 12 digs, and Kaelyn Rinehart added six.
The coach’s daughter also completed all 18 of her serves and had one of the team’s five aces.
“I thought it was a solid team win,” said Rinehart. “We did what we needed to do! It’s always great to earn that trip to state. I’m excited and happy for our team!”
The Jaguars will play No. 8 Iowa City West (27-5) in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Monday at 12:25 p.m. on Court Two. The Trojans advanced to state for the first time since 2016 with a four-set victory over No. 10 Iowa City Liberty, defeating the Lightning for the third time this month.
Iowa City West got 13 kills and 24 digs from junior outside hitter Sophia Austen.
“These girls are gritty and ready to fight and make that run for the state title,” Austen told the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
The two teams have not met. They both competed in the Westside Invitational on Oct. 11 at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, but Iowa City West lost to No. 3 Pleasant Valley for the second time this season in the semifinal round, preventing a matchup against Centennial in the final.
“We saw West early in our preseason scrimmage,” Rinehart said. “They are young but talented. We will be watching video over the next couple days as we prepare for them. I do like that we’ll see someone new down there. We tend to play CIML teams multiple times throughout the season so it’s always fun when you get to play someone you haven’t played.”
The winner of Monday’s match will play defending champion Pleasant Valley (29-5) or No. 7 Valley (27-12) in Wednesday’s semifinals at 10:25 a.m. The championship match is slated for Thursday at 10 a.m.
Centennial has reached the semifinals in each of the last three seasons, but has not advanced to the title match since winning its fourth crown in five years in 2018. The Jaguars have lost to Waukee Northwest in five sets in each of the last two years.
A pair of wins would give Centennial a shot to play for the title and perhaps an opportunity to get some revenge against the No. 1 Wolves (35-1), who have handed the Jaguars four of their five losses this season.
