(Story by Stephen McDaniel)
The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team had a chance to pull out a huge home victory to open CIML Conference play and the opportunity just slipped away.
The Class 5A preseason No. 10 Jaguars held a 2-1 set lead over No. 5 Dowling Catholic before the Maroons pulled out the fourth set and then used a big run in set five to earn a 3-2 road victory on Tuesday night.
“What was working well against Dowling was serving aggressively and mixing up our offense,” said Centennial coach Jessica Rinehart. “We have lots of areas we need to grow with offensive production, syncing up our block and defense, and getting grittier when we’re tired.”
Centennial and Dowling tied for second place in the CIML behind top-ranked Waukee Northwest last season, and both were looking to get out in front of the standings in a loaded conference.
The Jaguars and Maroons traded points in the first set before Centennial senior middle hitter Sophia Heither and freshman outside hitter Madi VanBruggen helped give their team a 12-10 lead off back-to-back kills.
Dowling answered with a 7-2 run in the middle of the set that put the Jaguars in a three-point hole that they weren’t able to climb out of, and the Maroons held on to claim a 25-20 win.
Centennial answered the call in an important set two by rattling off a 7-1 run fueled by kills from seniors Ellie Pollock and Sidney Rogers, a block by senior Bailey Snyder and a pair of aces from junior Kaelyn Rinehart.
The Maroons fired right back with a 10-2 run that turned Centennial’s 7-1 lead into an 11-9 deficit.
Rogers and Heither broke up the run with back-to-back kills and a serving error by Dowling sparked a 6-0 run for the Jaguars that kept them in control to the end of the set.
The Maroons went on a late 5-1 run to pull it back within 24-23 before Heither closed out the set to tie things up.
Centennial had to respond to another Dowling run in a crucial set three after the Maroons reeled off six straight points to take a 9-6 lead.
Pollock recorded a pair of kills to tie the set up at 12-12 before the two teams traded 11 consecutive points in a back-and-forth battle before a kill by Pollock, a kill by Rogers and a Dowling hitting error broke the streak to give the Jaguars a 19-17 edge.
Snyder came up with a pair of big kills late in the set to give Centennial a 24-23 lead. Junior Meryl Sandholm then recorded a big block as the Jaguars closed out a second consecutive 25-23 win.
With their backs against the wall, the Maroons were able to pull ahead in the fourth set and stayed in front the rest of the way.
Centennial had it pulled within two points multiple times, which included a Sandholm kill to make it 22-20, before a kill by Dowling’s Caroline Crane sparked a 3-0 run to close out Dowling’s second 25-20 set victory.
The momentum from the fourth set carried into the fifth, and the Jaguars quickly fell into a deep hole.
Dowling started on a 3-0 run and by the time the Maroons held a 9-2 lead, Centennial already used both of its timeouts.
The Jaguars got their wheels turning and were able to pull it back within four points late in the set, but the rally was too little and too late. Dowling eventually sealed the outcome with a 15-10 win.
Crane finished with 17 kills, six blocks and six aces as the Maroons raised their overall record to 7-1. Centennial dropped to 4-3.
VanBruggen has been a bright spot in the Jaguars’ lineup early in the season. She recorded a team-high 17 kills in the loss and now leads the team with 43 kills through seven matches.
“Madi has stepped up as a freshman,” Rinehart said. “We’ve been really impressed with her so far. She’s a kid that wants the ball and isn’t afraid to take a rip.”
After dropping back-to-back matches, Centennial will look to get back on track when it heads to Iowa City High for the Little Hawk Invitational on Saturday. The Jaguars will try to win the title for the sixth consecutive year.
