Havanna Dolbeare pounded 17 kills, Breeze Bentz added 15 more, and the top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team posted a 25-16, 25-19, 25-19 victory over eighth-seeded West Monona in the Class 1A quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Xtream Arena.
The Eagles (39-2) have never lost a match at the state tournament. They won three consecutive Class 1A crowns from 2022-24 and are now 10-0 all-time in Coralville.
West Monona, meanwhile, was making its first appearance at the tournament. The Spartans (25-9) had never before even reached a regional final.
“Watching them on film, we for sure noted their resistance to letting balls drop,” said Bentz. “Coming into the tournament, every team is also going to be playing their best game. We knew we were going to have to make it hard on them by getting in system to produce hard, clean kills.”
ACA led by only 16-13 in Set 3 before freshman setter Gabbie Quick delivered four consecutive aces to extend the lead. The Eagles eventually closed out the match on a hitting error by West Monona, which was outhit by a .301 to .215 margin.
Quick racked up 30 assists, seven digs, six aces and three kills in the win. She now has 82 aces on the season.
“Gabbie got in a really good rhythm right before that,” said her mother, ACA coach Michele Quick. “The freshmen did a good job in that environment. It was a big stage and loud, so I was really proud of them.”
The first set was a back-and-forth affair that featured seven ties and six lead changes. The Spartans held an early 6-4 advantage before ACA rallied.
Bentz, a junior, helped the Eagles take control.
“Breeze started out strong so we had to keep feeding the hot hand, and Maleah (Porter) was crushing the ball,” Quick said.
West Monona also put up a fight in Set 2. The Spartans trailed by only 20-19 before ACA closed out the set with a 5-0 run.
Bentz hit .444 on the night, committing only three hitting errors in 27 total attacks.
“I was definitely feeling it!” Bentz said. “I was in rhythm with both my setters tonight, and they know when someone is producing, they’re going to keep feeding. I give credit to their great placements, which made my job of putting the ball away much easier.”
Dolbeare hit .400 and also had a team-high 11 digs. Porter chipped in six kills, Dani Craighead had five kills and two blocks, and Avlyn Davis added 10 assists.
Karmen Lamberts had a pair of aces for the Eagles, who served at a .973 clip (71-of-73).
ACA will play No. 5 Holy Trinity Catholic (31-6) in Wednesday’s semifinals at 6 p.m. on Court One. The Crusaders advanced with a five-set win over No. 4 Wapsie Valley.
