Last year, the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial volleyball teams met in the state tournament for the second time--with the Jaguars prevailing in a five-set thriller in the Class 5A quarterfinals. This year, the two teams could meet in the Class 5A semifinals. Centennial dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the final Class 5A rankings on Monday after falling to … [Read more...] about Rematch in Class 5A semifinals?: Jaguars fall to No. 2, Ankeny stays No. 3 in rankings
Volleyball
Baethke returns to Urbandale, guides Hawkettes to sweep over her former team
(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Of all the gyms that the Ankeny volleyball team has played in throughout the fall, the Hawkettes closed out their regular season in one that’s more than familiar to coach Liz Baethke. The second-year Ankeny coach returned to Urbandale on Tuesday to help guide the Hawkettes to a 3-0 sweep (25-9, 25-4, 25-19) over a J-Hawks … [Read more...] about Baethke returns to Urbandale, guides Hawkettes to sweep over her former team
Regional volleyball pairings announced: Centennial, Ankeny, ACA earn top seeds
The regional volleyball pairings have been announced by the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union, and all three of Ankeny's teams have been awarded No. 1 seeds. Top-ranked Ankeny Centennial has been placed in Region 1 in Class 5A. The Jaguars (24-3) will host a regional semifinal against Urbandale (2-21) or Des Moines East (5-17) on Thursday, Oct. 24 at … [Read more...] about Regional volleyball pairings announced: Centennial, Ankeny, ACA earn top seeds
‘We really terminated the ball’: Hawkettes outlast Waukee NW for 3rd time this year
Two of the state's best volleyball teams met for a third time on Tuesday at Waukee Northwest. And, for the third time, third-ranked Ankeny outlasted the No. 6 Wolves. The Hawkettes posted a 20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 15-12 victory in the CIML Conference match, allowing No. 1 Ankeny Centennial to wrap up the outright league crown. Both Ankeny and … [Read more...] about ‘We really terminated the ball’: Hawkettes outlast Waukee NW for 3rd time this year
‘They had to dig deep’: Ankeny spikers overcome illnesses to win W-SR Invite
The Ankeny volleyball team dropped two sets along the way, but still managed to win the championship of the Waverly-Shell Rock Invitational on Saturday. The third-ranked Hawkettes posted a 25-20, 24-26, 15-9 victory in the title match over Denver, the No. 1 team in Class 2A. They extended their winning streak to seven matches while improving to 32-4 on … [Read more...] about ‘They had to dig deep’: Ankeny spikers overcome illnesses to win W-SR Invite
‘We needed that really bad’: Hawkettes top Dowling, move into tie for 3rd place
After losing to its crosstown rival five days earlier, the Ankeny volleyball team couldn't afford another loss. The third-ranked Hawkettes responded with one of their biggest wins of the season. Ankeny moved into a third-place tie with No. 4 Dowling Catholic in the CIML Conference by posting a 25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 25-20 victory over the visiting … [Read more...] about ‘We needed that really bad’: Hawkettes top Dowling, move into tie for 3rd place
‘That’s a huge win for us’: Jaguars topple Ankeny to move closer to conference title
It took awhile for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team to hit its stride on Thursday night. But once the Jaguars did, they were nearly unstoppable. Top-ranked Centennial rallied from a one-set deficit to post a 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-15 victory at No. 3 Ankeny in a CIML Conference showdown. The Jaguars shook off some rust to defeat their crosstown … [Read more...] about ‘That’s a huge win for us’: Jaguars topple Ankeny to move closer to conference title
No. 1 Jaguars rally past Ankeny in 4 sets, stay unbeaten in CIML Conference play
The top-ranked Ankeny Centennial volleyball team rallied for a 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-15 victory at No. 3 Ankeny on Thursday to remain unbeaten in the CIML Conference. The Jaguars scored the final three points to break a 22-22 tie in Set 3, then dominated Set 4 to close out the match. They defeated their crosstown rival for the fourth straight … [Read more...] about No. 1 Jaguars rally past Ankeny in 4 sets, stay unbeaten in CIML Conference play
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 276
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America and Revive Clinic and Spa, publisher Dan Holm interviews Ankeny activities director Mike Bakker and volleyball players Finley Greiner of Ankeny Centennial and Olivia Eike of Ankeny about Thursday's Jag-Hawk showdown. Revive owner Stef Gatica also makes an … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 276
Hawkettes tune up for showdown vs. Jags by sweeping S.E. Polk on Senior Night
Even with a huge showdown against top-ranked Ankeny Centennial coming up on Thursday, the No. 3 Ankeny volleyball team couldn't afford to look past its opponent on Tuesday. The Hawkettes rolled to a 25-15, 25-15, 25-14 victory over visiting Southeast Polk to stay alive in the CIML Conference race. They improved to 3-1 in the league and 25-3 overall, while … [Read more...] about Hawkettes tune up for showdown vs. Jags by sweeping S.E. Polk on Senior Night
Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kamryn Scheib, Ankeny volleyball
Senior outside hitter Kamryn Scheib has helped the Ankeny volleyball team to a 24-3 record and a No. 3 ranking in Class 5A. The Hawkettes won the Waukee Invitational on Saturday for the third consecutive year. Scheib leads Ankeny with 184 kills and 23 aces. She has also contributed 189 digs. Here is some inside info on Scheib: Congratulations on an … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kamryn Scheib, Ankeny volleyball
Carlsen reaches milestone as Hawkettes capture 3rd straight Waukee Invite crown
It's been a good week for Baileigh Carlsen and the Ankeny volleyball team. Carlsen recorded her 1,000th career dig as the third-ranked Hawkettes won the Waukee Invitational on Saturday for the third consecutive year. "Honestly, I didn't really know that I was about to hit 1,000--especially this tournament," said Carlsen, a senior libero and Auburn … [Read more...] about Carlsen reaches milestone as Hawkettes capture 3rd straight Waukee Invite crown
After long weekend, ‘tired’ Hawkettes sweep past Johnston for 19th victory
(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It had been awhile since the Ankeny volleyball team got the luxury of playing on its home court after weeks of road matches and tournaments. Despite still recouping from a six-match outing--which included playing a quarterfinal round matchup instead of getting a bye--at the Live Like Line Invitational hosted by Iowa City … [Read more...] about After long weekend, ‘tired’ Hawkettes sweep past Johnston for 19th victory
Hawkettes reach title match of Found Invitational before falling to Dowling
You can probably expect another close match when the Ankeny volleyball team hosts CIML Conference rival Dowling Catholic on Oct. 1. There isn't much of a gap, if any, between the two squads. Second-ranked Ankeny advanced to the championship match of the Caroline Found Invitational on Saturday at Iowa City West before dropping a 25-15, 22-25, 15-9 … [Read more...] about Hawkettes reach title match of Found Invitational before falling to Dowling
Jaguars, Hawkettes take over top 2 spots in Class 5A; ACA remains No. 1 in 1A
The state of volleyball in the city of Ankeny couldn't be much better. Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny are ranked in the top two spots in Class 5A in the latest rankings from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. The Jaguars (10-2) moved into the No. 1 spot after winning the Little Hawk Invitational on Saturday at Iowa City High for the fourth … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawkettes take over top 2 spots in Class 5A; ACA remains No. 1 in 1A
‘They just scrapped and wanted it more’: Warriors halt Ankeny’s winning streak
The Waukee volleyball team committed nine serving errors during Tuesday's match against visiting Ankeny. On most nights, it would be tough to overcome that many "free" points for your opponent. But ninth-ranked Waukee played so well in every other aspect of the game that it didn't matter. The Warriors avenged Saturday's loss to No. 4 Ankeny at the Marj … [Read more...] about ‘They just scrapped and wanted it more’: Warriors halt Ankeny’s winning streak
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 274
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America, publisher Dan Holm interviews Ankeny senior Reagan Hanfelt and coach Liz Baethke along with Ankeny Centennial coach Jessica Rinehart and senior Delaney Miller about the thrilling first few weeks of the volleyball season. Coldwell Banker realtor Ronda Dix also … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 274
‘Everyone played so hard’: Hawkettes beat 4 top-10 teams, win Marj White Classic
The Valley High School gym is turning into a second home for the Ankeny volleyball team. After sweeping their CIML Conference opener on Tuesday at Valley, the fourth-ranked Hawkettes returned to the Bill Coldiron Fieldhouse on Saturday and captured the championship of the Marj White Classic. They won all five of their matches in the round-robin event, … [Read more...] about ‘Everyone played so hard’: Hawkettes beat 4 top-10 teams, win Marj White Classic
‘The key was to stay on our toes’: Scheib, Hawkettes sweep past No. 11 Valley
The Valley volleyball team entered the week on a four-match losing streak. A matchup against fifth-ranked Ankeny was not what the Tigers needed. The visiting Hawkettes rolled to a 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 victory in the CIML Conference opener for both teams on Tuesday. They improved their overall record to 8-1, while No. 11 Valley dropped to 2-6. "The … [Read more...] about ‘The key was to stay on our toes’: Scheib, Hawkettes sweep past No. 11 Valley
Ankeny Christian wins Centennial Invite; Hawkettes, Jaguars tumble in semifinals
All three of Ankeny's highly-ranked volleyball teams reached the semifinals of the Ankeny Centennial Invitational on Saturday. In the end, the smallest school emerged as the winner of the tournament. Top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy, the two-time defending state champion in Class 1A, posted a 25-18, 21-25, 15-13 victory over Dowling Catholic in the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Christian wins Centennial Invite; Hawkettes, Jaguars tumble in semifinals