Ankeny Fanatic

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Jessica Rinehart

Jaguars reach semifinals of Metro Classic before falling to Waukee NW for 3rd time

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The search for a way to beat the top-ranked Waukee Northwest volleyball team continues for No. 2 Ankeny Centennial. The Jaguars dropped a 21-15, 23-21 decision to Northwest in the semifinals of the Metro Classic on Saturday at Southeast Polk. The Wolves defeated Centennial (15-3) for the third time this season. Northwest also beat Centennial in the … [Read more...] about Jaguars reach semifinals of Metro Classic before falling to Waukee NW for 3rd time

No. 2 Centennial girls sweep to dominant victory at Urbandale on coach’s birthday

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There’s a lot of fun ways to celebrate a birthday and for Ankeny Centennial volleyball coach Jessica Rinehart, getting a conference road sweep is a perfect way to do just that. Rinehart watched her second-ranked Jaguars hold Urbandale to just 23 total points on the night as Centennial improved to 12-2 overall and 1-1 in CIML … [Read more...] about No. 2 Centennial girls sweep to dominant victory at Urbandale on coach’s birthday

Jaguars overcome Heither’s injury to finish unbeaten run through Little Hawk Invite

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Ankeny Centennial's domination of the Little Hawk Invitational volleyball tournament continued on Saturday at Iowa City High. The second-ranked Jaguars won the event for the fifth straight year, but it may have been costly. Junior middle hitter Sophia Heither went down with an injury in the team's final match of the day. Centennial coach Jessica … [Read more...] about Jaguars overcome Heither’s injury to finish unbeaten run through Little Hawk Invite

‘I thought we battled hard’: Jaguars take No. 1 Waukee NW to 5 sets in nailbiter

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It took only three days for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team to drastically close the gap on top-ranked Waukee Northwest. After being swept by Northwest in the championship match of the Centennial Early Bird Invitational on Saturday, the No. 4 Jaguars traveled to Waukee on Tuesday for a rematch and took the unbeaten Wolves to a fifth set before … [Read more...] about ‘I thought we battled hard’: Jaguars take No. 1 Waukee NW to 5 sets in nailbiter

Jaguars, Hawkettes demonstrate lofty potential at Centennial’s Early Bird Invite

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Saturday's Ankeny Centennial Early Bird Invitational featured many of the state's top volleyball teams, including nine of the top 10 squads in the Class 5A preseason rankings. Both Centennial and Ankeny came away from the tournament feeling good about their performance. The fourth-ranked Jaguars advanced to the championship match with a 22-25, 27-25, … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawkettes demonstrate lofty potential at Centennial’s Early Bird Invite

Jaguars stay connected, outlast Indianola girls in 4 sets to win their season opener

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A year ago, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team opened its season by rallying for a dramatic five-set victory at Indianola. Monday's season opener against the Indians wasn't as much of a nailbiter, but the fourth-ranked Jaguars still had to survive some tense moments on their home court. Centennial bounced back from a loss in Set 2 to post a 25-17, … [Read more...] about Jaguars stay connected, outlast Indianola girls in 4 sets to win their season opener

Deep, talented Centennial volleyball team looks to get over Class 5A semifinal hump

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A year ago, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team posted an undefeated 8-0 record to win the title in the CIML Conference--arguably the best league from top to bottom in the state. It was an amazing accomplishment for the Jaguars, but unfortunately they fell short of their ultimate goal. They finished with a 32-5 overall mark after losing in the Class 5A … [Read more...] about Deep, talented Centennial volleyball team looks to get over Class 5A semifinal hump

‘I’m super proud of our team’: Jaguars rally from 2-0 hole, fall in 5 sets to Waukee NW

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Jaeden Pratt and her Ankeny Centennial volleyball teammates left everything on the court. The second-ranked Jaguars just came up a little bit short. Centennial rallied from a two-set deficit before dropping a 25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 23-25, 18-16 decision to No. 6 Waukee Northwest in the Class 5A semifinals on Wednesday at Xtream Arena in … [Read more...] about ‘I’m super proud of our team’: Jaguars rally from 2-0 hole, fall in 5 sets to Waukee NW

Jaguars sweep Cedar Falls behind Miller’s 24 kills, earn 3rd straight trip to semifinals

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team is headed back to the Class 5A semifinals for the third consecutive year. The second-ranked Jaguars posted a 25-19, 25-22, 25-23 victory over No. 7 Cedar Falls in the quarterfinals of the state tournament on Monday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. "It feels incredible," said Centennial outside hitter Delaney Miller, … [Read more...] about Jaguars sweep Cedar Falls behind Miller’s 24 kills, earn 3rd straight trip to semifinals

‘It’s one of the best feelings ever’: No. 2 Jaguars are headed back to Coralville

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) By no means is the Ankeny Centennial volleyball program charting unfamiliar territory. But that doesn’t mean the feeling of winning a region championship and punching its ticket back to the Class 5A state tournament isn’t still one of the greatest feelings on the planet. “Honestly, it’s one of the best feelings ever,” … [Read more...] about ‘It’s one of the best feelings ever’: No. 2 Jaguars are headed back to Coralville

‘We had good tempo’: Jaguars roll past Urbandale, will host Ottumwa Tuesday

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Regional play has finally arrived, and the second-ranked Ankeny Centennial volleyball team couldn’t have asked for a much better start to its postseason run. The top-seeded Jaguars made quick work of CIML Conference foe Urbandale during a Class 5A Region 1 semifinal on Thursday, sweeping the J-Hawks by scores of 25-10, 25-9, … [Read more...] about ‘We had good tempo’: Jaguars roll past Urbandale, will host Ottumwa Tuesday

‘That’s hard to do’: Jaguars sweep SEP, complete perfect 8-0 run through CIML

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There may not be a more battle-tested volleyball team in the state than Ankeny Centennial. The top-ranked Jaguars capped off a perfect run through the CIML Conference with a 25-11, 25-12, 25-16 victory over visiting Southeast Polk on Tuesday. Centennial, which had already clinched the outright conference title, finished 8-0 in the league and improved … [Read more...] about ‘That’s hard to do’: Jaguars sweep SEP, complete perfect 8-0 run through CIML

Jaguars reach semis of Westside Invite before falling in 3 sets to Pleasant Valley

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The best volleyball teams in Class 5A continue to take turns beating each other. Top-ranked Ankeny Centennial advanced to the semifinals of the Westside Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Rapids Jefferson before dropping a 25-12, 24-26, 15-10 decision to No. 2 Pleasant Valley, which went on to win the tournament and could become the No. 1 team in the final … [Read more...] about Jaguars reach semis of Westside Invite before falling in 3 sets to Pleasant Valley

Jaguars sweep Johnston, get help from Ankeny to clinch outright conference title

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It may not have been as pretty as the Jaguars were hoping for, but even “sloppy” play for Class 5A’s top-ranked volleyball team can still result in three-set sweeps. Ankeny Centennial’s quest for the CIML Conference title continued on its home court Tuesday as the Jaguars improved their perfect league record to 7-0 on the … [Read more...] about Jaguars sweep Johnston, get help from Ankeny to clinch outright conference title

‘It was a great weekend’: Jaguars knock off Waukee NW to capture Urbandale crown

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Some familiar opponents stood between the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team and the championship of the Urbandale Invitational on Saturday. The top-ranked Jaguars proved to be up for the challenge. After dispatching No. 5 Indianola in the semifinals, Centennial posted a 25-17, 25-21 win over No. 6 Waukee Northwest in the title match. The Jaguars (23-3) … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great weekend’: Jaguars knock off Waukee NW to capture Urbandale crown

Jaguars sweep past Valley for another road win, improve to 6-0 in conference

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Playing on the road doesn't seem to bother the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team. The top-ranked Jaguars earned their fifth consecutive road victory--and their second sweep in three days--with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-18 win at No. 12 Valley on Thursday. The win allowed Centennial to remain unbeaten in CIML Conference play. The Jaguars are now 6-0 in the … [Read more...] about Jaguars sweep past Valley for another road win, improve to 6-0 in conference

Jaguars move closer to conference crown with road sweep over No. 8 Waukee

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Jaguars know there’s no such thing as a “gimme game” when it comes to the Central Iowa Metropolitan League. But after sweeping the Waukee Warriors in three sets on the road Tuesday night, the top-ranked Ankeny Centennial volleyball team is so close to locking up its first league title since 2021 that the Jaguars can … [Read more...] about Jaguars move closer to conference crown with road sweep over No. 8 Waukee

‘That’s a huge win for us’: Jaguars topple Ankeny to move closer to conference title

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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

‘This one feels really good’: No. 1 Jaguars outlast No. 3 Dowling in CIML showdown

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Perhaps no volleyball team in the state enjoys playing a fifth set as much as Ankeny Centennial. The top-ranked Jaguars were pushed to the limit on Tuesday for the third time this season, and once again they outlasted a top-10 opponent. Centennial used an 8-0 run in the fifth set to help close out a 23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 15-12 victory at No. 3 … [Read more...] about ‘This one feels really good’: No. 1 Jaguars outlast No. 3 Dowling in CIML showdown