Ankeny Fanatic

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Jessica Rinehart

‘We are on a mission’: Jaguars sweep S.E. Polk in potential preview of regional final

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team still needs to win two matches in order to qualify for the Class 5A state tournament, but the Jaguars appear to be well on their way to Coralville. The second-ranked Jaguars closed out the regular season on Tuesday with a 25-10, 25-15, 25-15 sweep at Southeast Polk. The two teams could meet again in a regional final … [Read more...] about ‘We are on a mission’: Jaguars sweep S.E. Polk in potential preview of regional final

‘Today was huge!’: Jags get over semifinal hump, top No. 4 PV to win Westside Invite

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team finally got over the semifinal hump at the Westside Invitational. The second-ranked Jaguars captured the title at the Cedar Rapids Jefferson tournament on Saturday with a 25-19, 25-17 victory over No. 4 Pleasant Valley. They raised their record to 29-5 by sweeping all six of their opponents on the day. Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘Today was huge!’: Jags get over semifinal hump, top No. 4 PV to win Westside Invite

‘I thought we played some good ball’: Jags avoid letdown, sweep past Johnston

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) When it gets late in the season, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team isn’t going to overlook any opponent. Especially not a CIML Conference foe on the road. The second-ranked Jaguars traveled to Johnston on Tuesday and swept the Dragons in three sets, 25-16, 25-16, 25-14, to remain in third place in the league … [Read more...] about ‘I thought we played some good ball’: Jags avoid letdown, sweep past Johnston

AN HISTORIC DAY: Rinehart earns 400th victory, Cheeseman records 1,000th assist

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Ankeny Centennial's Jessica Rinehart reached another coaching milestone on Saturday during the Urbandale Invitational. Rinehart earned her 400th career victory--all of them at Centennial--when the second-ranked Jaguars completed a perfect 3-0 run through pool play with a 21-15, 18-21, 15-10 win over North Polk, the No. 15 team in Class 4A. "I don’t … [Read more...] about AN HISTORIC DAY: Rinehart earns 400th victory, Cheeseman records 1,000th assist

‘Then we caught fire and looked like us’: Jags rally past No. 2 Waukee for huge win

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) After a tough loss against crosstown rival Ankeny, getting a home win over second-ranked Waukee was crucial for the No. 3 Ankeny Centennial volleyball team. The Jaguars responded by flipping the script from the Jag-Hawk match, dropping the first set on Tuesday before rallying for a 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-12 victory at … [Read more...] about ‘Then we caught fire and looked like us’: Jags rally past No. 2 Waukee for huge win

‘We felt very out of sync’: Jags fall short in rivalry match despite Heither’s return

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The return of junior middle hitter Sophia Heither provided a spark for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team on Thursday. It wasn't enough to lift the third-ranked Jaguars to a sixth consecutive victory over No. 4 Ankeny. The visiting Hawkettes rallied from a one-set deficit to post a 19-25, 25-23, 28-26, 25-20 win over their crosstown rival. They … [Read more...] about ‘We felt very out of sync’: Jags fall short in rivalry match despite Heither’s return

Jaguars outlast No. 7 Valley in 5 sets to keep CIML Conference title hopes alive

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On a night when the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team wasn't clicking on all cylinders, the third-ranked Jaguars still found a way to win. Centennial rallied from a 2-1 deficit on Thursday to post a 16-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-19, 15-6 victory over No. 7 Valley. The Jaguars had dominated an earlier matchup in the same gym, rolling to a 21-10, 21-12 win at the … [Read more...] about Jaguars outlast No. 7 Valley in 5 sets to keep CIML Conference title hopes alive

‘Jagalicious’ Centennial girls sweep past Dowling behind 10 kills from Ott, Schmidt

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It was a "Jagalicious" kind of night at the Ankeny Centennial gym. The second-ranked Centennial volleyball team got three or more kills from six different players and swept to a 25-14, 28-26, 25-20 victory over No. 8 Dowling Catholic in a CIML Conference match on Tuesday. "We always talk about being 'Jagalicious'--that's our little phrase that we … [Read more...] about ‘Jagalicious’ Centennial girls sweep past Dowling behind 10 kills from Ott, Schmidt

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