Ankeny Fanatic

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Jessica Rinehart

‘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

‘It’s a weekend we can learn from’: No. 1 Jags lose rematch vs. Waukee Northwest

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This time, there would not be a dramatic rally by the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team. The top-ranked Jaguars dropped a 25-23, 25-19 decision to No. 7 Waukee Northwest in the semifinals of the Metro Classic on Saturday at Southeast Polk. It was a rematch of a CIML Conference matchup on Sept. 3 at Centennial, where Northwest was on the verge of a … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a weekend we can learn from’: No. 1 Jags lose rematch vs. Waukee Northwest

‘We really took control’: Jaguars sweep past Urbandale in dominating fashion

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With a dominating win on Tuesday, the second-ranked Ankeny Centennial volleyball team likely wrapped up the No. 1 spot in the next Class 5A rankings to be released on Thursday by the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. The Jaguars romped to a 25-10, 25-4, 25-7 victory over visiting Urbandale in a CIML Conference match. They improved to 2-0 in the … [Read more...] about ‘We really took control’: Jaguars sweep past Urbandale in dominating fashion

‘It was a great weekend’: Jaguars win Little Hawk Invite title for 4th consecutive year

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There was no letdown for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team. After rallying for a dramatic victory on Tuesday over defending Class 5A state champion Waukee Northwest, the second-ranked Jaguars traveled to Iowa City High on Saturday and won the Little Hawk Invitational for the fourth consecutive year. Centennial swept all four of its opponents in … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great weekend’: Jaguars win Little Hawk Invite title for 4th consecutive year

‘I think I’m still in disbelief’: Jaguars rally for improbable win over reigning champs

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) After initially leading two sets to none, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball players found themselves with their backs against the wall. The third-ranked Jaguars were just one set away from sweeping No. 9 Waukee Northwest in their home opener on Tuesday. But in a twist of fate, Centennial was a mere one point away from … [Read more...] about ‘I think I’m still in disbelief’: Jaguars rally for improbable win over reigning champs

Ankeny Christian wins Centennial Invite; Hawkettes, Jaguars tumble in semifinals

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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

‘We just stepped it up’: Jaguars rally from two-set deficit to stun No. 6 Indianola

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team was on the verge of being swept in its season opener on Monday at Indianola. After taking the first two sets, the sixth-ranked Indians built a 24-22 lead in Set 3 and only needed to win one of the next two points to close out the non-conference match. But No. 3 Centennial refused to quit. The Jaguars scored five … [Read more...] about ‘We just stepped it up’: Jaguars rally from two-set deficit to stun No. 6 Indianola

‘This team has a lot of weapons’: Miller, Pratt to lead the way for No. 3 Jaguars

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After reaching the Class 5A semifinals in each of the previous two seasons, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team is setting its sights even higher in 2024. But Centennial coach Jessica Rinehart said it's too early to even think about this year's state tournament. "We've broken our season into six different milestones--with a focus for each one," said … [Read more...] about ‘This team has a lot of weapons’: Miller, Pratt to lead the way for No. 3 Jaguars

‘It was a good battle’: Wolves rally past Centennial in Class 5A semifinal slugfest

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The third time proved to be a charm for the Waukee Northwest volleyball team. After losing twice to second-ranked Ankeny Centennial earlier this season, the No. 3 Wolves earned some revenge with a dramatic five-set victory in the Class 5A semifinals on Wednesday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. Northwest (26-9) advanced to the championship match for the … [Read more...] about ‘It was a good battle’: Wolves rally past Centennial in Class 5A semifinal slugfest

‘I was fighting for my team’: Sash leads Centennial past Hawkettes in thriller

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It's a shame that one team had to lose in the Jag-Hawk matchup at the state volleyball tournament on Monday. Both squads played well enough to win the Class 5A quarterfinal at Xtream Arena in Coralville. In the end, second-ranked Ankeny Centennial held on for a 25-16, 25-12, 22-25, 14-25, 15-12 victory over No. 7 Ankeny, which nearly overcame a huge … [Read more...] about ‘I was fighting for my team’: Sash leads Centennial past Hawkettes in thriller

‘We knew what we had to do’: Jaguars sweep C.B. Lincoln, advance to state

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With a trip to the state tournament on the line, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball players didn't feel any pressure. The Jaguars simply knew what they had to do. Second-ranked Centennial rolled to a 25-17, 25-10, 25-15 victory over No. 15 Council Bluffs Lincoln in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. The Jaguars (30-6) advanced to the … [Read more...] about ‘We knew what we had to do’: Jaguars sweep C.B. Lincoln, advance to state

‘The energy is just crazy all around’: Jaguars sweep past Iowa City West

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team has been trying to find some additional offensive weapons to take the pressure off leading hitters Delaney Miller and Jaeden Pratt. The second-ranked Jaguars may have found some answers. Gabby Mixdorf had six kills and Ava Kronenberg added five more to help second-ranked Centennial to a 25-14, 25-15, 25-7 victory … [Read more...] about ‘The energy is just crazy all around’: Jaguars sweep past Iowa City West

‘We knew it wasn’t going to be easy’: Jags outlast Waukee NW in 5-set thriller

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Tuesday's CIML Conference volleyball match between second-ranked Ankeny Centennial and No. 3 Waukee Northwest contained all the drama of a state tournament matchup. Both teams fought off two match points before the visiting Jaguars scored the last four points to pull out a thrilling 25-23, 25-21, 26-28, 13-25, 16-14 victory. "It was a great win," said … [Read more...] about ‘We knew it wasn’t going to be easy’: Jags outlast Waukee NW in 5-set thriller

Jaguars fall to No. 1 Dowling Catholic in semifinals at Westside Invitational

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Jaeden Pratt and her Ankeny Centennial volleyball teammates would like nothing more than another opportunity to play CIML Conference rival Dowling Catholic. If it happens, it would be in the Class 5A state tournament--perhaps in the championship match. The second-ranked Jaguars advanced to the semifinals of the Westside Invitational on Saturday at … [Read more...] about Jaguars fall to No. 1 Dowling Catholic in semifinals at Westside Invitational

‘We just kept fighting’: Jaguars rally from 2-0 deficit to defeat Ankeny in 5 sets

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There have been only three five-set matches in the storied history of the Ankeny vs. Ankeny Centennial volleyball rivalry. Tuesday's showdown at Centennial may have been the best of those three matches. After dropping the first two sets, the second-ranked Jaguars rallied for an 18-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-11 victory over No. 5 Ankeny to take an 8-7 … [Read more...] about ‘We just kept fighting’: Jaguars rally from 2-0 deficit to defeat Ankeny in 5 sets

Jaguars reach title match of Urbandale Invitational before falling to Johnston

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Saturday's Urbandale Invitational provided perhaps the biggest test of the season for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team. After winning their first two matches during pool play, the second-ranked Jaguars met four consecutive top-10 opponents. They advanced to the championship match of the tournament before dropping a 25-22, 18-25, 15-12 decision to No. … [Read more...] about Jaguars reach title match of Urbandale Invitational before falling to Johnston

‘We just needed to settle in’: Jaguars shake off rust in 4-set victory at Johnston

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It took a little while for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team to recover from a two-week layoff. After dropping the first set, the second-ranked Jaguars rallied for a 26-28, 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 victory at No. 7 Johnston on Tuesday. The win allowed Centennial to move into sole possession of third place in the CIML Conference. "I think we just needed … [Read more...] about ‘We just needed to settle in’: Jaguars shake off rust in 4-set victory at Johnston