Small-school volleyball giant Dike-New Hartford does it again at Westside

CEDAR RAPIDS — Forget enrollment. As has been the case for decades, Dike-New Hartford is a volleyball Goliath.

The top-ranked team in Class 2A, DNH took down six larger schools on its way to the Westside Invitational tournament championship Saturday at Jefferson High School.

'We've never focused on the size of the school,' Wolverines Coach Diane Harms said. 'We know what we have to do to be successful.'

Dike-New Hartford (37-3) captured the Westside for the second straight year and the fifth time in the last six years. The Wolverines swept their first five matches, then outlasted 5A No. 10 West Des Moines Dowling in the final, 25-14, 22-25, 15-10.

'We're smaller than most teams we play,' said Baylee Peterson, who — along with twin Sydney — is a second-generation star for the this dynasty. Mother Bobbi (Becker) Peterson, now the coach at UNI, helped lay the groundwork for Dike as a player in the 1980s.

DNH is down a class after winning the 3A state title last year. It's a good bet the Wolverines will be back in town in a month for their 11th straight state tournament.

On their way to Saturday's crown, they beat four 5A teams, one 4A squad and one 3A foe.

'Today, our defense really stepped up. This tournament really builds us for state,' Baylee Peterson said.

Harms said, 'At this tournament, if you get to the finals, you play six extremely competitive matches. Every team has a different strength that you have to focus on.'

The Wolverines led Dowling (27-7) by a 9-8 margin before pulling away. Peterson had a kill and an ace, then sophomore Morgan Weber scored the final four DNH points with kills.

Gazette-area teams were out of the championship bracket by the end of the quarterfinal round.

Linn-Mar (25-7) swept its way through pool play, then fell to Ankeny Centennial, 25-20, 25-16, in the quarters.

'You have to have a consistent level of confidence,' Lions Coach Teresa Bair said. 'A team like Centennial has a certain air about it.

'They have some great hitters, but when they have a monster kill, you have to remember it's just worth one point. Sometimes those monster kills feel like they hurt a little more.'

Mount Vernon and Iowa City West also reached the championship bracket. The Mustangs (21-8) reached by outlasting Cedar Rapids Jefferson in its final pool match, then bowed out against DNH in the quarterfinals.

West (19-12) fell to Dowling in the first round.

After a somewhat-disappointing 1-2 showing in pool play, Jefferson (31-5) won the Silver Bracket. The J-Hawks downed Des Moines Roosevelt in the Silver final.

WESTSIDE INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

At C.R. Jefferson

Pool A

Teams — 1. Dike-New Hartford 3-0, 2. Iowa City West 2-1, 3. Marion 1-2, 4. C.R. Kennedy 0-3.

Iowa City West def. Marion, 21-15, 21-13

Dike-New Hartford def. C.R. Kennedy 21-1, 21-19

Iowa City West def. C.R. Kennedy, 21-11, 21-9

Dike-New Hartford def. Marion, 21-11, 21-17

Marion def. C.R. Kennedy, 21-17, 21-8

Dike-New Hartford def. Iowa City West, 21-14, 21-15

Pool B

Teams — 1. West Des Moines Dowling 3-0, 2. Mount Vernon 2-1, 3. C.R. Jefferson 1-2, 4. C.R. Washington 0-3.

West Des Moines Dowling def. Mount Vernon, 21-17, 14-21, 15-8

C.R. Jefferson def. C.R. Washington, 21-9, 21-5

Mount Vernon def. C.R. Washington, 21-18, 21-16

West Des Moines Dowling def. C.R. Jefferson 21-17, 19-21, 15-10

West Des Moines Dowling def. C.R. Washington, 21-19, 22-20

Mount Vernon def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-19, 13-21, 17-15

Pool C

Teams — 1. Dubuque Hempstead 3-0, 2. Ankeny Centennial 2-1, 3. West Delaware 1-2, 4. Tripoli 0-3.

Dubuque Hempstead def. Tripoli, 21-10, 21-14

Ankeny Centennial def. West Delaware, 21-15, 21-18

Dubuque Hempstead def. West Delaware 21-15, 21-9

Ankeny Centennial def. Tripoli, 21-17, 21-9

West Delaware def. Tripoli, 21-19, 21-14

Dubuque Hempstead def. Ankeny Centennial, 21-19, 17-21, 15-11

Pool D

Teams — 1. Linn-Mar 3-0, 2. Grundy Center 2-1, 3. Des Moines Roosevelt 1-2, 4. West Liberty 0-3.

Grundy Center def. West Liberty, 21-13, 21-15

Linn-Mar def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 21-17, 21-15

Grundy Center def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 21-15, 21-17

Linn-Mar def. West Liberty 21-16, 21-8

Des Moines Roosevelt def. West Liberty, 18-21, 21-19, 15-11

Linn-Mar def. Grundy Center, 21-16, 21-16

Consolation Quarterfinals

Des Moines Roosevelt def. Tripoli, 25-20, 25-15

Marion def. C.R. Washington, 25-13, 25-16

C.R. Jefferson def. C.R. Kennedy, 25-10, 26-24

West Delaware def. West Liberty, 25-16, 25-21

Consolation Semifinals

C.R. Jefferson def. West Delaware, 25-16, 26-24

Des Moines Roosevelt def. Marion, 25-23, 22-25, 15-10

Consolation Final

C.R. Jefferson def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 25-14, 25-17

Quarterfinals

Dike-New Hartford def. Mount Vernon, 25-13, 25-16

Ankeny Centennial def. Linn-Mar, 25-20, 25-16

Grundy Center def. Dubuque Hempstead, 21-25, 25-22, 20-18

West Des Moines Dowling def. Iowa City West, 25-16, 25-22

Semifinals

Dike-New Hartford def. Ankeny Centennial, 25-21, 26-16

West Des Moines Dowling def. Grundy Center, 25-19, 25-15

Championship

Dike-New Hartford def. West Des Moines Dowling, 25-14, 22-25, 15-10

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com