Spartans lead Wamac cavalry

No. 1 vs. No. 2, Sept. 4. It's on.

Solon and Mount Vernon are the top two teams in the Class 3A preseason volleyball rankings, released Wednesday afternoon by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

The Spartans were 33-3 last season and were 4A state runners-up in 2012 and 2013 before dropping down a class this fall. They return their top two hitters (Jordan Runge and Jordan Smith) and setter Taylor Nearad.

Mount Vernon counters with a lineup that returns six starters (including all-state setter Morgan Melchert) from a team that went 26-11 and reached the 3A semifinals last year. The Mustangs also welcome back Alli Platte, who missed last year with a torn ACL.

The Wamac Conference East Division rivals meet Sept. 4 at Solon.

The 3A and 4A lists are congested with Wamac teams - seven of them at all.

West Delaware, Marion and Clear Creek Amana are second, fourth and sixth in 4A. Defending champion Harlan is No. 1.

Independence, which made its first state appearance last year, is No. 4 in 3A. Dyersville Beckman is 10th.

Ankeny Centennial earns the No. 1 slot in 5A. Three-time defending champ Dike-New Hartford is tops in 2A while Fort Madison Holy Trinity leads the 1A list behind 2013 state player of the year Mikaela Foecke.

Bettendorf, which won the last two 5A titles, opens at No. 4. Iowa City West is fifth, Linn-Mar ninth.

Cedar Rapids Xavier is 10th in 4A.

Two-time defending 3A champ MOC-Floyd Valley is 15th in that class; Janesville, which beat Holy Trinity for the 1A title last year, is second behind the Crusaders to start the new season.

IGHSAU VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON STATE RANKINGS

Class 5A

1. Ankeny Centennial, 2. Ankeny, 3. West Des Moines Dowling, 4. Bettendorf, 5. Iowa City West, 6. Pleasant Valley, 7. Waukee, 8. Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, 9. Linn-Mar, 10. Johnston.

Class 4A

1. Harlan, 2. West Delaware, 3. Indianola, 4. Marion, 5. Sioux City Heelan, 6. Clear Creek Amana, 7. LeMars, 8. Lewis Central, 9. Charles City, 10. Cedar Rapids Xavier, 11. Waverly-Shell Rock, 12. Boone, 13. Pella, 14. Webster City, 15. Mount Pleasant.

Class 3A

1. Solon, 2. Mount Vernon, 3. Iowa Falls-Alden, 4. Independence, 5. Red Oak, 6. Nevada, 7. Mediapolis, 8. Carroll Kuemper, 9. West Liberty, 10. Dyersville Beckman, 11. Algona, 12. Union, 13. Davis County, 14. Forest City, 15. MOC-Floyd Valley.

Class 2A

1. Dike-New Hartford, 2. Western Christian, 3. Unity Christian, 4. Eddyville EBF, 5. Grundy Center, 6. Council Bluffs St. Albert, 7. South Central Calhoun, 8. Wapsie Valley, 9. Des Moines Christian, 10. West Branch, 11. Treynor, 12. Hudson, 13. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 14. Woodward-Granger, 15. Jesup.

Class 1A

1. Fort Madison Holy Trinity, 2. Janesville, 3. Central Lyon, 4. Grand View Christian, 5. LeMars Gehlen, 6. Tripoli, 7. Guthrie Cnter, 8. Don Bosco, 9. New London, 10. Algona Garrigan, 11. Turkey Valley, 12. Northwood-Kensett, 13. Springville, 14. Fremont-Mills, 15. Murray.

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