Year 2, and Centennial’s in the finals

CEDAR RAPIDS - Well, that didn't take long.

In just its second year of existence, Ankeny Centennial has a volleyball team in the state finals. The second-ranked Jaguars fought back from moderate deficits in the first two sets and rode the strong arm of Jaali Winters to sweep No. 7 Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16, in a Class 5A semifinal Thursday morning at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'We had hoped for this, right from the start,” said Centennial libero Jordyn Rittman. 'We have to stay humble, but now that we're here, I think we're going to do great.”

The Jaguars (43-3) take aim at No. 1 Bettendorf for the championship at 10 a.m. Friday. The two-time defending-champion Bulldogs outlasted No. 4 Johnston Thursday to improve to 38-0, extending their winning streak to 45 matches.

Ankeny is a volleyball community. Before the split of high schools, Ankeny High won four titles and reached 11 straight tournaments. Ankeny High and Centennial both have advanced to state in the two years since the split.

Now, the Jaguars are a win from the title.

Winters, an all-stater bound for Creighton, finished with 18 kills. She made a lot of the crucial plays as Centennial rallied from a 16-13 deficit in the opener and a 17-14 hole in Game 2.

'We knew it was going to be tough,” said Centennial Coach Jessica Rinehart. 'We knew the way we responded would be critical, and our response was great.”

Abraham Lincoln (40-14) pulled a quarterfinal upset Tuesday, upending No. 3 West Des Moines Dowling. The Lynx couldn't duplicate the magic against the Jaguars.

'We had a great season,” said Lincoln's Lauren Colpitts. 'It sucks that it's over, but I can't help but be proud of our team. I'll always remember the way we felt after the (Dowling match), how happy we were.”

Tasha Vipond added eight kills as Centennial posted a 41-25 advantage in that category. Kaitlyn Murphy had six for the Lynx.

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