Xavier captures Warrior Invitational volleyball tournament championship

They're goofy. And they're good.There is substance behind the silliness for the chest-bumping, camera-posing Xavier Saints. Class 4A 12th-ranked Xavier captured the championship of the 14-team Warrior Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday at Washington High School, defeating Johnston, 25-14, 25-21, in the final match.“They're like sisters,” said Xavier Coach Barb Brunow, who has the program to the highest level it has seen in the school's 13-year history. “They goof around and they have fun, but they also push each other.”The Saints (6-1) rallied from an 8-3 deficit in Game 2. Johnston still held a 20-18 advantage before Xavier closed with a flourish.Nicole Schulte served two aces in the final five-point surge, which was capped by Tyler Sampson's block for match point.After the postgame handshakes and the award presentation, the Saints gathered for photos, both regular and silly.

Tyler Sampson “That's the way we are,” Sampson said. “We like to celebrate.”They celebrate with regularity and gusto. Each point prompts chest bumps.Schulte converted all nine of her serves, which featured six aces, in the final match.“I was just trying to hit it between players. I serve it where Coach says,” Schulte said.Xavier reached the state tournament last year and returns six players from that team in hopes of moving up the Mississippi Valley Conference ladder this fall.Saturday was a very good start.“We made a pretty good dent last year. We want to prove that the Xavier volleyball program, each year, can get further and further,” Schulte said.The Saints survived a pair of three-set matches - one against Oskaloosa in pool play, one against No. 3 Linn-Mar in the semifinals.Johnston's Tory Knuth led all attackers in the final match with 12 kills, but hitters like Sampson, Alex Saxen, Moleigh Ryther and Kayla Waddell more than made up for it as Xavier rolled in the first game, then rallied in the second.Linn-Mar defeated Cedar Rapids Prairie in the third-place match.

WARRIOR INVITATIONAL

At Cedar Rapids Washington

Pool A - 1. C.R. Xavier 3-0, 2. Oskaloosa 2-1, 3. Davenport Central 1-2, 4. Sigourney 0-3.

Pool B - 1. Linn-Mar 3-0, 2. C.R. Prairie 2-1, 3. Dyersville Beckman 1-2, 4. Davis County 0-3.

Pool C - 1. Marion 2-1, 2. C.R. Washington 1-2, 3. C.R. Jefferson 0-3.

Pool D - 1. Johnston 3-0, 2. Solon 2-1, 3. North Fayette 1-2.

Pool ResultsC.R. Prairie def. Davis County, 21-11, 21-12C.R. Prairie def. Dyersville Beckman, 21-13, 21-17C.R. Washington def. North Fayette, 21-18, 21-17C.R. Xavier def. Sigourney, 21-7, 21-3C.R. Xavier def. Oskaloosa, 19-21, 21-14, 15-10C.R. Xavier def. Davenport Central, 21-13, 21-14Davenport Central def. Sigourney, 21-13, 21-10Dyersville Beckman def. Davis County, 22-20, 21-15Johnston def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-16, 21-16Johnston def. Marion, 21-11, 21-18Johnston def. C.R. Washington, 24-22, 21-10Linn-Mar def. C.R. Prairie, 21-12, 22-20Linn-Mar def. Dyersville Beckman, 21-15, 21-15Linn-Mar def. Davis County, 21-11, 21-13Marion def. North Fayette, 21-17, 16-21, 15-13Marion def. Solon, 21-18, 10-21, 15-13North Fayette def. C.R. Jefferson, 22-20, 21-15Oskaloosa def. Davenport Central, 21-10, 21-15Oskaloosa def. Sigourney, 21-10, 21-11Solon def. C.R. Jefferson, 25-23, 21-8Solon def. C.R. Washington, 21-8, 21-15

Consolation QuarterfinalsC.R. Jefferson def. Davis County, 25-21, 26-24Dyersville Beckman def. Sigourney, 25-8, 25-13

Consolation SemifinalsNorth Fayette def. C.R. Jefferson, 25-21, 25-20Dyersville Beckman def. Davenport Central, 25-20, 25-17

Consolation FinalDyersville Beckman def. North Fayette, 25-21, 14-25, 15-10

QuarterfinalsC.R. Xavier def. Solon, 25-22, 25-18Linn-Mar def. C.R. Washington, 25-21, 25-13C.R. Prairie def. Marion, 25-20, 30-28Johnston def. Oskaloosa, 25-19, 15-25, 15-9

SemifinalsC.R. Xavier def. Linn-Mar, 20-25, 25-19, 15-6Johnston def. C.R. Prairie, 19-25, 26-24, 15-11

Third PlaceLinn-Mar def. C.R. Prairie, 25-23, 19-25, 15-5

ChampionshipC.R. Xavier def. Johnston, 25-14, 25-21