Class 3A: 'Older, wiser' MOC-Floyd Valley claims second straight title

CEDAR RAPIDS – When you're a defending champion in any sport, often times coaches and players will say repeating as champs is harder than getting the first.

But when it came to defending its Class 3A state volleyball championship, MOC-Floyd Valley found the second road to be much smoother, and topped Carroll Kuemper, 25-14, 25-20, 25-17, to claim the title.

'I would say the probably the first one was harder,' said Dutch Coach Jon Mouw. 'At least the second one, you come down here knowing you did it last year, knowing you could do it. You're a year older, a year wiser.'

MOC-Floyd Valley returned almost the entire squad that won that first championship last year, and was once again led by Alexis Conaway, who was named the All-Tournament team captain.

Conaway said the feeling was different this time around, and agreed with her coach that the experience of 2012 put the Dutch at ease – even though MOC-Floyd Valley came into the tournament as the favorite, with targets on their backs.

'We used that knowledge that we were who people thought was the No. 1 team, and we used that to our advantage,' Conaway said. 'We just let it give us confidence. We came down here and played every point knowing we deserved to be here, and we deserved to be the best team. That's what allowed us to show it.'

The Dutch saved their best performance for last while in Cedar Rapids.

Mouw said after both their quarterfinal and semifinal wins that the team had stretches in both matches where they played poorly. But against Kuemper, Mouw thought his team played its most complete match of the tournament.

'We had our moments where we made mistakes here and there, but overall I thought this was the most focused (we've looked), the most … relaxed – but still intense, certainly not lazy,' Mouw said. 'We were intense, and we just looked confident out there. I really liked seeing that out of my girls.'

Conaway once again echoed her coach in saying confidence was at an all-time high for the Dutch, and the camaraderie that's developed over years of playing together resulted in a high comfort level on the court.

Through all the great passes, digs and hits over the course of this two-year run, Conaway said the team has become as close as any team could.

'It's been really special (and) I love every one of these girls,' Conaway said. 'We couldn't have done it without any of them. Just to be able to share it with really 14 other girls on the team – it's not just the girls playing – it's been such a huge experience. I'll never forget it.'

Even Mouw, who keeps his composure about as well as any coach can while pacing the sidelines, struggled to find the right sentiment following the win.

With nine girls graduating – and all but one of his starting rotation – the current era of Dutch volleyball is over. And though Mouw and the girls returning will get to work on ushering in the next one, he won't soon forget what this one meant.

'Some things you just don't even have the words for,' Mouw said. 'To be able to do it again, to complete the season (is great).'I'll never forget (how) we looked like a group of seniors out there tonight. We finished strong, we finished well, and I will forever remember that about this group.'