Dowling makes its first state volleyball final in 10 years

CORALVILLE — Mackenzie Dean has a change-up, too.

And with the second set hanging in the balance, she unleashed it.

Twice.

“We talk about hitter smarter, not necessarily harder,” West Des Moines Dowling Coach Mary Beth Wiskus said.

Consecutive tips by the Kansas University commit were the pivotal points of the match, and top-ranked Dowling swept No. 4 Pleasant Valley, 25-20, 26-24, 25-18, in a Class 5A semifinal at the state volleyball tournament Wednesday morning at Xtream Arena.

“Our coaches say that a point’s a point. It doesn’t matter how you get it,” Dean said. “They had a double-block, and we figured if I mixed it up, that might open up more space.”

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Dowling (32-7) is in the final for the second time in program history; the other appearance was in 2013, when it finished second to Bettendorf.

The Maroons will meet No. 3 Waukee Northwest (26-9) for the title at 10 a.m. Thursday.

“We’ve been talking and this is our year to win a state championship,” Dowling setter Ella Rogers said.

Dowling is 3-1 against Northwest this season.

The Maroons controlled play in the opener, and Dean’s back-row kill got them to match point at 24-22 in Game 2. Kills by Mazie Swears and Isabelle Kremer got the Spartans (28-6) even at 24-all, then Dean went off-speed, twice.

“They went to a triple-block, so we told (Dean) to tip Zone 2,” Wiskus said. “They can’t take away everything.”

At 20-18 in Game 3, Dowling closed it out with the final five points.

Dean led all attackers with 15 kills. Siri Beecher and Ellie Muller added nine apiece for the Maroons, and Rogers distributed 38 assists.

For Pleasant Valley, Swears and Gabriella Ragins delivered 11 kills apiece.

The serving game was a major factor.

Dowling scored five aces, against just two service errors. For Pleasant Valley, it was no aces and 10 errant serves.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com