Ankles healed, Hazel Schluckebier is running the show again for City High

VAN HORNE — Hazel Schluckebier sprained her left ankle in the preseason, her right one more recently.

“Same thing happened to me last year,” teammate Hattie Galloway commiserated. “It’s the sophomore-year curse.”

Schluckebier is back in charge of Iowa City High’s 5-1 attack — the Little Hawks had started the season with a 6-2 scheme — and, “I love it,” she said.

“We can run a lot more, can mix it up more.”

City High was the last area team standing in winners’ bracket action at the Benton Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday at Benton Community High School.

The Class 5A 15th-ranked Little Hawks reached the semifinals before bowing out against 4A No. 3 North Scott, 25-16, 25-23.

“It felt like we were playing to the potential we thought we had at the beginning of the season,” Galloway said.

City High (8-7) won its three pool matches, against Bondurant-Farrar, Benton Community and Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Against Xavier, the Little Hawks fought off three set points in the first set, another in the second set and prevailed 22-20, 22-20.

“In matches like that one, we weren’t looking at the score,” Galloway said. “We were just playing hard, and we were able to come back and win it.

“It showed our mental toughness.”

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Schluckebier added: “It proves how well we can hang with the tough teams. With our lineup switch, I think we can be a state-(tournament) contender.”

In the semifinal, City gave up surges of 8-1 and 7-1 in the first set, then North Scott built a 19-10 lead in the second.

City closed within 23-22 on a kill from Mirin Oxley, then within 24-23 on a missed serve.

North Scott closed it out on McKenzie Moeller’s kill.

Class 4A No. 10 Dallas Center-Grimes ultimately won the tournament. The Mustangs (13-7) beat North Scott twice, including a straight-set decision in the finals, 25-11, 25-20.

The consolation final was an all-Metro affair: Marion outlasted Xavier, 25-19, 15-25, 15-10. Both teams went 1-2 in pool play and swept their consolation-semifinal matches.

Benton Invitational

At Van Horne

POOL A

Teams — 1. Iowa City High 3-0, 2. Bondurant-Farrar 2-1, 3. C.R. Xavier 1-2, 4. Benton Community 0-3.

C.R. Xavier def. Benton Community, 21-13, 21-17

Iowa City High def. Bondurant-Farrar, 21-18, 21-16

Iowa City High def. Benton Community, 21-17, 14-21, 15-9

Bondurant-Farrar def. C.R. Xavier, 11-21, 21-18, 15-13

Bondurant-Farrar def. Benton, 21-15, 21-16

Iowa City High def. C.R. Xavier, 22-20, 22-20

POOL B

Teams — 1. Dallas Center-Grimes 3-0, 2. North Scott 2-1, 3. Marion 1-2, 4. Grinnell 0-3.

Marion def. Grinnell, 21-16, 21-16

Dallas Center-Grimes def. North Scott, 21-9, 17-21, 15-10

Dallas Center-Grimes def. Grinnell, 21-15, 21-16

North Scott def. Marion, 22-20, 21-15

North Scott def. Grinnell, 21-14, 21-18

Dallas Center-Grimes def. Marion, 22-20, 21-18

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

C.R. Xavier def. Grinnell, 25-15, 25-12

Marion def. Benton Community, 25-17, 25-9

CONSOLATION FINAL

Marion def. C.R. Xavier, 25-19, 15-25, 15-10

SEMIFINALS

North Scott def. Iowa City High, 25-16, 25-23

Dallas Center-Grimes def. Bondurant-Farrar, 25-19, 25-22

CHAMPIONSHIP

Dallas Center-Grimes def. North Scott, 25-11, 25-20

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com