116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Ankeny Centennial moves to title match
The Jaguars advanced to the title match and will face Waukee Northwest for the fifth time this season
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
CORALVILLE — Four matches, four losses.
Ankeny Centennial hasn't been able to get a win this season against top-ranked Waukee Northwest.
"We kept telling ourselves that when we lost to them the second time, the third time and the fourth time (that) maybe state is where we are going to get them," Jaguars Coach Jessica Rinehart said.
No. 2 Centennial has earned that final chance at the Wolves.
The Jaguars advanced to Thursday's 10 a.m. Class 5A state title match against Northwest with an impressive sweep over No. 7 West Des Moines Valley in the semifinals on Wednesday morning at Xtream Arena.
Set scores were 25-18, 25-19, 25-20.
Centennial is back in the title match for the first time since winning it all in 2018.
"We are going to have to serve super aggressive," Rinehart said on what it will take to beat Northwest. "We're going to have to play our best ball and we are going to have to slow down the things that they like to do and they do a lot of things well."
In Wednesday's match, Centennial was in control most of the way and it appeared the sweep would come easy after building a 20-11 lead in the third set. Valley mounted a rally and was able to pull back within one at 21-20.
However the Jaguars regrouped and scored the next four points to close out the match.
"When you get that close, you get a little tight," Rinehart said. "For them to step up and get those last (four) points was really big. I was just so happy for them when we got that final point. We have been stuck just making it to the semifinals for so long."
Senior Maegan Cheeseman said the Jaguars did not want to go to a fourth set.
"Valley played great in that (third) set," she said. "We just had to trust each other and eventually put the ball down and go back to the service line and be aggressive."
Tatum Schmidt and Sophia Heither led a balanced Centennial attack with eight kills apiece. Senior libero Mya Lei-Buttes had 17 digs. Thia Raridon led Valley (28-13) with 11 kills.
For Cheeseman and the other Centennial seniors, closing their careers against Northwest will be something they will always remember.
"They are a great team," she said. "We're going to have to play really good ball and we are really excited to get another chance to play them."
Daily Newsletters