It takes five sets, but Denver repeats as 2A state volleyball champion

CORALVILLE — She was confined to the sideline for more than two hours.

Scheming, sweating, agonizing.

So when match point fell, Jamie Johnson was the first one to Denver’s Pile de Triomphe.

“You know what? I was going to go with a bang,” said Johnson, who coached her final match with the Cyclones.

“I decided to crash the pile.”

Top-ranked Denver sent Johnson, and 10 seniors, out as winners. The Cyclones outlasted No. 3 Hinton in a grueling five-set Class 2A championship match (25-22, 26-28, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11) Thursday night at Xtream Arena.

Adeana Murch dropped seven of her team-high kills in the final set, enabling Denver (50-1) to repeat as 2A champions.

“She is such a dog,” all-tournament captain Channing Johnson said of Murch, a sophomore. “You can give her anything, and she’ll come through.”

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Denver prevailed despite 38 kills from Hinton’s Bailey Boeve.

“I’m really proud,” said Boeve, who returned with a vengeance this season after missing her junior year with a knee injury. “Our goal the entire year was to make the championship match. We battled, and didn’t let them off easily.”

A Creighton recruit, Boeve had those 38 kills (against 12 errors) in 81 swings.

“She was even better than we thought she’d be,” Channing Johnson said. “No gameplan would stop her. You just have to get as many block touches on her, and dig what you can.

“What you can’t, you just have to get ready for the next point.”

Murch collected four consecutive kills in a five-point run that set the Cyclones free from a 6-6 draw in the finale.

Johnson was joined on the all-tournament unit by teammates Mylee Thurm and Bailey Mullihan, Boeve and Ellie Friessen from Hinton, Abby Jensen of Dike-New Hartford and Ryanne Brubakerof Grundy Center.

Hinton finished 30-3.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com