Dike-New Hartford claims Westside again

CEDAR RAPIDS - Discussion on dynasties and legacies can wait. Dike-New Hartford's place in history is yet to be determined.

'I guess I just hope we're remembered as how hard we've worked to get where we are,” senior Briana Weber said. 'A team that has loved playing together and got along so well.”

The Class 2A top-ranked Wolverines claimed their third consecutive championship at the Westside Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday at Jefferson High School, sweeping their way through the event and handling 5A No. 3 Ankeny Centennial, 25-18, 25-19, in the final.

Half of the 24 teams were ranked.

'This is one of the most fun tournaments we go to every year,” said Weber, the ringleader of a talented, decorated senior class. 'The competition is so high, it gives us a chance to work on the little things we need to get cleaned up before the time comes.”

The 'time” of which Weber was referring, of course, is the postseason. Dike-New Hartford (28-2) will be aiming for its fourth consecutive 2A championship next month.

Surely, this team deserves to be in the conversation as best teams in state history. Its 109-match winning streak against Iowa competition ended earlier this season against Sumner-Fredericksburg. The Wolverines have since avenged that loss.

'It was an eye-opener,” Weber said. 'It showed that we have to work harder and prepare better. But I also think it lifted some pressure off our shoulders.

Both sets of Saturday's championship match were close late before the Wolverines raced away. Centennial (28-2) forged an 18-all tie in the first game, 19-apiece in the second.

Weber hammered three straight kills to ignite a seven-point spree to end the first set, then the Jaguars went erratic in giving up a 6-0 run to close the match.

Class 3A No. 2 Mount Vernon made the area's deepest run, tripping No. 1 Solon in a three-set quarterfinal before bowing out against DNH, 25-14, 25-18.

'(The Wolverines) were always in system against us,” Mount Vernon setter Morgan Melchert said. 'When a team with that much talent is always in system, they're just going to nail it.”

Mount Vernon (25-4) and Solon (22-6) both went 3-0 in pool play. The Mustangs prevailed in their bracket match, 29-27, 22-25, 15-13.

'Yeah, it was a 1-vs.-2 match, but for us, it's a big rivalry,” Mustangs Coach Maggie Willems said. 'It's always fun to play them. And to beat them, that's great.”

Cedar Rapids Kennedy knocked off two ranked teams, handing 4A No. 2 West Delaware its first loss of the season after 31 straight wins, in winning its pool.

The Cougars (19-10) also toppled West Liberty in morning action. They fell to 5A No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling, 25-21, 25-20, in the quarterfinals.

'Injuries are kind of piling up for us, and we were mixing in a lot of kids today,” Kennedy Coach Michelle Goodall said. 'Overall, the kids played very well, especially in the morning.”

Iowa City West beat West Delaware in the Silver Bracket final; West Liberty topped North Cedar for the Bronze Bracket crown.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@sourcemedia.net

WESTSIDE INVITATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

At C.R. Jefferson & C.R. Washington

Pool A - 1. Dike-New Hartford 3-0, 2. Linn-Mar 2-1, 3. Davenport Assumption 1-2, 4. Waterloo West 0-3.

Linn-Mar def. Davenport Assumption, 21-9, 21-9

Dike-New Hartford def. Waterloo West, 21-13, 21-9

Linn-Mar def. Waterloo West, 21-11, 21-9

Dike-New Hartford def. Davenport Assumption, 21-9, 21-13

Davenport Assumption def. Waterloo West, 21-10, 21-15

Dike-New Hartford def. Linn-Mar, 21-11, 21-11

Pool B - 1. Ankeny Centennial 3-0, 2. Dubuque Wahlert 2-1, 3. C.R. Xavier 1-2, 4. North Cedar 0-3.

C.R. Xavier def. North Cedar, 21-15, 21-12

Ankeny Centennial def. Dubuque Wahlert, 23-21, 21-12

Dubuque Wahlert def. C.R. Xavier, 21-17, 21-8

Ankeny Centennial def. North Cedar, 21-13, 21-10

Dubuque Wahlert def. North Cedar, 27-29, 21-19, 16-14

Ankeny Centennial def. C.R. Xavier, 21-11, 21-12

Pool C - 1. C.R. Kennedy 3-0, 2. West Delaware 2-1, 3. West Liberty 1-2, 4. C.R. Washington 0-3.

C.R. Kennedy def. West Liberty, 21-14, 21-17

West Delaware def. C.R. Washington, 21-13, 21-13

West Liberty def. C.R. Washington, 21-13, 18-21, 15-11

C.R. Kennedy def. West Delaware, 21-17, 21-16

C.R. Kennedy def. C.R. Washington, 21-10, 21-17

West Delaware def. West Liberty, 21-19, 21-18

Pool D - 1. Solon 3-0, 2. Iowa City West 2-1, 3. Tripoli 1-2, 4. Waterloo Columbus 0-3.

Iowa City West def. Tripoli, 21-14, 21-14

Solon def. Waterloo Columbus, 21-14, 21-14

Tripoli def. Waterloo Columbus, 21-17, 21-17

Solon def. Iowa City West, 21-14, 21-10

Iowa City West def. Waterloo Columbus, 21-10, 21-6

Solon def. Tripoli, 21-15, 21-18

Pool E - 1. Mount Vernon 3-0, 2. Grundy Center 2-1, 3. C.R. Jefferson 1-2, 4. Des Moines Roosevelt 0-3.

Grundy Center def. D.M. Roosevelt, 21-3, 21-7

Mount Vernon def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-12, 21-11

Grundy Center def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-14, 21-9

Mount Vernon def. D.M. Roosevelt, 21-9, 21-7

C.R. Jefferson def. D.M. Roosevelt, 21-17, 21-13

Mount Vernon def. Grundy Center, 21-17, 21-16

Pool F - 1. West Des Moines Dowling 3-0, 2. Marion 2-1, 3. Williamsburg 1-2, 4. Dubuque Hempstead 0-3.

WDM Dowling def. Dubuque Hempstead, 21-16, 18-21, 15-11

Marion def. Williamsburg, 21-10, 21-11

WDM Dowling def. Williamsburg, 21-15, 21-14

Marion def. Dubuque Hempstead, 21-16, 18-21, 15-11

Williamsburg def. Dubuque Hempstead, 21-19, 22-20

WDM Dowling def. Marion, 21-14, 21-17

Bronze Bracket

Quarterfinals

Williamsburg def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 30-28, 25-21

North Cedar def. C.R. Washington, 25-20, 25-9

West Liberty def. Waterloo West, 25-22, 25-11

Dubuque Hempstead def. Waterloo Columbus, 25-18, 25-15

Semifinals

North Cedar def. Williamsburg, 25-12, 26-24

West Liberty def. Dubuque Hempstead, 25-23, 20-25, 15-10

Final

West Liberty def. North Cedar, 25-20, 25-16

Silver Bracket

Quarterfinals

Iowa City West def. Davenport Assumption, 25-21, 25-10

Tripoli def. Dubuque Wahlert, 25-20, 25-22

West Delaware def. C.R. Jefferson, 25-22, 25-16

Marion def. C.R. Xavier, 25-15, 25-23

Semifinals

Iowa City West def. Tripoli, 25-12, 25-16

West Delaware def. Marion, 25-23, 25-20

Final

Iowa City West def. West Delaware, 20-25, 25-18, 15-9

Gold Bracket

Quarterfinals

Dike-New Hartford def. Linn-Mar, 25-20, 25-18

Mount Vernon def. Solon, 29-27, 22-25, 15-13

Ankeny Centennial def. Grundy Center, 25-19, 25-19

West Des Moines Dowling def. C.R. Kennedy, 25-21, 25-20

Semifinals

Dike-New Hartford def. Mount Vernon, 25-14, 25-18

Ankeny Centennial def. West Des Moines Dowling, 25-22, 25-13

Championship

Dike-New Hartford def. Ankeny Centennial, 25-18, 25-19