Clear Creek Amana sweeps its way to the Caroline Found Invitational title

IOWA CITY — Clear Creek Amana played five matches Saturday, four against ranked opponents.

The Clippers swept them all.

“We just clicked today,” setter Emily Henderson said. “(Coach) Jackie (Clubb) said, ‘Let’s just go get one at a time,’ and we figured it out.”

Top-ranked in Class 4A, Clear Creek Amana ran its winning streak to 17 matches, capturing the championship of the Caroline Found Invitational volleyball tournament at West High School.

“We keep exceeding expectations,” Clubb said. “You can’t ask for more than that. They applied what we told them, and things clicked.”

CCA (18-1) dropped its second match of the season, Aug. 30 against Cedar Rapids Xavier. Since then, the Clippers have won 35 straight sets.

“That loss helped immensely,” Clubb said. “We don’t have to worry about being undefeated.”

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The Clippers won their two preliminary-pool matches, against Iowa City Regina and Dubuque Wahlert, then rattled off championship-pool victories over Class 3A No. 3 Mid-Prairie (21-7, 21-15), 5A No. 4 Ankeny (21-16, 21-11) and 5A No. 5 Iowa City West (21-19, 21-14).

“We hustled on the defensive end, and that translated into our offense,” senior Averie Lower said.

A recent basketball commit at Arizona State, Lower was a first-team all-state volleyball selection last season.

She came into Saturday averaging 2.87 kills per set, and is getting ample offensive assistance, particularly from sophomore Julia Schlarbaum (2.65 kills per set) and junior Bailey Simpson (2.39).

“We have a crazy amount of options in the front row,” Henderson said.

Ankeny (15-5) was the runner-up of the championship pool. Iowa City West (14-3) was third; Mid-Prairie (12-4) was fourth.

West topped Mid-Prairie in the “Evans Bowl.” Trojans Coach Jaedynn Evans is the daughter of Mid-Prairie’s co-head coaches (Sherry and Zeb Evans) and the sister of two Golden Hawks (Jovi and Jeorgia Evans).

“They came and scrimmaged us earlier this season, and they beat us pretty bad,” Jaedynn said. “Today, we beat them when it mattered.”

West’s leading attacker, junior Sophia Austin, suffered a knee injury during the Ankeny match.

“It was a freak thing,” Coach Evans said. “We’ll see Monday. She was in high hopes and spirits.”

Caroline Found Invitational

At Iowa City West

POOL A

Teams — 1. Iowa City West 2-0, 2. Grinnell 1-1, 3. C.R. Washington 0-2.

Iowa City West def. C.R. Washington, 21-11, 21-11

Iowa City West def. Grinnell, 21-14, 21-5

Grinnell def. C.R. Washington, 21-17, 21-9

POOL B

Teams — 1. Ankeny 2-0, 2. Iowa City Liberty 1-1, 3. North Scott 0-2.

Ankeny def. North Scott, 21-16, 21-19

Ankeny def. Iowa City Liberty, 21-18, 21-17

Iowa City Liberty def. North Scott, 21-17, 21-19

POOL C

Teams — 1. Mid-Prairie 1-1, 2. Bettendorf 1-1, 3. C.R. Prairie 1-1.

Mid-Prairie def. C.R. Prairie, 21-14, 21-17

Bettendorf def. Mid-Prairie, 19-21, 16-21, 15-9

C.R. Prairie def. Bettendorf, 22=2-. 12=21, 15-9

POOL D

Teams — 1. Clear Creek Amana 2-0, 2. Iowa City Regina 1-1, 3. Dubuque Wahlert 0-2.

Clear Creek Amana def. Iowa City Regina, 21-13, 21-15

Clear Creek Amana def. Dubuque Wahlert, 21-13, 21-10

Iowa City Regina def. Dubuque Wahlert 23-21, 21-17

CHAMPIONSHIP POOL

Teams — 1. Clear Creek Amana 3-0, 2. Ankeny 2-1, 3. Iowa City West 1-2, 4. Mid-Prairie 0-3.

Ankeny def. Iowa City West, 17-21, 21-10, 15-12

Clear Creek Amana def. Mid-Prairie, 21-7, 21-15

Iowa City West def. Mid-Prairie, 21-17, 22-20

Clear Creek Amana def. Ankeny, 21-16, 21-11

Clear Creek Amana def. Iowa City West, 21-19, 21-14

Ankeny def. Mid-Prairie, 21-17, 18-21, 15-12

SILVER POOL

Teams — 1. Bettendorf 3-0, 2. Iowa City Liberty 2-1, 3. Grinnell 1-2, 4. Iowa City Regina 0-3.

Iowa City Liberty def. Grinnell, 21-10, 21-9

Bettendorf def. Iowa City Regina, 21-16, 16-21, 15-2

Bettendorf def. Grinnell, 21-16, 21-6

Iowa City Liberty def. Iowa City Regina, 18-21, 21-14, 15-10

Grinnell def. Iowa City Regina, 21-17, 21-16

Bettendorf def. Iowa City Liberty, 24-22, 23-21

BRONZE POOL

Teams — 1. Dubuque Wahlert 3-0, 2. North Scott 2-1, 3. C.R. Prairie 1-2, 4. C.R. Washington 0-3.

North Scott def. C.R. Washington, 21-8, 21-9

Dubuque Wahlert def. C.R. Prairie, 21-16, 21-18

C.R. Prairie def. C.R. Washington, 21-13, 21-10

Dubuque Wahlert def. North Scott, 20-22, 26-24, 15-10

Dubuque Wahlert def. C.R. Washington, 21-9, 21-8

North Scott def. C.R. Prairie, 18-21, 22-20, 15-12

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com