Kennedy breaks through, claims 5A state berth

CEDAR RAPIDS – Not this time. Not with this group of seniors in their last home match.

Fueled by the disappointment of having their season end in the regional final in each of the last three years, ninth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy broke through Tuesday night with a convincing sweep of No. 15 Ankeny, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23, and advanced to the Class 5A volleyball state tournament for the first time since 2011.

'This game obviously meant a lot to us,' senior Anna Fluent said. 'Getting to state, that's been our goal since the beginning of the season.'

Fluent – one of four Division I volleyball commits for Kennedy – collected 34 assists, while fellow senior Tianna Drahn tallied 15 digs.

Kennedy (29-9) opens the Class 5A state quarterfinals Tuesday at 2 p.m. against third-ranked Cedar Falls (36-4) at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'We just said, 'Play for each other,'' senior Macy Anderson said. ''This is the last chance we have. You've just got to lay it all out and let nothing stop you.''

Kennedy closed Game 1 with 11 of the last 14 points and won, 25-16. The Cougars never trailed in the second game and saw their lead balloon to as much as eight points before a pair of late Anderson kills sealed it, 25-19.

'We were doing great with communication,' said junior Paige Franck, an Iowa commit. 'Back row, they were doing great with the digs. It all starts with the digs.'

Franck led Kennedy with 11 kills, while senior Brinley Milbrath added eight.

Game 3 was much more pressure-packed as Ankeny (25-15) junior Alyssa Ballenger – third in the state in kills – tallied nine of her game-high 20 for a late 23-22 Hawks' lead.

A fourth game was avoided when kills by Anderson, junior Emma Boote and Milbrath sealed the sweep and a state berth for the Cougars, 25-23.

'It means everything to us,' said Anderson, who finished with 10 kills. 'It's been our biggest goal. We want to get our program back on track to go to state every year. This is going to be the start of a new era.'

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