Iowa's best? DNH stakes its claim

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Frightening thought: There's still room for this team to grow. And plenty of time to do it.Already a special squad, the Dike-New Hartford Wolverines could become extraordinary."They could really do some great things," Coach Diane Harms said after the Class 2A top-rated Wolverines breezed through the Westside Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday afternoon at Jefferson High School.Dike-New Hartford improved to 38-0, and extended its winning streak to 48 matches. The Wolverines upset Western Christian for the 2A title last year, and certainly can make a legitimate claim as the best team in Iowa this season.And, really, they're only just getting started.UNI recruits Rachel Koop and Briana Weber are sophomores, as are starters Elizabeth Blough and Brooke Morgan. There are no seniors in the starting lineup."We've been playing together since we were 10 or 11 years old," Weber said. "We mix very well."So what do you say? Best in Iowa, period?"I don't know," Weber said. "You don't know until you put yourself in a position to prove it."A piece of evidence in the Wolverines' favor: They have beaten 5A top-ranked Ankeny twice this season.DNH defeated West Delaware and four-time defending 1A state champion Tripoli by identical scores -- 25-13, 25-23 -- in the semfinal and final rounds of the Gold Bracket.

 West Delaware (25-9) was the last area team standing. The Hawks swept through their pool, then handled Cedar Rapids Xavier, 25-18, 25-15, in the quarterfinals before running into the Wolverines. The Hawks managed a 23-23 tie in the second set before a kill by Koop and a hitting error gave DNH the match."I hate losing, but it's what you make of losses ... I want us to use them as motivation to keep pushing ourselves to get better," said Hawks Coach Brett Mather, who has a young team of his own."I haven't seen the whole state, but I struggle to believe there's anybody better than (Dike-New Hartford)."Weber led the Wolverines with 14 kills against Tripoli (29-5). Koop collected 29 assists.Xavier (20-9) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (16-11) were pool champions and qualified for the top bracket. Both were eliminated in straight-set quarterfinals.

West Delaware's Leslie Hoffmann goes up for a spike during their game against Dike-New Hartford at the Westside Volleyball Invitational at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids on Saturday October 6, 2012. Dike-New Hartford defeated West Delaware 25-13 and 25-23. (Stephen Mally/Freelance)

WESTSIDE INVITATIONAL

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

Pool A -- 1. Dike-New Hartford 3-0, 2. Iowa City West 2-1, 3. Waterloo Columbus 1-2, 4. C.R. Jefferson 0-3.Iowa City West def. Waterloo Columbus, 21-17, 18-21, 17-15Dike-New Hartford def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-9, 21-12Iowa City West def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-13, 21-9Dike-New Hartford def. Waterloo Columbus, 21-10, 21-19Waterloo Columbus def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-14, 21-11Dike-New Hartford def. Iowa City West, 21-10, 21-13

Pool B -- 1. Dubuque Hempstead 3-0, 2. West Des Moines Dowling 2-1, 3. Marion 1-2, 4. North Cedar 0-3.West Des Moines Dowling def. Marion, 21-16, 21-10Dubuque Hempstead def. North Cedar, 21-12, 21-13West Des Moines Dowling def. North Cedar, 21-14, 21-15Dubuque Hempstead def. Marion, 21-15, 21-9Marion def. North Cedar, 21-11, 21-17Dubuque Hempstead def. West Des Moines Dowling, 18-21, 21-16, 15-12

Pool C -- 1. Tripoli 3-0, 2. Mount Vernon 1-2, 3. Des Moines Roosevelt 1-2, 4. C.R. Washington 1-2.C.R. Washington def. Mount Vernon, 27-29, 21-17, 15-9Tripoli def. D.M. Roosevelt, 21-16, 19-21, 15-8Mount Vernon def. D.M. Roosevelt, 21-10, 21-11Tripoli def. C.R. Washington, 21-13, 22-20D.M. Roosevelt def. C.R. Washington, 21-18, 21-16Tripoli def. Mount Vernon, 21-16, 21-15

Pool D -- 1. C.R. Xavier 3-0, 2. West Liberty 2-1, 3. Waterloo West 1-2, 4. Williamsburg 0-3.C.R. Xavier def. Waterloo West, 21-15, 20-22, 15-13West Liberty def. Williamsburg, 19-21, 21-7, 15-8C.R. Xavier def. Williamsburg, 21-15, 21-10West Liberty def. Waterloo West, 21-15, 26-24Waterloo West def. Williamsburg, 18-21, 21-10, 17-15C.R. Xavier def. West Liberty, 21-18, 21-16

Pool E -- 1. West Delaware 3-0, 2. Linn-Mar 2-1, 3. Indianola 1-2, 4. Dubuque Wahlert 0-3.Linn-Mar def. Dubuque Wahlert, 21-16, 21-12West Delaware def. Indianola, 21-19, 21-13Indianola def. Dubuque Wahlert, 23-21, 21-16West Delaware def. Linn-Mar, 21-14, 21-10Linn-Mar def. Indianola, 21-17, 21-19West Delaware def. Dubuque Wahlert, 21-19, 21-18

Pool F -- 1. C.R. Kennedy 2-1, 2. Maquoketa 2-1, 3. Urbandale 2-1, 4. Aplington-Parkersburg 0-3.Maquoketa def. Aplington-Parkersburg, 21-10, 21-12Urbandale def. C.R. Kennedy, 15-21, 21-17, 15-13C.R. Kennedy def. Maquoketa, 21-16, 21-19Urbandale def. Aplington-Parkersburg, 21-12, 22-20C.R. Kennedy def. Aplington-Parkersburg, 21-17, 21-8Maquoketa def. Urbandale, 24-22, 21-13

Bronze Bracket QuarterfinalsIndianola def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-18, 18-21, 15-11Dubuque Wahlert def. Williamsburg, 27-25, 19-21, 21-19Marion def. Aplington-Parkersburg, 21-19, 21-18C.R. Washington def. North Cedar, 21-9, 21-17

Bronze Bracket SemifinalsDubuque Wahlert def. Indianola, 17-21, 21-13, 15-10C.R. Washington def. Marion, 21-13, 22-20

Bronze Bracket FinalC.R. Washington def. Dubuque Wahlert, 21-7, 22-20

Silver Bracket QuarterfinalsLinn-Mar def. Waterloo West, 21-16, 21-16Urbandale def. Mount Vernon, 21-12, 10-21, 15-13West Liberty def. Des Moines Roosevelt, 15-21, 23-21, 15-10Waterloo Columbus def. Iowa City West, 6-21, 21-16, 15-12

Silver Bracket SemifinalsLinn-Mar def. Urbandale, 15-21, 21-16, 16-14Waterloo Columbus def. West Liberty, 15-21, 23-21, 15-10

Silver Bracket FinalWaterloo Columbus def. Linn-Mar, 21-8, 18-21, 15-12

Gold Bracket QuarterfinalsDike-New Hartford def. Maquoketa, 25-19, 25-20West Delaware def. C.R. Xavier, 25-18, 25-15West Des Moines Dowling def. Dubuque Hempstead, 25-14, 25-19Tripoli def. C.R. Kennedy, 25-19, 25-21

Gold Bracket SemifinalsDike-New Hartford def. West Delaware, 25-13, 25-23Tripoli def. West Des Moines Dowling, 25-16, 18-25, 15-9

Gold Bracket FinalDike-New Hartford def. Tripoli, 25-13, 25-23