State berth on line for WD, Xavier

Krista Johnson and Brett Mather agree: It's too early for this.

"It's odd that they put us together," said Johnson, the first-year volleyball coach at Cedar Rapids Xavier. "There's one really good team that won't be playing at the state volleyball tournament."

Said Mather, the coach at West Delaware: "There's absolutely no doubt that both teams deserve to be at the state tournament. Unfortunately, one of us won't. That's how it goes."

A byproduct of a glut of quality Class 4A teams in Eastern Iowa is this: A regional-final matchup between third-ranked West Delaware (36-5) and No. 5 Xavier (28-10). They'll battle it out at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Beckman High School in Dyersville.

It's the headline match of nine that involve area teams in classes 5A, 4A and 3A on Tuesday.

Three area 5A teams play, and all are underdogs. Cinderella Cedar Rapids Jefferson (19-21) faces No. 5 Pleasant Valley (27-6) at Davenport Central, Cedar Rapids Kennedy (20-14) tangles with No. 8 Dubuque Hempstead (33-5) at Dubuque Senior, and Iowa City High (20-13) meets No. 4 Urbandale (33-5) at Newton.

In other 4A encounters, 10th-ranked Marion (25-15) faces No. 7 Davenport Assumption (30-6) at Tipton while No. 2 Solon (30-2) battles with No. 15 Clear Creek Amana (23-9) at Cedar Rapids Washington.

Wamac Conference West Division co-champions Independence (No. 10, 34-8) and Center Point-Urbana (No. 15, 33-9) meet in a potential 3A dandy at Vinton. No. 8 Mount Vernon (24-10) takes on Mediapolis (34-8) at West Liberty while No. 4 Union (26-7) battles No. 11 Iowa Falls-Alden (28-6) at Hudson.

Winners advance to the state tournament next week at the U.S. Cellular Center. Class 1A and Class 2A regional finals are Wednesday.The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union tries hard to separate the power teams in regional play. But in 4A volleyball, there were more power teams in Eastern Iowa than available regions. So, West Delaware-vs.-Xavier, it is.

"It's too bad, but on the other hand, it will make for a great volleyball atmosphere," said Mather, who has guided seven teams to state in the past 10 years. "It will definitely be a dogfight.

"We know Xavier has a solid team. (Kayla) Torson is a great player as an outside hitter. We won't shut her down, but we'll try to limit her damage and create long rallies."

Like Mather, Johnson has done her homework. She viewed West Delaware at the Wamac Conference tournament.

"They don't make many mistakes," she said of the Hawks. "They are a very good passing team, and they scramble on defense."

Johnson said of her first year, "The girls have really responded. They're very coachable, they're very driven, and they really, really don't like to lose."

Like Johnson, Cedar Rapids Jefferson Coach Mary Kay Van Oort is in her first season. Unlike Johnson, she didn't inherit a successful program.

The J-Hawks were 4-33 last season. But now, after a minor upset over Linn-Mar and a not-so-minor one against Iowa City West, the J-Hawks stand a stunner away from a state berth that, two months ago, seemed impossible.

"Each win is a whole new hurdle," Van Oort said after the five-set thriller against West, one that featured a 44-kill onslaught by sophomore Amanda Ollinger.

"When we won the first one (vs. Linn-Mar), it was such a huge accomplishment. That's how the second one felt, too. To go to state ... that would be absolutely amazing."

"I just wanted to have a decent season, a good way for the seniors to go out, winning a few matches and feeling good."

The J-Hawks have exceeded that, regardless of Tuesday's outcome.