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Bolts on the rebound: Liberty sweeps Xavier to open MVC divisional play
After a rare losing season last year, the Lightning are off to a 4-1 overall start under first-year coach Jessica Hauptmann

Sep. 2, 2025 11:09 pm, Updated: Sep. 3, 2025 2:53 pm
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NORTH LIBERTY — Progress isn’t linear. Ask Jessica Hauptmann.
“(The players) are learning new tools that they can use in games,” said Hauptmann, first-year volleyball coach at Iowa City Liberty. “We took some steps backward, they learned. Now we’re moving forward.”
Class 5A 12th-ranked Liberty emerged from a back-and-forth first set, controlled the next two and swept 4A No. 10 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 25-23, 25-19, 25-19, in an MVC Mississippi Division match Tuesday night at Liberty High School.
“We’re moving forward as a unit,” Hauptmann said. “It’s awesome ... we’re spreading out our offense, using it to our advantage and everybody’s soaking it in.”
A 15-21 outfit last year, Liberty improved to 4-1 overall, 1-0 in the division, and resembled a team that can remain in contention throughout the fall.
“Every day, we write down on a whiteboard what we want to do that day,” setter Hadley Miller said.
So, what was Tuesday’s whiteboard message?
“Work hard, have fun,” Miller said.
The long-term goals are more tangible.
“We want to make it to state,” Miller said.
Hauptmann added: “This team can be anything.”
The first set featured 15 ties and six lead changes. Xavier (4-4, 0-2) held its final advantage at 18-17, but the Saints were still even at 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23.
Liberty reached set point on Jessica Steburg’s kill, then a Xavier attack error wrapped up the set.
The next two sets came with far less drama. Liberty pulled away from a 14-13 advantage in Game 2 with a 7-1 surge, then played from ahead throughout the finale.
The Lightning posted 31 kills in the final two sets, compared to 15 for Xavier.
Steburg led all attackers with 14 kills. Ava Meidlinger added 11.
Miller collected 30 assists to go with five kills.
Macie Lupkes paced Xavier with nine kills.
Iowa City Liberty 3, Cedar Rapids Xavier 0
(25-23, 25-19, 25-19)
AT NORTH LIBERTY
Serving: Xavier 54-62 (.871), Liberty 68-74 (.919)
Aces: Xavier 8 (Caylin Miller 3), Liberty 6 (Hadley Miller 3)
Kills: Xavier 28 (Macie Lupkes 9), Liberty 44 (Jessica Steburg 14)
Assists: Xavier 26 (Josie Smith 15), Liberty 39 (Miller 30)
Blocks: Xavier 4 (four with 1), Liberty 3 (three with 1)
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com