Hard-hitting, aggressive-serving Sioux Center is too much for West Liberty at state volleyball

CORALVILLE — Giving up more than 2 inches per player, West Liberty had to be precise defensively and in the serve-receive game.

“When we pass, we’re able to compete at a high level,” Comets Coach Ruben Galvan said. “But today, we struggled a little.”

Fourth-ranked Sioux Center delivered 10 aces and kept No. 5 West Liberty out of system most of the way in a Class 3A quarterfinal sweep (25-13, 25-13, 25-13) at the state volleyball tournament Tuesday afternoon at Xtream Arena.

“We came in here, and we were dialed in,” Sioux Center senior Reagan Jansen said. “We needed to prove that we belonged here.

“We respect our opponents. But we’re a good team, too, and we can play with the good teams.”

The Warriors (31-3) draw a really good one next: No. 1 Des Moines Christian (46-5), a four-set victor over No. 8 Union Community, at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Last year’s 3A runner-up, West Liberty closed at 31-8. The Comets returned to state with a strong defensive squad, but their strength let them down somewhat Tuesday.

“We didn’t play to the best of our ability,” senior libero Monica Morales said. “We were shaken after the first set, and we couldn’t bounce back.”

Sioux Center shot to the lead in each set, and didn’t let the Comets get comfortable.

The Warriors were pinpoint in their attack game, hitting .333 (38 attacks, against only six errors, in 96 swings).

“Our setter (Willow Bleeker) does a nice job moving the ball around,” Jansen said. “Our outsides run something, then we mix it up with our middles.

“I don’t know if they’ve seen this big of a blocking team.”

The Warriors’ hitters are 6-foot-1, 6-1, 6-0 and 5-11.

Jansen led the winners with 12 kills. Makenna Walhof added eight. Bleeker posted 29 assists and six aces.

“Props to them,” said West Liberty setter Brooklyn Buysse, who distributed 25 assists. “They played an amazing game. They had a lot of height, and it was hard to push through them.”

Sophie Buysse paced West Liberty with nine kills.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com