Iowa high school state volleyball 2024: Thursday’s championship scores, stats and more

Five champions were crowned as the 2024 Iowa high school state volleyball tournament concluded Thursday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. Here is The Gazette’s roundup with scores, stats and complete coverage.

Class 5A state volleyball championship

No. 1 Pleasant Valley 3, No. 6 Waukee Northwest 1 (25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 25-16)

Now that’s how a champion finishes.

Top-ranked Pleasant Valley closed with 14 of the final 16 points and claimed the Class 5A state volleyball crown Thursday morning.

“We’re a momentum-based team,” all-tournament captain Isabelle Kremer said. “Once we’re going, we’re going, and we’re not stopping.”

The title is Pleasant Valley’s second; the Spartans also struck gold in 2021.

Gabriella Ragins joined Kremer on the 5A all-tournament team. The rest of the honor squad consisted of Avery Vogt and Logan Vogt of Northwest, Ella Rogers and Ellie Muller of Dowling, and Delaney Miller of Ankeny Centennial.

Kremer led the Spartans with 24 kills and four aces. Carsyn Kelley posted 29 assists.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Pleasant Valley finishes fast, claims the 5A championship

» Photo gallery | Final stats | Watch replay

Class 4A state volleyball championship

No. 2 Sioux City Heelan 3, No. 5 Pella 0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-17)

Heelan wrapped up a week of dominance, sweeping Pella in the Class 4A championship match.

The Crusaders (44-3) won all three of their matches here in straight sets and claimed their fourth championship, their first since 2007.

A four-year starter, setter Maddie LaFleur was selected the all-tournament captain. She finished her career with more than 2,500 assists, more than 1,000 digs.

“This is so satisfying,” she said. “I’m so proud.”

Three Crusaders made the seven-player all-tournament team; LaFleur was joined by Hacker and Ava Lloyd.

Pella’s Emma Eekhoff and Katie Scheckel, Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s Bre VanDenTop and North Scott’s McKenzie Moeller rounded out the honor squad.

Heelan led virtually the entire match and wrapped it up in 65 minutes. Hacker posted 20 kills, Lloyd 14. LaFleur distributed 36 assists.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Heelan sweeps its way to the 4A title

» Photo gallery | Final stats | Watch replay

Class 3A state volleyball championship

No. 1 Mount Vernon 3, No. 2 Western Christian 0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-18)

Top-ranked Mount Vernon concluded a wire-to-wire season as Iowa’s premier Class 3A volleyball squad, validating it with the 3A state championship.

“We were lights out,” Willems said. “To sweep our way to a state title, it’s a testament to the level of play that we were able to sustain.”

Mount Vernon finished 45-4, taking the final step of a four-year climb. The Mustangs were 3A quarterfinalists in 2021, semifinalists in 2022, runners-up (to Western Christian) a year ago.

A University of Louisville recruit, Chloe Meester fittingly was the all-tournament captain after clocking 16 kills.

Arkansas commit Sydney Maue (14 kills) and Sydney Huber (38 assists) joined Meester on the all-tournament team, along with Western Christian’s Scarlett Winterfeld and Maggie Van Schepen, West Delaware’s Hannah Cantwell and Dubuque Wahlert’s Olivia Donovan.

“This is great, and it’s not just the physical aspect of winning,” Maue said. “It’s the community; it’s the atmosphere.”

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Mount Vernon triumphantly concludes its climb to the 3A summit

» Photo gallery | Final stats | Watch replay

Class 2A state volleyball championship

No. 1 Denver 3, No. 2 Eddyville EBF 0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-20)

Denver’s twins aren’t too shabby, either.

Grace Mullihan knocked down 13 kills (in only 16 attacks), Bailey Mullihan added 11, and the top-ranked Cyclones had the more rounded team.

The reward was a Class 2A state volleyball championship.

“We defended the court really well,” Denver Coach Jamie Johnson said after the Cyclones (47-3) wrapped up their first title. “We were digging, diving, doing everything we could do.”

Denver won despite the efforts of EBF’s fantastic senior twins. Molly Shafer was the 2A all-tournament captain after collecting 26 kills. Kate Shafer dished out 36 assists.

The Mullihan twins joined the Shafer twins on the all-tournament unit. So did Denver’s Channing Johnson, Dyersville Beckman’s Alli Scherbring and Iowa City Regina’s Reese Naeve.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Denver sweeps EBF for its first state title

» Photo gallery | Final stats | Watch replay

Class 1A state volleyball championship

No. 1 Ankeny Christian 3, No. 6 Conrad BCLUW 0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-13)

Led by Drake recruit Katie Quick, top-ranked Ankeny Christian put a bow on its third consecutive Class 1A state championship.

“It’s such a great feeling,” Quick said. “We came out guns a’blazing, and we finished the job.

“We stayed hungry, going to the third set. We didn’t want to settle. We were going to go for it. We were hammering away.”

The Eagles (40-5) swept all three of their opponents this week.

Quick (10 kills, 36 assists) was the all-tournament captain, one of four Eagles to make the seven-player squad.

Carley Craighead, Anna Weathers and Macey Nehring joined her. All four are seniors.

The rest of the team consisted of BCLUW’s Cassie Nason and Grace Farnsworth, along with North Tama’s Kruiz Ewoldt.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Ankeny Christian breezes to its third consecutive 1A title

» Photo gallery | Final stats | Watch replay