Iowa high school state volleyball: Class 5A predictions, capsules, stat leaders

A closer look at this week's Class 5A state volleyball touranment.

Team capsules

 

No. 1 Cedar Falls (44-0)

Nickname — Tigers

Coach — Matthew Johnson (5th year at Cedar Falls, 192-22; 15th year overall, 495-138)

Tournament history: 20th appearance, and fourth in a row. Defending 5A state champion.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

2 Kirsten Graves 5-8 Jr. DS

4 Emerson Green 5-9 Jr. S

7 Dara Hulstein 5-10 Sr. MH

9 Ashley Schildroth 5-11 Sr. OH

11 Emily Clapp 5-10 Sr. OH

17 Alayna Yates 6-5 Jr. MH

21 Akacia Brown 6-0 Jr. OH

No. 10 Waukee (29-14)

Nickname — Warriors

Coach — Danielle Kohut Lynch (1st year at Waukee, 29-14; 13th year overall, 145-111)

Tournament history: 6th appearance, first since 2011.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

3 Kori Knox 5-3 So. DS

4 Avery Showalter 5-8 Sr. L

6 Layanna Green 6-0 So. MH

11 Kelsey Plumb 6-0 Sr. S

12 Kate Nelson 6-0 Jr. OH

15 Maggie Clark 6-2 Sr. MH

18 Haley Bush 6-2 Sr. OH

No. 4 Cedar Rapids Jefferson (37-6)

Nickname — J-Hawks

Coach — Will & Amy Norton (4th year, 110-52)

Tournament history: 10th appearance, and second straight. Runner-up in 1996.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

3 Maddy Baxter 5-8 Sr. S

7 Allie Krousie 5-5 Jr. DS

10 Kaylee Donner 5-6 Sr. L

18 Maggie Peters 5-11 Sr. MH

20 Lindsey Culver 5-11 Sr. OH

21 Sydney Kloubec 5-9 Sr. OH

22 Peyton Brokovich 6-0 Sr. MH

No. 5 Linn-Mar (31-9)

Nickname — Lions

Coach — Teresa Bair (6th year at Linn-Mar, 173-65; 29th year overall, 752-204)

Tournament history: 5th appearance, and third consecutive. Semifinalist last year.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

3 Allison Pisarcik 5-7 Sr. DS

5 Tori Niemeyer 5-8 Sr. OH

6 Megan Renner 6-2 Sr. S

8 Ellie Von Lehmden 5-8 Sr. OH

9 Emily Strauss 5-10 Jr. MH

11 Anna Gorsich 5-11 Sr. MH

14 Allison Feigenbaum 5-11 So. OH

No. 2 Ankeny Centennial (38-3)

Nickname — Jaguars

Coach — Jessica Rinehart (6th year, 209-30)

Tournament history: 6th appearance, and sixth straight. Three titles (2014-16), semifinalist last year.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

2 Kenedy Balentine 5-6 Sr. DS

8 Riley Morgan 5-9 Sr. S

9 Kenna Sauer 6-1 Sr. OH

11 Devyn Robinson 6-1 Jr. MH

16 Josie Magner 5-4 Sr. L

17 Ari Winters 6-1 Sr. OH

23 Megan Lively 6-3 Sr. MH

No. 7 West Des Moines Dowling (29-12)

Nickname — Maroons

Coach — Mary Beth Wiskus (10th year, 306-101)

Tournament history: 7th appearance, and seventh in a row.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

2 Rose Fitzgerald 5-3 So. L

5 Anna Godfredsen 5-10 Jr. OH

8 Jacey Koethe 6-0 Sr. MH

10 Piper Kirchhoff 5-9 Fr. OH

12 Mira Baccile 5-9 Jr. MH

16 Calliope Coppola 5-7 Fr. OH

17 Sophia Painovich 5-7 So. S

No. 3 West Des Moines Valley (40-3)

Nickname — Tigers

Coach — Jeremy Mikesell (9th year at Valley, 292-105; 21st year overall, 548-244)

Tournament history: 9th appearance, third straight. 5A runner-up last year.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

1 Payton Lombardi 5-8 So. L

2 Jacey Spann 5-9 Jr. MH

4 Olivia Curry 5-8 Jr. S

6 Shea Fuller 5-5 Sr. S

8 Allison Blythe 6-0 Sr. MH

10 Madi Kubik 6-1 Sr. OH

11 Hayden Kubik 6-0 Fr. OH

No. 6 Ankeny (31-12)

Nickname — Hawkettes

Coach — Joe Morton (4th year at Ankeny, 116-46; 10th year overall)

Tournament history: 17th appearance, all since 1996. Four-time champion, most recently in 2009.

Starters:

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

4 Taylor Richards 5-10 Sr. OH

5 Malea Daugherty 5-8 Jr. OH

10 Kaci Behrens 5-4 Jr. DS

11 McKenna Scheib 5-10 So. MH

12 Isabelle Vacek 5-11 Jr. MH

17 Sara McCullough 6-1 Sr. MH

23 Phyona Schrader 6-0 So. S

 

Predictions

 

Quarterfinals

Cedar Falls over Waukee in 3

Cedar Rapids Jefferson over Linn-Mar in 5

Ankeny Centennial over West Des Moines Dowling in 4

West Des Moines Valley over Ankeny in 3

Semifinals

Cedar Falls over Cedar Rapids Jefferson in 4

Ankeny Centennial over West Des Moines Valley in 5

Championship

Ankeny Centennial over Cedar Falls in 5

 

Stat leaders

KILLS PER SET

Madi Kubik, West Des Moines Valley 5.11

Kenna Sauer, Ankeny Centennial 3.86

Sydney Kloubec, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 3.67

Akacia Brown, Cedar Falls 3.63

Haley Bush, Waukee 3.44

ASSISTS PER SET

Emerson Green, Cedar Falls 9.76

Maddy Baxter, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 9.57

Riley Morgan, Ankeny Centennial 9.42

Kelsey Plumb, Waukee 8.16

Phyone Schrader, Ankeny 8.13

DIGS PER SET

Kaci Behrens, Ankeny 6.48

Kirsten Graves, Cedar Falls 4.47

Allison Pisarcik, Linn-Mar 4.16

Kaylee Donner, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 4.11

Payton Lombardi, West Des Moines Valley 3.88

ACES PER SET

Maddy Baxter, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 0.72

Anna Flynn, West Des Moines Dowling 0.60

Layanna Green, Waukee 0.57

Avery Showalter, Waukee 0.56

Emma Scheck, West Des Moines Dowling 0.55

BLOCKS PER SET

Sara McCullough, Ankeny 1.25

Alayna Yates, Cedar Falls 1.16

Megan Lively, Ankeny Centennial 1.04

Devyn Robinson, Ankeny Centennial 0.97

Allison Feigenbaum, Linn-Mar 0.85

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com