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No. 1 Pleasant Valley recovers from slow start, sweeps Waukee in state volleyball quarterfinals
Spartans overcome 21-16 deficit in the first set, then hit .579 in the finale
Nov. 4, 2024 2:03 pm, Updated: Nov. 4, 2024 3:45 pm
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CORALVILLE — Top-ranked Pleasant Valley faced an early fork in the road.
Down 21-16 in the first set, the Spartans stormed back to win it, then swept No. 9 Waukee (25-23, 25-19, 25-15) in a Class 5A quarterfinal at the state volleyball tournament Monday afternoon at Xtream Arena.
“Once we got used to the lights and the crowd and everything, we were good,” senior Stella Smith said.
And in the third set, very good.
The Spartans (33-2) posted a .579 kill efficiency in the finale and won going away.
Pleasant Valley will face No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling (26-9) in a 5A semifinal at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The Spartans are in the state field for the sixth straight year, a run that included a title in 2021.
Waukee — a team that had a seniorless starting lineup — finished 18-15.
“They did a great job getting us out of system (early),” Pleasant Valley Coach Amber Hall said. “Once we were able to get some one-on-ones, we were able to get the ball down.”
Isabelle Kremer led the Spartans with 12 kills. Smith added nine.
“After the first set, the mood was, ‘Yeah, we won, but we can play better,’” Kremer said. “We came back out and executed.”
Pleasant Valley used an 9-2 run to rally from that first-set deficit, with Kremer slamming the final kill.
Waukee’s only leads the rest of the match were 1-0 and 2-1 in Game 3.
Sophomore Malia Rogers led Waukee with nine kills.
Pleasant Valley 3, Waukee 0
(25-23, 25-19, 25-15)
Class 5A State Quarterfinal, at Coralville
Serving: Waukee 53-58 (.914), Pleasant Valley 66-74 (.892)
Aces: Waukee 5 (Liv Davis 2), Pleasant Valley 4 (four with 1)
Kills: Waukee 30 (Malia Rogers 9), Pleasant Valley 42 (Isabelle Kremer 12)
Assists: Waukee 29 (Davis 25), Pleasant Valley 38 (Carsyn Kelley 19)
Blocks: Waukee 3 (three with 1), Pleasant Valley 9 (Stella Smith 3)
Digs: Waukee 25 (Rogers 7), Pleasant Valley 31 (Abbie Staats, Kremer 5)
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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