Quick turnaround for 2A, 1A Iowa high school state-volleyball hopefuls

If you’re a volleyball coach at a high-level small-school program, this is a week for late-night film sessions.

“We’ll get some film, we’ll watch it and we’ll find a way to do what we do,” West Branch Coach Rebeckah Hesler said.

That was Monday night, after the Bears outlasted Lisbon in a five-set Class 2A regional semifinal. That was less than 48 hours before the Bears hit the court again.

Regional finals are Wednesday in 2A and 1A, with winners advancing to next week’s state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

It’s a small cluster of area survivors: West Branch (18-16) faces No. 4 Denver (33-10) in a 2A encounter at La Porte City. In 1A, No. 12 Edgewood-Colesburg (29-13) tangles with No. 3 Fort Madison Holy Trinity (30-10) at West Liberty, and No. 5 North Tama (25-15) takes on No. 10 Don Bosco (23-16) at Vinton.

Ed-Co is gunning for its first state berth in school history.

“We’re super excited,” Vikings Coach Dana Kopren said. “We’ve been preparing for a wide variety of teams. I feel like our girls will be prepared for whoever we play.”

The Vikings swept North Cedar in their regional semifinal Monday.

“We didn’t have school (Monday), so we brought the girls in for serving and passing, then had a good team meal,” Kopren said. “The girls were fresh for the match.

“They’re excited for this opportunity. They trust in all of the work they have put in.”

West Branch has won both of its last two matches in five sets, against Iowa City Regina and Lisbon.

The Bears prevailed Monday with superior depth, getting double-digit kills from three players, including 16 from JaLynn Falco.

“One thing about us, we’re very versatile,” Hesler said. “We are able to change lineups. We can move our middle to our outside. We can move our outside to the right side.”

If North Tama can reverse its fortunes against Don Bosco (the Redhawks are 0-3 against the Dons this season), it will advance to state for the fifth time in seven seasons.

Wednesday’s Class 2A regional finals

(All matches 7 p.m.)

WEST BRANCH (18-16) vs. No. 4 DENVER (33-10), at La Porte City

The Bears drew a North Iowa Cedar League opponent in the regional finals, which means they’ll be getting a handful. Denver is chasing its fourth consecutive state appearance (the Cyclones dropped a four-set first-round match to Hinton last year). West Branch has won back-to-back five-setters, taking down Iowa City Regina and Lisbon in succession. Senior JaLynn Falco led the Bears with 16 kills against Lisbon; senior Kylie Pickett posted 12 kills and 32 assists. Alyse Klinkkammer (senior) and Madelynn Falco (junior) spearhead the Bears’ back row. The Bears reached the state tournament three times between 2012 and 2015.

STATE

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (46-0) vs. Guthrie Center ACGC (21-10), at Nevada

No. 2 Hinton (29-1) vs. Rock Valley (20-8), at Le Mars

No. 3 Grundy Center (36-7) vs. No. 13 West Burlington (38-5), at Williamsburg

No. 5 Sumner-Fredericksburg (27-13) vs. No. 10 Wapsie Valley (28-18), at Waterloo (West H.S.)

No. 6 Carroll Kuemper (33-6) vs. No. 9 Ridge View (34-8), at Denison

No. 8 Aplington-Parkersburg (33-8) vs. No. 12 South Hardin (35-8), at Cedar Falls

No. 15 Eddyville EBF (25-7) vs. Tri-Center (26-9), at Adel

Wednesday’s Class 1A regional finals

(All matches 7 p.m.)

No. 5 NORTH TAMA (25-15) vs. No. 10 DON BOSCO (23-16), at Vinton

Don Bosco defeated North Tama three times in the regular season, but if the Redhawks — gunning for their fifth state tournament in a seven-year span — can get this one, it would make up for all of it. North Tama reached this level with a four-set victory over Central City on Monday, closing it out with an emphatic 25-13 win in Game 4. The Redhawks have a back-row gem in sophomore Addison Hochstetler (5.14 digs per set), and the development of Kruiz Ewoldt (about 60 kills last year to 389 this season) has been striking. A state qualifier in 2022, Don Bosco has won eight of its last nine matches.

No. 12 EDGEWOOD-COLESBURG (29-13) vs. No. 3 FORT MADISON HOLY TRINITY (30-10), at West Liberty

One step stands between Ed-Co and its first state-tournament berth, and it’s a tall one. Year in and year out, Holy Trinity is one of the state’s premier 1A programs, with 15 state appearances since 2005. Both teams have dropped just one set apiece in the postseason. Ed-Co was impressive in a regional-semifinal sweep of North Cedar behind Audrie Helmrichs’ 12 kills; she averages a team-high 3.88 kills per set. The Vikings have won 13 matches in a row. Four starters are back from Holy Trinity’s state team from 2022, including 6-foot sophomore Presley Myers (3.03 kills per set, .336 kill efficiency) and senior Mary Kate Bendlage (2.84).

STATE

No. 1 Ankeny Christian (35-3) vs. Oakland Riverside (27-10), at Van Meter

No. 2 Boyden-Hull (20-11) vs. No. 15 River Valley (25-6), at Orange City (MOC-FV)

No. 4 Conrad BCLUW (33-10) vs. Lynnville-Sully (17-12), at Marshalltown

No. 6 Janesville (27-11) vs. No. 9 Saint Ansgar (23-6), at Charles City

No. 8 Ackley AGWSR (18-23) vs. Newell-Fonda (20-8), at Fort Dodge

East Mills (29-11) vs. Council Bluffs St. Albert (22-14), at Glenwood

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com