West outlasts Liberty, forces a deadlock for the MVC Mississippi Division title

IOWA CITY — When crunch time arrived, Sophia Austen didn’t shrink from the moment.

“I just love those big moments,” said Austen, a junior at Iowa City West and an Iowa State University commit.

“Some people get scared. When it’s close, I’m like, ‘Give me the ball.’ I have trust in myself, and I have trust in my teammates, that we can do the job.”

Austen and the Class 5A ninth-ranked Trojans finished the job Tuesday night, scoring the final five points of the match and outlasting No. 8 Iowa City Liberty in a five-set MVC Mississippi Division volleyball showdown at West High School.

Set scores were 18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 18-25 and 15-11.

The outcome forged a title share in the division; both teams finished 5-1.

West (18-4 overall) and Liberty (17-7) will join Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids Prairie in the championship pool of the MVC tournament next Tuesday at Cedar Falls.

That ensured one more West/Liberty showdown. Another could come in a Class 5A regional final, if the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union opts to assign the teams to the same bracket.

“We knew what might be at stake,” West Coach Jaedynn Evans said. “We just didn’t tell the girls any of it. That would have just added to the pressure.”

There was enough of that as it was.

At the key moment of Game 3, then again at the end of the match, West has its collective back against the wall. Both times, the Trojans delivered.

With the match tied at a set apiece, West faced a 23-20 deficit in the third. Austen started the rally with a kill, then it was freshman Cyan Blommer with another termination to cut the deficit to 23-22 and force a Liberty timeout.

The last three points were recorded by a block from West’s Taylor Otte, an ace by Austen and a free-ball kill by Blommer.

In Game 5, Liberty erased a 10-7 deficit with four consecutive points (led by a pair of kills from Clare Gordon).

With West trailing 11-10, Austen smoked a pair of kills to put the Trojans back in front. After a Liberty attack error, Otte delivered a kill, then it was Austen for match point.

“Last year, we got swept by (Liberty) and it lit a fire under our butts,” Austen said. “And (Otte) ... she stepped up in a huge way.”

Austen led all attackers with 15 kills. Otte added 14, Blommer 12.

“Very exciting,” Otte said. “This was a much-needed win. We came together as one. We didn’t play as individuals. It showed our love for the team.”

Liberty had a big advantage in the service game, out-acing the Trojans by a 13-7 margin and serving 10 errors to West’s 17.

Ellie Wilson collected 10 kills for the Lightning.

Iowa City West 3, Iowa City Liberty 2

(18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 15-11)

At Iowa City West

Serving: Liberty 93-103 (.903), West 82-99 (.828)

Aces: Liberty 13 (Maya Sojka 4), West 7 (Sophia Austen 5)

Kills: Liberty 42 (Ellie Wilson 10), West 54 (Austen 15)

Assists: Liberty 41 (Hadley Miller 33), West 51 (Lila Eastvold 48)

Blocks: Liberty 7 (three with 2), West 10 (Audrey Small 6)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com