Western Dubuque reaches its 4th straight state-volleyball semifinal

CORALVILLE — Fifth set, 10-10.

Yeah, this was crunchtime.

“If we don’t go now, we go home,” all-state libero Ella Meyer said.

The Western Dubuque Bobcats went, all right. They went on a closing 5-1 run. And now, they’re going to the semifinals, for the fourth straight year.

Fifth-ranked Western Dubuque had the final push in an evenly matched Class 4A quarterfinal at the state volleyball tournament Monday night at Xtream Arena. The Bobcats outlasted No. 4 Indianola, 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11.

“I saw Coach (Megan Scherrman) crying in the corner, then I started to cry too,” Libby Lansing said.

The reigning 4A champion, Western Dubuque (25-10) survives to play another day. Next up: No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier (31-4), in a semifinal at noon Wednesday.

“I like having the extra day,” Lansing said. “We can practice in our own gym and get ready, and it gives me an extra day to get my voice back.”

Wednesday will mark Western Dubuque’s third state-tournament encounter with Xavier in their current four-year semifinal run. Western Dubuque shocked the Saints in a 2019 quarterfinal; Xavier got even with a semifinal victory in 2020.

“It seems it’s always us and them,” said Meyer, a four-year starter.

Western Dubuque lost five starters to graduation after last season, but the Bobcats find themselves in that increasingly familiar position.

The won the MVC Valley Division title. And now, they’re playing into November again.

“There were a lot of unknowns,” Scherrman said. “I knew we would be good. We had some key returners, and we had some other kids in unknown spots.

“But we jelled, and it was huge.”

One of those kids in an expanded role is setter Ava Demmer, who had spent the last three years as Madison Maahs’ backup.

“I did a lot with the scout team and I kept the energy up on the bench,” she said. “This team has athletes, and I thought we could hold our own and be good again this year.”

When the Bobcats won Game 4 — they let a 23-16 lead shrink to 23-22, then held on — they were in comfortable territory.

“We had been in some five-setters, and we had some success in them,” Scherrman said.

Alas, the Bobcats are 3-0 in five-setters this season. They got out to a 4-2 lead in the finale, then Indianola (37-7) scored four in a row.

Western Dubuque pulled even at 8-8, then 9-9. Ava Ramler, who had been a reserve until mid-October, put the Bobcats ahead with a kill, and they didn’t trail again.

At 10-10, the Bobcats were beneficiaries of a pair of Indianola attack errors. Kills by Ramler and Lansing made it 14-11, then an ace by Erica Ernzen was the winner.

Ramler led the Bobcats with 17 kills, and Lansing added 14. Demmer dished out 43 assists. Meyer collected 27 digs.

Aspen Nelson paced Indianola with 24 kills.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com