2024 Iowa State High School Volleyball: Wednesday Schedule, Score Updates, Live Streams

A recap of the Iowa high school volleyball tournament semifinal matches published in the paper Wednesday at Xtream Arena in Coralville, with scores, stats and links for complete coverage.

Class 5A Volleyball State Semifinals.

No. 1 Pleasant Valley 3, No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-23)

Top-ranked Pleasant Valley (34-2) came back from an 18-9 hole in the third game to complete the Class 5A semifinal win.

Dowling (26-10) was on the cusp of extending the match, blocking seemingly everything in the third game en route to a seemingly team lead.

Isabelle Kremer scored a pair of kills immediately after the Spartans’ second timeout to start the rally.

However, Dowling led 21-18 and 22-19 before the Spartans made their final triumphant push.

Setter Carsyn Kelly scored her second of the match to tie the game at 22-22. After Ellie Mueller’s kill put Dowling back in front, the Spartans scored the final three points.

Kremer led all attackers with 16 kills. Kelly had 30 assists; Olivia Hoskins posted 17 digs.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Huge comeback in third set caps Pleasant Valley win

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

No. 6 Waukee Northwest 3, No. 2 Ankeny Centennial 2 (25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 23-25, 18-16)

Piper Ludwig’s kill put Northwest on match point in the fifth set. On the next play, freshman Avery Cordes hit a beautiful shot behind the Centennial defense to cap the win.

The win returns the defending 5A champions (28-9) to the championship game.

The Wolves started strongly by winning the first two sets, but their passes failed at times in the next two sets before they were enough to win.

“I’m so proud of these girls,” Northwest coach Jodi Vogt said. “We knew we were in for a battle. They played to their highest potential and that’s what you want at this time of year.”

Logan Vogt led the winners with 17 kills. Ladwig added 10. Jayden Pratt and Delaney Miller each had 21 kills for Centennial, which closed 32-5.

— Mike Condon

» Full story: Waukee Northwest returns to the 5A state title game

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

Class 4A Volleyball State Semifinals.

No. 5 Pella 3, No. 12 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 0 (25–15, 25–14, 25–23)

Katie Scheckel is one such combo player. Setter and striker. She scored the last two points – one as a setter, the other as a striker.

Pella fought back the first two sets but faced a 23-22 deficit in the third.

Bruck Schulte’s kill lifted the Dutch (41-7) to a 23-23 victory, then it was time for Shekel’s clutch.

Her second ball hit the floor, forcing Pella to reach the desired point.

“(Defense specialists) shouted that it was open,” Shekel kills.

Shekel followed with a forehand jab to polish it off.

The junior finished the match with 16 kills, 20 assists and 10 digs.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Katie Scheckel’s clutch sends Pella to 4A title match

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

No. 2 Sioux City Heelan 3, No. 3 North Scott 0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-21)

Sioux City Heelan (43-3) stormed out of a 9-0 hole in the third set to complete the sweep of North Scott.

“It was just crazy,” Hylan junior forward Ava Lloyd said of the third set. “Obviously a start like that can knock your confidence a little bit. We knew we could come back and we just pushed and pushed and got it done.”

North Scott, which finished 30-6, also had opportunities in each of the first two sets, but the Crusaders prevailed in both cases.

Lloyd led the Crusaders with 14 kills. Malia Hacker added 13 kills and 11 digs. Mackenzie Moeller led the Lancers with 18 kills. Abby Hayes had 12.

— Mike Condon

» Full story: Heelan boosts confidence to beat North Scott in semifinals

» Photo gallery | Watch replay

Class 3A Volleyball State Semifinals.

No. 1 Mount Vernon 3, No. 4 Dubuque Wahlert 0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-17)

Top rating Mount Vernon was simply surgical, especially in the early stages of the match, and defeated number four Dubuque Wahlert.

The Mustangs hit a stunning .600 in the first set and didn’t cool off much after that. They were that good.

“It’s crazy,” Mount Vernon coach Maggie Willems said. “You don’t hit .600 in the state tournament, do you? Our ball control was very good.”

Sidney Maue, who will commit to Arkansas next year, led the Mustangs with 13 kills.

Mount Vernon’s final score was .420, with 43 kills on 88 hits with six errors. The Mustangs didn’t commit a single error in their first 29 at-bats.

Meester added 11 kills, Paige Shurbon had six, Sophia Meester had five and Kali Whitaker and Sydney Huber each had four.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Mount Vernon earns another chance at a state title

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

No. 2 Western Christian 3, No. 3 Western Delaware 0 (25–21, 25–21, 25–14)

For Western Christian coach Tammy Virbeck is the best thing in the game. Western Delaware The semifinal round of the Class 3A state volleyball tournament was all about geography and unfamiliarity.

“(Tuesday) it was an emotional match because of the placement of the two schools,” she said of the Wolfpack. epic five-set win over neighboring Sioux Center. “Today there was just a feeling of calm. It doesn’t mean anything against West Delaware, they’re a good team. But I just felt like we were going to play really well today.”

Virbeck’s feeling was correct. No. 2 Western Christian (33-13) controlled things from the jump, earning another trip to the state championship game.

Western Christian will be looking for its third straight title.

No. 3 Western Delaware (39-7) was never able to mount a consistent offensive attack on Wednesday.

Scarlett Winterfeld was one of three Wolfpack players with double-digit kills. She had 14, Sydney Bilek had 12 and Morgan Kooyman had 11. Hannah Cantwell led Western Delaware with nine kills.

— Mike Condon

» Full story: Western Christian knocks Western Delaware out of rhythm in semifinal match

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

Class 2A Volleyball State Semifinals.

No. 1 Denver 3, No. 4 Dyke-New Hartford 0 (25–12, 25–19, 26–24)

Give Denver coach Jamey Johnson an A for honesty.

“I think it was something special,” Johnson said.

This could not have happened.

Dyke-New Hartford ruled the Cyclones – and virtually everyone else in the state – for many, many years. Breaking through at this stage… yeah, a little special.

“We were really happy to beat them,” junior Miley Thurm said.

Grace Mullihan and Thurm stood out in the middle. The duo combined for 17 kills, no offensive errors, and a .567 kill efficiency plus 7 1/2 blocks.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Denver emerges from the long shadow of the New Hartford Dyke

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

#2 Eddyville EBF 3, #3 Dyersville Beckman 1 (26-24, 19-25, 25-18, 25-19)

Dyersville Beckman was the unlucky team on the other side of the goal as Eddieville-Blakeburg-Fremont’s Molly Schafer produced one of the best individual offensive performances in state tournament history.

The 6-foot senior recorded a Class 2A tournament record with 41 kills.

“She’s as good as I’ve seen her,” Beckman coach Todd Trautman said of Schafer. “I’ve seen a lot of them and she has every chance. I didn’t think we played badly at all, but we just didn’t have an answer for her.”

— Mike Condon

» Full story: EBF’s Molly Schafer posts 2A volleyball state record 41 kills

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

Class 1A Volleyball State Semifinals.

No. 1 Ankeny Christian 3, No. 4 Oakland Riverside 0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-18)

Led by the small school’s famed setter, top-ranked Ankeny Christian – the two-time defending Class 1A state champion – swept past No. 4 Oakland Riverside.

“It’s crazy to think it’s almost over,” said Katie Quick, a dynamic senior setter. “We hope to end this the right way.”

Quick had 13 kills and 25 assists, according to Drake University. She leads the state in aces with 119 and has held that title in each of her four years (she has served 482 winners in her career).

Katy only had one ace Wednesday, but the Eagles had 12. They escaped from a 14-14 tie in the second game and then came back from a 15-14 deficit in the final.

— Jeff Linder

» Full story: Ankeny Christian is on pace for its third straight championship.

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay

#6 Conrad BCLUW 3, #7 Janesville 0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-19)

The Comets made their state tournament debut last year, losing in the semifinals. Now they are taking it one step further in 2024.

Janesville closed the gap in all three sets, but BCLUW had an answer when it needed it.

“I thought we kept our composure when things got tense,” BCLUW coach Megan Yantis said. “That’s the quality of our team all season long.”

Grace Farnsworth led the Comets with 15 kills. Hayden Anderson led Janesville (25-17) with nine.

— Mike Condon

» Full story: BCLUW advances to first state championship game

» Photo gallery | Summary statistics | Watch replay