Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – In a sport with as many momentum swings as volleyball even the most experienced teams have sets and matches full of highs and lows.

With a roster full of underclassmen and a lineup with only two returning starters the first two weeks of the season for City High have featured all the ups and downs of a roller coaster ride.

“The peaks and valleys have been big,” City High coach Craig Pitcher said. “Right now it’s like those first giant dips you have on a roller coaster and then you go back up as opposed to having the ride almost over where you are just getting a little whip-lash on whoop-dee-dos.”

The early season roller coast ride continued for City High on Saturday as the young Little Hawks had more ups and downs during a 3-2 performance at their own Little Hawk Invitation.

City High (5-5) opened with wins over Davis County and Durant and dipped with losses to Class 4A No. 7 Lewis Central and 5A second-ranked Ankeny Centennial.

The Little Hawks finished the day on a high with a 21-17, 21-12 sweep of 4A No. 15 Western Dubuque.

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“We kind of struggle with being a roller coaster team emotionally so I think that’s one thing we need to even out,” City High junior Ellie Evans said. “We want to make sure the highs are highs but the lows are even keel.”

It’s easy to understand the rollercoaster like swings for City High.

Evans joins junior Mackenzie Murphy and sophomore Kelsey Law as the only Little Hawks returning with varsity experience.

All three returners have been asked to take on larger roles this season with Evans and Law becoming the Little Hawks' top hitting options.

“Some of our kids played a lot last year but they are all in different roles,” Pitcher said. “Ellie Evans played last year but now her role has changed, her expectations the leadership changes and it’s across the board.”

The youth has led to ups and downs.  

City High earned a pair of wins over top-10 teams at the Johnston triangular but stumbled on Tuesday being swept at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

The focus entering Saturday was to even things out with fewer wild up and down swings.

“We have been kind of up and down,” Law said. “We want to try to get consistent and take out those down moments.”

City High started strong on Saturday with a 21-11, 21-9 win over Davis County.

The Little Hawks were up and down in a three-set win over Durant, dropping the opener 21-17 but taking the next two sets 21-17 and 15-13.

City High won the opener 22-20 over Lewis Central but dropped the second set 21-19 and feel flat in the third 15-5.

“We had chances to fall apart in the third set against Durant and we were able to deliver and against Lewis Central in the third we went back to what we did on Tuesday (against Prairie),” Pitcher said. “We had a chance to beat them in two straight. There is growth and you know it’s coming you just wish it would come faster.”

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City High made sure it closed out the weekend with a win bouncing back from a loss to second-ranked Ankeny Centennial with a sweep of Western Dubuque.

“I think we got better, playing Centennial was tough but it showed us what we need to get better on,” Law said. “I think we definitely used that to help us in the last game.”

Evans had eight kills and Law added seven kills in the win over the Bobcats while Murphy had three ace serves.

“I think we were better for the most part,” Evans said. “It’s definitely still something we can work on.”

Little Hawk Invitational

City High def. Davis County 21-11, 21-9

City High def. Durant 17-21, 21-17, 15-13

Lewis Central def. City High 20-22, 21-19, 15-5

Ankeny Centennial def. City High 21-13, 21-9

City High def. Western Dubuque 21-17, 21-12