Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Even before the fifth set of Liberty High’s Class 5A semifinal win over top-ranked West Des Moines Valley I knew something special was unfolding.

After watching Cassidy Hartman put the finishing touches on one of the best individual efforts in recent state tournament history by hammering eight fifth-set kills including back-to-back match-clinching rockets it was clear just how special the Liberty High sophomore’s performance had been.

The only question I had remaining was exactly how incredible was Hartman on Wednesday morning.

Liberty High senior setter Hailey Hested was happy answer to that question.

“She was insane,” Hested said. “That’s the best I’ve ever seen her play.”

Hartman was insane. In a good way.

Insane in a way that few players in 5A state tournament history can stake claim to.

Hartman finished with 35 kills, four ace serves and an ace block on Wednesday against what was widely considered the best team in the state.

The 6-foot sophomore hit an astounding .455 with just five errors in 66 swings.

That is 7 kills per set against the top-ranked team in the state. For reference 6.3 kills per set led the state this season.

“I felt good right away and I came out ready to play my game,” Hartman said. “We’ve talked a lot about if we play Liberty volleyball we can come out on top.”
Hartman had at least four kills in all five sets and had seven or more in all but one.

Her performance on the state’s biggest stage, against one of the state’s best teams was one of the best I’ve seen in nearly 20 years of covering high school sports.

And that was before Hartman went full beast mode in the final set.

Hartman kills accounted for eight of Liberty High’s final 12 points in the decisive final set.

With Liberty High leading 13-12 everyone of the 450 people on the listed attendance at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids knew where the ball was headed.

Dowling simply couldn’t do anything about it.

“At 13-12 in the last set there is no way I’m not going to her, it doesn’t matter,” Hested said. “I said, ‘I’m sorry, you can be tired but you are getting the ball’.”
Hartman delivered with back-to-back kills to clinch it.

“She is our most valuable player, everybody knows that,” Liberty High coach Randy Dolson said. “She is so skilled, she is our only six-rotation player and that’s because she passes so well.”

Lets not forget about that either.

In addition to her 35 kills Hartman had a team-high 18 digs.

Hartman was so dominant in the front row on Wednesday her back row contributions become a ho-hum stat.

In actuality that adds to the impressiveness of her performance, doing it all without coming off the court.

“Her hitting is phenomenal you see that but her passing is so critical to our team,” Dolson said. “We can’t be where we are without her hitting but without her passing we wouldn’t be here either.”

Walking toward the postgame media area a media colleague that I greatly respect and has watched far more state volleyball matches than myself commented it was one of the best performances he could recall at state in sometime.

That got me thinking again.

Have I ever seen better? I can’t say definitively I have and that’s across all sports.

That’s how good Hartman was and what makes it all the better is she didn’t seem to care who got the recognition only that Liberty High would play for a state title.

“She’s a top-notch kid,” Dolson said. “She is playing for her teammates. It’s all about we not me. She’s very impressive.”

Impressive indeed, perhaps even insane. In the best way possible.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.