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Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – When the season opened last month Liberty High was atop the Class 5A rankings.

After several weeks outside of the top spot Liberty High returned to number one in the rankings released by Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Thursday afternoon.

A couple hours later the Lightning went out and looked every bit like a top-ranked team.

Cassidy Hartman led three Liberty High players with at least eight kills with a match-high 19 as the Lightning swept City High 25-13, 15-12, 25-13 in a Mississippi Valley Conference cross-divisional match in North Liberty.

“Having that number one spot puts a little bit more of a target on our back but I think that is sometimes good for us,” Hartman said. “That just lets us know that we have to have our A game all the time.”

Liberty High (19-7) ascended to the top spot in the 5A rankings following a strong showing at the Mount Vernon tournament that included a two-set sweep of previously top-ranked Pleasant Valley.

The Lightning have now won six of their last seven matches, a stretch that began with a road sweep of sixth-ranked Cedar Falls last week.

On Thursday evening Liberty High picked up where it left off last Saturday in Mount Vernon.

“I think last weekend showed us what we could do,” VanScoyoc said. “We’ve had tough games in the past but I think as we are nearing the end of the season and go into the start of the postseason it really gave us a confidence boost on what we could do and how we can perform.”

VanScoyoc and Shelby Kimm each had eight kills on Thursday as Liberty High finished with a 38-20 advantage in kills.

The 5-foot-11 VanScoyoc also added an ace serve and a pair of ace blocks.

“A really good right side is an undervalued commodity and she brings so much to us,” Liberty High coach Allie Kelly said of VanScoyoc. “She brings those aggressive swings, she brings a great block she has a crazy great energy. She is really starting to come out of her shell and be not just a good hitter but a go-to hitter for us.”

Liberty High set the tone early on Thursday.

The Lightning never trailed in any set on Thursday while improving to 4-0 all-time against City High.

“I think we played really well,” VanScoyoc said. “We have had had some issues in the past at playing at the same speed as the other team but tonight I think we played our own game and controlled our own offense and defense and that really helped us.”

Hartman, VanScoyoc and Kimm combined for all 13 Liberty High kills in a first-set win that was broke open by a 9-3 Liberty High run that pushed the lead to 20-9.

Liberty High jumped to a 10-2 lead in the second set on the strength of a 7-0 spurt fueled by two kills and an ace block by VanScoyoc.

“Lilah has improved so much,” Hartman said. “Watching how much she has improved is insane. She gets after it in practice and you can see how that has paid off. She is putting up big numbers and that is really cool to see.”

Liberty High took control of the third set with a 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 11-3.

Hartman had eight of her match-high 19 kills in the clinching third set.

“I think that we came out focused, I think that we came out aggressive and swinging,” Kelley said. “Hearing the girls talk in the huddles they are saying all the right things and really trying to take that next step to put some of the advanced things into action.”

Claire Ernst led City High with eight kills while Ruby McDonough had four kills and two ace blocks and Emmy McComas had three kills.

Liberty High             25  25  25

City High                   13  12  13

Liberty High (Kills-aces-blocks)

Gracie Hennings 2-0-2, Lauren Ramspott 1-0-1, Shelby Kimm 8-2-0, Asta Hildebrand 0-1-0, Cassidy Hartman 19-1-0, Lilah VanScoyoc 8-1-2, Isabelle Mehmen 0-3-0, Totals 38-8-5.

Assists – Asta Hildebrand 29, Gracie Hennings 1

City High (Kills-aces-blocks)

Emily Arling 2-0-0, Sidney Slay 1-0-0, Ruby McDonough 4-0-2, Lauren Koch 2-0-1, Claire Ernst 8-0-1, Emmy McComas 3-0-1, Totals 20-0-5.

Assists – Sidney Slay 15

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