Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

MANCHESTER – It was a night to vanquish streaks.

Clear Creek Amana had not qualified for the prep volleyball state tournament in eight years.

It had been a year longer than that since it defeated West Delaware, the last obstacle to that elusive state berth.

Time for a pair of new trends.

“We came well-prepared and they wanted to win pretty bad,” CCA Coach Jackie Clubb said after Class 4A No. 6 Clear Creek Amana swept No. 6 West Delaware, 25-19, 25-22, 25-20, in a regional final Tuesday night at West Delaware High School. “And that motivation is good. We have got great leadership on the floor, we have got great leadership on the bench. Everybody knew and understood. We laid their roles out. ‘This is your responsibility for tonight’. They were ready to go. When we stepped on the bus, they were in the zone. I am so proud of them.”

The win propelled Clear Creek Amana (32-10) to the state tournament for the first time since 2014.

The Clippers earned the No. 6 seed and will open with a Class 4A state quarterfinal Monday at 6 p.m. against third-seeded Marion (35-6) as the tournament shifts to Xtream Arena in Coralville for the first time.

“It really means a lot,” junior middle hitter Sam Schrage said. “We have been working really hard this whole season and especially this past week because we wanted it, especially with how last season ended. We kind of used it as motivation and it just feels really good to have all that hard work pay off.”

A year after Clear Creek Amana was swept in a regional semifinal on its home floor by a Benton Community team it had already beat twice, this year it was the Clippers carrying the brooms. Clear Creek Amana used a balanced attack – four different Clippers posted at least three kills in Game 1 – and a 6-1 burst to get some distance midway through the opening game at 14-8, the first of its six six-point leads in Game 1.

“We have struggled with playing from behind earlier in the year,” said junior outside hitter Bliss Beck, who led all players with 17 kills. “I think we have kind of learned, just flip the switch right away and come out and really be ready.”

The Clippers played from behind most of Game 2, flipped the switch and claimed their first lead at 17-16.

With the score tied at 21-all, CCA pounced with four of the final five points, which began with a pair of tip kills from Schrage before junior libero Meg Berkland served up the clinching ace.

“Just so happy,” Berkland said. “I couldn’t believe it, really. I was really just going for a spot. I wasn’t going for an ace at all.”

On the verge of a sweep, CCA knew West Delaware would fight as if its season depended on it. It did.

Still, the Clippers were too match as they broke a 7-7 tie with an 8-2 surge, led by six on two occasions and never allowed the Hawks to get closer than two at 20-18 before finishing the sweep.

“We just wanted to get it done,” Beck said. “We all really wanted it. There wasn”t a single person on that team that didn’t let down. We all just gave it our all.”

Schrage finished with a dozen kills, while freshman outside hitter Averie Lower added 10.

Clear Creek Amana setters Emily Henderson and Kenadi Wood each recorded 21 assists.

Senior Alivia Schulte had 13 kills for West Delaware, which ends its season at 29-15.

Across the CCA coaching staff and roster, confidence abounded that this was a group that would not be content with just getting to state. The Clippers want to make some noise.

“We always want to do one step better, one step better,” Clubb said. “Now we’re here. We need one step better. We’re excited.”

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