Susan Harman

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – With the student sections for Liberty and Cedar Rapids Prairie both clad in pajamas it was the Lightning volleyball team that put the Hawks to sleep.

Liberty High was the aggressor from the beginning, and its serving lit the fuse.

Senior Shelby Kimm said it was a matter of focus.

“We’ve been serving a lot during practices, and I really think working with (assistant coach) Scott (Sanders) and Hutch (head coach Allie Kelly) and focusing on being steady and having good contact and really relaxing on my serves,” Kimm said. “Before I was just a little bit nervous or hyped up a little bit, so I think that really helped me with my serves.”

It wasn’t necessarily that the Lightning served a host of aces, but its serving was hard, deep and effective enough to put the Hawks back on their heels.

“I think my serving definitely got them out of system, which is what servers want to do,” Kimm said.

“We’ve been really focused on our serving the last couple weeks,” senior all-state hitter Cassidy Hartman said. “We’ve spent 10 or 15 minutes every day practicing our serving, and I think it paid off. It really helped us.”

The result was that Liberty High usually got a weaker return, and its powerful hitters knew what to do with it.

Hartman had 13 kills and Lilah Van Scoyoc had 12 to lead the Bolts.

Kimm added eight.

When the Hawks did connect enough to attack, the Bolts’ back row was everywhere saving even the most unlikely balls.

“I think it helps that we have really strong passers,” Van Scoyoc said. “So when we’re practicing we have to serve against those strong passers. That really elevates our serving.”

The victory sends No. 1 Liberty High (30-8) to the 5A state volleyball tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville next week.

This is Liberty’s fourth state appearance in a row. The Bolts were runners-up in 2020.

“This year we really have the grit to want it,” Hartman said. “We really want it this year and because of that we can get it. We have the confidence.

“It’s so exciting; I love this team so much, and it’s like it’s one more step.”

Liberty High coach Allie Kelly said she never was at a point where she even contemplated taking a timeout.

“I had confidence in them,” she said, grinning.

Prairie finished its season 14-22 and three of those losses came to the Bolts.

The teams played in late August and in early September at a tournament.

Liberty didn’t change a thing in its preparation.

“They say it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Van Scoyoc said. “Not for us.”

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