Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Field

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (47-3)

After moving up and winning a Class 3A title last season Dike-New Harford drops back to 2A where it has won four state titles since 2011.

The top-ranked Wolverines enter state tournament week with a case as the best team in the state, not just in Class 2A.

Dike-New Hartford has split four matches with Class 5A top-ranked Cedar Falls with its only other loss coming to 5A fifth-ranked Linn-Mar.

The Wolverines have dropped 10 sets all season, nine to Class 4A or 5A teams and none to 2A competition.

Dike-New Hartford is making its 11th consecutive state tournament appearance and has won state titles five of the past six years while posting a 307-25 record since 2011.

The Wolverines bring an 18-match winning streak into the state quarterfinals and didn’t allow an opponent to score more than 17 points in a single set in regional play.

Four players have more than 200 kills this season lead by Baylee Petersen with 441 and sophomore Morgan Weber with 409.

No. 2 Western Christian (37-6)

Among the most decorated programs in state history Western Christian is making its state-record 35th appearance at the state tournament and is seeking an unprecedented 17th straight trip to the state semifinals.

The two-time defending Class 2A champion, Western Christian has reached the state tournament 17 straight seasons and won 10 titles during that span.

Led by senior all-stater Ashtyn Veerbeek the Wolfpack possess the firepower to push for a third straight 2A crown.

The 6-foot-2 Veerbeek is among the best in the state, ranking third in Iowa with 506 kills and seventh with 124 blocks.

Veerbeek has help namely from 6-foot-1 Senior Jessi De Jager who has 274 kills and 65 blocks this season.

Half of the six losses for Western Christian came against Nebraska opponents on the opening weekend of the season with the other losses coming to state qualifiers and top-10 teams Unity Christian, West Des Moines Valley and Sergeant Bluff-Luton

No. 3 Grundy Center (36-6)

The Spartans have become state tournament regulars qualifying seven of the last eight seasons but are looking to snap a three-game state losing skid.  

Since moving up to Class 2A in 2013 Grundy Center is 0-3 in state quarterfinals, falling to eventual champion Western Christian in its state opener last season. 

As always Grundy Center comes in battle tested.

The Spartans are unbeaten against Class 2A competition with all six losses coming to ranked teams, including five to 4A or 5A squads.

Grundy Center has eight wins against state tournament qualifiers and has won eight of its last 10 with the only losses coming to 5A qualifiers Linn-Mar and West Des Moines Dowling.

Junior Kylie Willis leads a balanced Grundy Center attack that features five players with more than 150 kills.

No. 4. Council Bluffs St. Albert (27-3)

The Saintes return to the state tournament for the third straight season playing perhaps their best volleyball of the season.

A 2A semifinalist last season, Council Bluffs St. Albert enters the state tournament riding a six-match winning streak and has won 18 consecutive sets.

All three losses this season have come to ranked teams from larger classes with a four-set loss to 4A No. 15 Harlan the only setback in the last 14 matches for St. Albert.

Senior Sydney McLaren leads the way with 296 kills while Junior Bailey White has been a strong second option hitting a team-best .320 on her way to 201 kills.

No. 5 Sidney (31-5)

Following back-to-back state trips to state in Class 1A that included a runner-up finish in 2015, Sidney makes its first appearance at state in 2A.

Sidney has won 30 games for the third straight season and swept No. 14 Clarinda in the regional final to earn a third consecutive state tournament berth.

The same core of players that has played a large role in the Cowgirls’ success the past two seasons is back this fall led by junior Camryn McClintock.

McClintock has a team-high 389 kills while sophomore Kelsey Hobbie has 240 kills and senior Cassidy Hobbie has 155.

Sidney has avenged two of its five losses this season with October wins over Ballard and Clarinda.

The other three losses for Sidney came to 2A qualifier Council Bluffs St. Albert and 3A No. 10 Red Oak.

No. 7 Unity Christian (24-10)

Unity Christian returns to the state meet for the third time in four seasons seeking its third trip to the semifinals during that span.

The Knights reached the Class 2A semifinals in 2014 and again last season where it fell to Waterloo Columbus.

Unity Christian relies heavily on one of the top hitting combos in the state in juniors Jori Bronner and Corrina Timmermans.

Bronner has a team-high 407 kills while Timmermans has 404 kills on the season and leads the team with a .290 hitting percentage.

The Knights had to win back-to-back matches over top-10 teams to return to state.

Unity Christian held off No. 10 Hinton in the regional semifinals before sweeping ninth-ranked Treynor.

Don’t be fooled by the 10 losses, the schedule has been rugged for Unity Christian with seven losses to state qualifiers and two more to out of state powers.

No. 11 Regina (28-8)

The Regals swept No. 12 Wilton to reach the state tournament for the third time in program history and first since 2013.

Regina was swept by eventual champion Dike-New Hartford in its last trip to state and will be looking for a better result against two-time defending 2A champion Western Christian in the quarterfinal.

The Regals have one of the best all-around duos in Class 2A in juniors Alex Wiese and Jaedynn Evans.

Evans and Wiese both have over 250 kills and 350 digs the only teammates in the Class 2A field that can make that claim.

The 6-foot-0 Wiese leads Regina with 359 kills and has 383 digs while Evans has 268 kills and 353 digs.

Regina has two losses to 2A competition this season, one of which came without Wiese and Evans in the lineup.

The Regals’ only loss to a 2A squad with its full lineup was a two-set loss to Grundy Center.

No. 15 Wapsie Valley (21-15)

The surprise of the postseason in Class 2A, Wapsie Valley returned to the state tournament for the second time in the past three seasons with a four-set upset of sixth-ranked Lake Mills in the regional final.

One of only two teams in the 2A field with double digit losses the Warriors lost seven of their final 11 regular season matches before rattling off three consecutive postseason wins.

Mikenna Joerger has a team-high 345 kills and is the only Wapsie Valley player with more than 133 kills on the season.

Sophomore Kaci Beesecker ranks fifth in Class 2A averaging 5.17 digs per set and has a 2A tournament best 522 digs on the season.  

Wapsie Valley has been one of the top serving teams in 2A this season and leads the 2A field in aces per set (3.39) and serve efficiency (.923).

The Players

Dike-New Hartford: Sydney Petersen, 5-4, Sr. Among the best players in the state the Texas recruit leads the Wolverines with 475 digs and 51 ace serves.

Wapsie Valley: Mikenna Hoerger, 6-2, Jr. The top offensive option for the Warriors (345 kills), Hoerger also has a team-high 53 blocks along with 29 ace serves and 145 digs.

Council Bluffs St. Albert: Sydney McLaren, 5-10, Sr. A second team all-state pick last year, McLaren has posted team-highs of 296 kills and 36 ace serves.

Unity Christian: Corrina Timmermanns, 5-10, Jr. Returning all-state pick ranks 11th in Class 2A with 404 kills and has a team-high 54 blocks.

Western Christian: Ashtyn Veerbeek, 6-2, Sr. Nebraska basketball recruit is one of the top volleyball players in the state, ranking third with 506 kills and seventh in Iowa with 124 blocks.

Regina: Alex Wiese, 6-0, Sr. One of the top all-around players 2A Wiese is the only player in class 2A with more than 350 kills (359) and 380 digs (383).  

Grundy Center: Kylie Willis, 5-10, Jr. A second team all-state pick a year ago, Willis leads the Spartans with 277 kills and 87 blocks.  

Sidney: Camryn McClintock, 5-7, Jr. A Class 1A all-state pick last season McClintock has had a strong junior season with 389 kills, 65 ace serves and 220 digs.

The Favorite

A quarter of the Class 2A field is made up of defending champions as two-time defending 2A champ Western Christian and last year’s 3A winner Dike-New Hartford appear on a collision course for another title game matchup.  

The two perennial powers have combined to win the last seven 2A titles and have played each other for the championship four of the last five years they were in the same class.

Five Fast Facts

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>The only two teams in the state with two players with more than 400 kills are in Class 2A in Dike-New Hartford (Baylee Petersen and Morgan Weber) and Unity Christian (Jori Bronner and Corrina Timmermans).

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Three teams enter the state meet with a spotless record against in-class opponents as Council Bluffs St. Albert, Grundy Center and Dike-New Hartford all enter undefeated against Class 2A competition.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Traditional powers Dike-New Hartford and Western Christian have combined to win 14 of the last 16 and seven straight Class 2A titles.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Dike-New Hartford senior setter Madison Hedges leads the state in assists this season with 1,175 which is 95 more than any other player statewide.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Regina leads the 2A field with 20.03 digs per set and is the only team in the 2A tournament with three players with more than 350 digs.

The Schedule

Quarterfinals, Nov. 8

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (47-3) vs. No. 15 Wapsie Valley (21-15), 2 p.m.

No. 4 Council Bluffs St. Albert (27-3) vs. No. 7 Unity Christian (24-10), 4 p.m.

No. 2 Western Christian (37-6) vs. No. 11 Regina (28-8), 2 p.m.

No. 3 Grundy Center (36-6) vs. No. 5 Sidney (31-5), 4 p.m.

Semifinals, Nov. 9

Dike-New Hartford/Wapsie Valley winner vs. Council Bluffs St. Albert/Unity Christian winner, 4 p.m.

Western Christian/Regina winner vs. Grundy Center/Sidney winner, 4 p.m.

Championship, Nov. 10

Semifinal winners, 4:45 p.m. 

The Leaders

Kills

1. Ashtyn Veerbeek, Sr., Western Christian               506

2. Baylee Petersen, Sr., Dike-New Hartford              441

3. Morgan Weber, Soph., Dike-New Hartford            409

4. Jori Bronner, Jr., Unity Christian                           407

5. Corinna Timmermans, Jr., Unity Christian            404

Assists

1. Madison Hedges, Sr., Dike-New Hartford             1,175

2. Emily Bonnett, Sr., Regina                                  803

3. Olivia Larsen, Soph., Sidney                               787

4. Lexie Petry, Sr., Council Bluffs St. Albert             785

5. Erika Jeanes, Sr., Wapsie Valley                          746

Digs

1. Kaci Beesecker, Soph., Wapsie Valley                522

2. Sydney Petersen, Sr., Dike-New Hartford             475

3. Clare Dunne, Sr., Regina                                    437

4.  Alex Wiese, Jr., Regina                                       383

5. Maggie Wettengel, Jr., Council Bluffs St. Albert  365

Blocks

1, Ashtyn Veerbeek, Sr., Western Christian               124

2. Kylie Willis, Jr., Grundy Center                             87

3. Brooke Flater, Jr., Grundy Center                          86

4. Jessi De Jager, Sr., Western Christian                   65

5. Carlee Dove, Jr., Dike-New Hartford                     64

Ace Serves

1. Landry Luhring, Sr., Grundy Center                      67

2. Camryn McClintock, Jr., Sidney                            65

3. Emy Kracht, Soph., Grundy Center                       53

4. Jaden Daffer, Jr., Sidney                                       53

5. Tori Wynja, Soph., Western Christian                    52