Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – In just its second match back after a 21-day hiatus, it appears the City High prep volleyball team put the time off to good use.

Two days after pushing defending Class 5A state champion Cedar Falls to five sets in defeat, the Little Hawks claimed the annual ‘Battle for the Spike’ with a sweep of crosstown rival West High.

“It is really encouraging,” City High junior setter Makayla Ribble said after the Little Hawks won, 25-18, 26-24, 25-22, in a non-conference match Thursday night at West High School. “That really shows that we want to play. We want the chance to play.”

Since Iowa City School District athletes were prohibited from competing while the district provided online-only coursework, the Little Hawks went three weeks without playing an opponent between a sweep of Cedar Rapids Washington and the Cedar Falls match.

City High resumed in-person practice activities on Saturday after two weeks of online team building, trivia, goal setting and sharing its visions of what it wanted the return to look like.

“I think they did about as good as you can,” third-year City High Coach Tricia Carty said. “Trying to do team stuff via Zoom and get used to school was impressive. … They are excited to be back. We are glad to have them. If they can come out and give it their all every night, that is all we can ask for.”

City High (3-5) never trailed in the first set and led by as many nine points before freshman outside hitter Claire Ernst closed it with a pair of kills.

Ernst tallied a team-high 16 digs and with nine total kills against West High, she leads the Little Hawks with 53 this season.

“She has started out the year a little nervous, not sure, back and forth,” Carty said. “And then on Tuesday, I think was not feeling as confident in herself coming out of the break, but then settled in tonight. Kind of got some rhythm and some timing back and we got some things figured out on defense, which then transitioned into her offense.”

West (7-10) used a 10-2 burst in Set 2, claimed a 15-11 lead and got within three points of tying the match at a set apiece at 22-17, but City High scored nine of the final 11 points – highlighted by three ace serves from junior Morgan Turner – that set the stage for the sweep.

“In our time out, we all came together,” City High senior outside hitter Alia Vanderhoef said. “We all had to talk it out. We just had to put things aside and push forward.”

In the final set, West High got within a point at 23-22 with a 9-3 surge, but a Ribble kill squelched the rally and helped City High to its third sweep in the last two years over West, including twice in ‘the Spike.’

“It gives us a lot of confidence,” said Ribble, who posted a team-high 42 assists with 14 digs. “If we can go to five (sets) with the state champions and then come sweep our crosstown rivals, it shows how much we can play.”

Vanderhoef and junior outside hitter Sara Cassady led the Little Hawks with 10 kills apiece, while senior libero and NAIA-level Bellevue (Neb.) University commit Maya Morales added 13 digs.

Both teams return to the court with a pair of Tuesday road matches. City High visits Western Dubuque, while West travels to Dubuque Senior.

“I am excited to keep playing,” Vanderhoef said. “This is what we want to do. We want to keep winning.”

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