Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CEDAR RAPIDS – Liberty High came up just shy of the peak in its rapid climb toward the top of the Class 5A volleyball mountain on Thursday.

It took a team on its own three-year trek toward a title and one of the state’s top players to end the Liberty High journey.

Senior setter Phyona Schrader led second-ranked Ankeny (22-2) to a 25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19 win over fifth-ranked Liberty High in the Class 5A state title match at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids.

“There were so many challenges that we faced on the way and I think that’s what helped us grow as a team,” Liberty High senior Addie Schmierer said. “This is the closest team I have ever been a part of, everyone just played for each other and I’m proud of what we did this year we just came up short.”

Schrader directed a balanced Ankeny attack that had five players with at least eight kills as the Hawks claimed their first title since 2009 after losing in the 2018 quarterfinals and falling in the semis last season.

“It’s even more exciting since I’ve been here three times now,” Schrader said. “My sophomore year we lost first round, junior year we lost second round and we just kept building and I’m so happy we could finally do it.”

The loss snapped a 16-match winning streak for Liberty High and was the first for the Lightning since October 3.

Liberty High (24-3) avenged both of its regular season losses at the state tournament with wins over top-ranked West Des Moines Dowling and No. 4 West Des Moines Valley but couldn’t quite finish of what was an incredible season with a win.

“They had the best chemistry of any team I have coached, they loved each other, they cared about each other it was never me it was always about us,” Liberty High coach Randy Dolson said. “I’m really proud of them. What a year to play. Who can play two matches, take three weeks off and then go on the run that we did?”

The Notre Dame-bound Schrader was masterful around the net for most of the match.

Schrader had nine kills and 40 assists and was part of an Ankeny block that caused Liberty High problems from the outset.

Junior Ava Reynolds had 17 kills while freshman Aowyn Schrader and Hannah Baier each had 11 kills for the Hawks.

“The difference was Ankeny, they kept the pressure on whether it was tough serving or even if it was a tight pass their setter made it hittable,” Dolson said. “They just kept the pressure on us and we played way more defense than what you want to play. They are a solid team no doubt about it.”

Led by the 6-foot-1 Schrader at setter Ankeny found a way to do something that neither West Des Moines Valley or West Des Moines Dowling could do in the previous two rounds.

Somewhat slow Liberty High sophomore star Cassidy Hartman.

Hartman finished with a team-high 18 kills after pounding a career-high 35 in a semifinal win over top-ranked Dowling but had just six in the first two sets as Ankeny seized control of the match.

“I think we came out a little nervous which caused us to start a little slow at first but I think toward the end we just wanted to give it our all,” Hartman said. “We wanted to end on a good note and come out and play our best volleyball and I think we did that towards the end.”

Ankeny used a pair of 3-0 spurts to turn a 16-all tie in the opening set into a 22-18 lead it would never give up.

The Hawks jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second set thanks to an ace block and ace serve by Schrader and never trailed on their way to a 25-17 win.

“The first couple of sets I think we were just excited to be here and that’s fine but we wanted to win a state championship,” Schmierer said. “We just didn’t look like a state championship team those first two sets after that we realized we had to get going or it was going to be our last set.”

Liberty High got it going in the third set.

Sophomore Shelby Kimm had a pair of kills during a 6-1 spurt that snapped a 9-all tie and gave the Lightning a 13-9 lead.

Liberty High never trailed again in the set as Hartman as Kimm and junior Sam Harvey put the win away with kills.

It was Ankeny that pulled away late in the fourth.

Liberty High led 16-15 but the Hawks scored nine of the next 10 points with Phyona Schrader posting a pair of ace serves and an ace block in that stretch that featured five Ankeny kills.

“In the back of my head with that match yesterday it was so emotional I don’t really want to say it but maybe we were just a little tired but what a ride. Cassidy taking 66 swings yesterday I thought maybe she didn’t have the spring today but again their big block made a difference.”

Kimm joined Hartman in double figures with 15 kills while Kennedy Daugherty added six kills and Lilah VanScoyoc had four.
That is 43 total kills from Liberty High sophomores in a state title match.

“They had a really good block,” Hartman said. “They are really tall and strong blockers so it was hard to find holes and their defense was really good around their block too. We are going to be come back next year and we are just going to expand on what we did this year.”

Ankeny                       25  25  21  25 

Liberty High             21  17  25  19 

Liberty High (Kills-aces-blocks)

Lauren Roman 1-0-1, Shelby Kimm 15-0-1, Sam Harvey 6-0-1, Haley Hested 2-1-0, Gabbie Schroeder 1-1-0, Cassidy Hartman 18-2-1, Addie Schmierer 0-0-0, Kennedy Daugherty 6-0-0, Carlie Schroeder 0-1-0, Lilah VanScoyoc 4-0-0, Mariah Rollins 0-0-0, Team 53-5-4.

Assists – Hailey Hested 25, Mariah Rollins 19, Lauren Roman 1, Cassidy Hartman 1, Addie Schmierer 1

Ankeny (Kills-aces-blocks)

Hannah Baier 11-0-1, Ava Reynolds 17-0-0, McKenna Scheib 8-1-3, Phyona Schrader 9-3-3, Aowyn Schrader 11-0-3, Lexi Stephens 0-1-0, Halle Oullette 0-3-0, Marianna Blanco 6-0-0, Team 62-8-9.
Assists – Phyona Schrader 40, Lexi Stephens 5, Maddie Foels 2, Hannah Baier 2, Halle Oullette 1, Aowyn Schrader 1, McKenna Scheib 1

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