Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The volleyball postseason cranks back up on Monday after a three-day layoff and now things really get interesting.

By Wednesday evening all the fields for the state tournament scheduled for October 31 to November 3 at Xtream Arena in Coralville will be filled.

Regional semifinals for Class 1A and 2A are Monday with regional title games set for Wednesday while Classes 3A, 4A and 5A will have regional finals on Tuesday.

Here are some storylines to follow for Your Prep Sports area teams as they chase state tournament spots this week.

Young Regina is Growing Up Fast

With a pair of freshmen and a sophomore as its top hitting trio Regina has relied on young talent throughout a 19-14 season.

Now with 33 varsity matches under their belts the young Regals are beginning to play beyond their years.

Freshman Reese Naeve has had a spectacular debut season ranking eighth in Class 2A with 430 kills on .352 hitting.

Fellow frosh Kiley Devery (161 kills, 80) blocks is coming off perhaps her best performance as a prep, posting 13 kills, 10 blocks and 7 ace serves in a four-set win at Bellevue in the Class 2A, Region 7 quarterfinals last week.

Devery, Naeve and sophomore Caitlin Martin combined for 43 of the 54 kills for Regina in its postseason opener.

Regina will need big efforts from its young hitting trio when it travels to third-ranked Wapsie Valley (39-4) on Monday for a Region 7 semifinal.

Tough Scheduling Paying Dividends for West Branch  

The back end of the regular season schedule for West Branch was loaded.

West Branch (17-16) went 5-7 down the stretch with seven of its final 12 regular season matching coming against ranked opponents.

Despite being a game below .500 in October West Branch has been playing its best volleyball of the season evidence by a sweep of Waterloo Columbus in its Class 2A, Region 6 opener last week.

West Branch earned October wins over 5A opponents Davenport North and Southeast Polk and swept RVC rival Wilton.

The Bears get another major test on Monday traveling to eighth-ranked Sumner-Fredericksburg (29-10) and are hoping their challenging late-season schedule continues to pay dividends.

Solon Seeking Storybook Season

Regardless of the outcome of its Class 3A, Region 7 title game the first season for Mikayla Siddell at Solon has been a smashing success.

Solon has been among the most improved teams in the state this season going from consecutive 17-win seasons to a 26-12 mark, a number nine ranking and a regional final appearance.

An upset of fifth-ranked and defending 3A runner-up West Liberty (30-7) on Tuesday would make for storybook season for the Spartans and their rookie head coach.

The last time Solon reached the state tournament was 2014 when the Spartans won the 3A state title.

Siddell was a member of that team and in her first season leading her alma matter has the Spartans a win away from a return trip to state.

Beware the Bite of Underdog Clear Creek Amana

Eighth-ranked Clear Creek Amana is the underdog in the Class 4A, Region 7 final.

The Clippers are on the road against sixth-ranked and defending 3A state champion West Delaware (29-14).

The only problem with the underdog role for the Clippers is they don’t look, play or feel like an underdog.

Clear Creek Amana (31-10) is red hot, winning 13 of its last 15 matches with the lone losses coming to top-three ranked opponents Marion and North Scott.

The Clippers were razor sharp in a regional quarterfinal sweep of Independence last Thursday and have one of the best players in Class 4A in 6-foot-2 junior Bliss Beck (338 kills, 131 blocks).

That’s not an underdog resume for a Clipper squad seeking its first trip to the state tournament since 2014.

Lightning Seniors Chasing Perfect Finish

The current Liberty High senior class has been instrumental in turning the program into one of the best in the state.

Shelby Kimm, Cassidy Hartman and Lilah VanScoyoc have been instrumental in helping the Lightning reach the state tournament each of the past three seasons, a stretch that included a 5A runner-up finish in 2020.

Now the Liberty High seniors are seeking the perfect finish to a brilliant career.

Top-ranked Liberty High (29-8) enters its 5A, Region 4 title match against Cedar Rapids Prairie (14-21) on Tuesday winners of 12 of its last 13 matches and playing as well as anyone in the state.

Liberty High, defeated the Hawks in four sets in the season opener for both teams in August and must get past Prairie again before it can set its sights on the perfect finish for its decorated senior class – a 5A state title.

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