Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Jaedynn Evans didn’t even try to deny it.

The first-year West High head coach admitted she was more than a little uneasy leading up to her coaching debut.

“I was definitely nervous,” Evans said. “I didn’t sleep well last night that’s for sure.”

The Trojans made sure there was nothing for Evans to worry about on Tuesday.

Junior Iowa State commit Sophia Austen hammered a match-high 13 kills and freshman Cyan Blommer added weight as Class 5A eighth-ranked West High rolled to a 25-15, 25-11, 25-15 sweep of No. 13 Dubuque Senior in the season opener for both teams at West High.

“We were expecting to come out and play like that because we’ve been training really hard,” Austen said. “In the first game there can always be some nerves but I think everyone, especially the underclassmen did a good job of putting that aside and just playing volleyball.”

West High was 13-18 last season, its highest win total since 2021.

The new look Trojans looked worthy of their top-10 preseason ranking on Tuesday.

A West High lineup with two freshmen and a pair of transfers finished with a 35-17 edge in kills while opening the season with a Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division win.

“We have high expectations for ourselves and every single day we come in pushing ourselves to meet those expectations,” Austen said. “Obviously everyone’s goal is to win state but that is what our goal is and we are pushing ourselves every day, every rep to get to that point.”

West High never trailed on Tuesday.

The Trojans opened the match with eight consecutive points, scored the first two points of the second set and jumped to a 5-0 lead in the third set.

“We hold a very high standard in our gym,” Evans said. “Every day, every practice, every touch we continue to grow. We have a growth mindset and our end goal is everyone’s end goal to win a state championship but what matters is what they do in practice and it’s getting them to buy into that culture.”

Sophomore libero Izzie McDonald opened the match with consecutive ace serves to key the 8-0 run to start the first set.

McDonald added another ace in the 8-0 burst that featured a pair of kills from Austen and a kill and an ace block from freshman Josephine Austen.

“I believe in all these girls,” McDonald said. “I think we played exactly the way we expected.”

Dubuque Senior never got closer than three points in the opening set.

The Rams tied the scored at 3-all in the second set but West High answered with a 10-1 run and never let Dubuque Senior get back in the set.

Austen had six of her 13 kills in the second set.

“Our chemistry is really good on and off the court,” Austen said. “We’ve had so much fun together and we are constantly laughing. We are just always having fun with one another.”

West High snapped an 8-8 tie in the third set with a 4-0 run and fueled by a pair of Josephine Austen kills.

Josephine Austen finished with seven kills while sophomores Audrey Small had three and Taylor Otte had two.

“These girls are all best friends, you see them out and about and they are all together,” Evans said. “They just love each other so much and that really carries over onto the court and I think that showed tonight. I’m very proud of them.”

West High                  25  25  25

Dubuque Senior        15  11  15

West High (Kills-aces-blocks)

Cyan Blommer 8-0-0, Izzie McDonald 0-7-0, Lila Eastvold 2-2-0, Taylor Otte 2-0-0, Sophia Austen 13-1-0, Audrey Small 3-0-1, Josephine Austen 7-0-1, Team 35-10-2.

Assists – Lila Eastvold 27, Izzie McDonald 1

Dubuque Senior (Kills-aces-blocks)

Jenna Lawler 0-0-1, Cambel Drapeau 10-0-0, Bailey Davis 4-0-0, Ella Schulte 0-1-1, Addy Kohlhaas 1-0-0, Lexie Fink 1-0-3, Arabella Dvorsky 1-0-0, Totals 17-1-5.

Assists – Ella Schulte 14

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