Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – West High was 9-25 during Sophia Austen’s freshman season.

Among the 25 losses for the Trojans during that 2023 season with a sweep at the hands of City High in the annual Battle for the Spike.

Austen has been at the center of a West High volleyball resurgence over the past three season.

On Thursday Austen made sure her career would end with the Spike trophy residing at West High.

Austen had nine kills to help lead Class 5A sixth-ranked West High to a 25-17, 25-22, 25-13 sweep of No. 15 City High in front of a large and boisterous crowd at West High.

“It means a lot,” Austen said. “It’s the best rivalry I think to win it as a senior is a great feeling.”

Last season Austen had 16 kills as West High rallied from a two-set deficit for a five-set win at City High.

Thursday wasn’t as dramatic but it was just as satisfying for Austen who closes her career with three consecutive wins in the Battle for the Spike.

“Going out with a sweep is just perfect especially after last year it wasn’t our cleanest, nicest game,” Austen said. “This year we came in with great intentions and just put it away.”

West High (15-4) couldn’t have been much more efficient on Thursday.

The Trojans were razor sharp in a 25-17 win in the opening set.

Cyan Blommer had four kills in the opening set and Sophia Austen and sister Josephine Austen each had three kills in the opener as the Trojans failed to make an attack error.

“We talked about coming out strong and proving a point right away,” Austen said. “I think that’s something that we’ve focused on and gotten better at throughout the season. Just make a statement right away.”

City High (15-8) threatened to get even in the second set.

The Little Hawks jumped to a 13-9 lead and led 17-14 and 20-18 but West High mounted a late rally.

Junior Taylor Otte cut the lead to 21-20 with a solo block and capped a 7-2 West High run to close the second set with a kill.

“Last night we really focused in on our connections,” Otte said. “We worked on that a lot and just really zoned in.”

The third set was all West High from the beginning as the Trojans rolled to a 25-13 win.

Blommer finished with a team-high 10 kills and Josephine Austen added 10 kills as West High finished with a 38-30 edge in kills.

“It means a lot to our team,” Blommer said. “It’s always big to win a cross-town rivalry and they are ranked, they are a good team.”

Hattie Galloway had a match-high 12 kills to lead City High while Kaitlin Loria added 10 kills for the Little Hawks.

Otte had seven kills and six blocks for West High and Izzie McDonald and Josephine Austen each had a pair of ace serves for West High.

“It was just trying to zone in on the people that make the most decisions on the other side,” Otte said. “We practiced for it and kept it competitive in practice to prepare ourselves for it.”

City High       17  22  13                   

West High      25  25  25

City High (Kills-aces-blocks)

Hazel Schluckebier 2-0-0, Maeve Obermueller 0-0-0, Audrey Howe 0-0-0, Georgia Sutherland 3-0-0, Megane Ngalula 0-0-2, Hattie Galloway 12-0-0, Kaitlin Loria 10-0-0, Rainie Pfohl 3-0-2, Totals 30-0-4.

Assists – Hazel Schluckebier 26, Maeve Obermueller 1, Audrey Howe 1, Hattie Galloway 1

West High (Kills-aces-blocks)

Cyan Blommer 10-1-0, Izzie McDonald 0-2-0, Olivia Headings 0-0-0, Lila Eastvold 2-1-2, Taylor Otte 7-0-6, Sophia Austen 9-1-0, Josephine Austen 10-2-1, Totals 38-7-9.

Assists – Lila Eastvold 32, Izzie McDonald 2, Olivia Headings 1

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