With all-tournament captain Katie Quick setting them up, Ankeny Christian’s hitters got plenty of opportunities.
They capitalized and carried the Eagles to their second straight Class 1A championship.
Ankeny Christian rolled past Holy Trinity in three sets in a final that was far less dramatic than last year, when the Eagles pulled it out after losing the first two games. The scores this time were 25-21, 25-18, 25-17.
Quick, a junior who has committed to play collegiately at Drake, turned in another fine all-around performance, logging 35 assists, 11 digs and seven kills. She finished the tournament with 116 assists, including 44 in a first-round victory over Newell-Fonda.
Macey Nehring led the attack with 16 kills, Carley Craighead had 13 and Anna Weathers nine. Riese Gjerde helped out with 22 digs as the Eagles finished 39-3. Two losses were to Grundy Center and the other was to Denver. Both were 2A state tournament teams.
Nehring and Craighead also made the all-tournament team, as did Holy Trinity’s Mary Kate Bendlage and Teagan Snaadt. Bendlage led the Crusaders (33-11) with 11 kills and 11 digs. Natalie Randolph and Presley Myers each had six kills and Snaadt had 18 digs.
Ankeny Christian essentially wrapped up the title by running off eight straight points, including four service aces by Weathers, to open a 22-11 lead in the third set. Holy Trinity never recovered.