CORALVILLE – Ankeny Christian is not your average Class 1A volleyball team. And after a season of facing schools large, small and in between, the Eagles are the Class 1A state champions for the third straight year.
Led by all-tournament captain Katie Quick, maybe the best setter in the state, top-ranked Ankeny Christian swept past BCLUW in straight sets to capture the title Thursday night at Xtream Arena.
The Eagles were never threatened in winning 25-15, 25-13 and 25-13, capping a 40-5 season that included matches against volleyball heavyweights such as 5A champion Pleasant Valley, 2A champion Denver, Dike-New Hartford, Ankeny, Dowling Catholic and West Des Moines Valley.
Quick, who will continue her volleyball career at Drake, amassed 36 assists to a variety of hitters and finished the tournament with 95 in nine games. At times, instead of setting a teammate, she’d dump one over the net or turn and spike it. She had 10 kills Thursday night and came up with seven digs.
Macey Nehring led the Eagles with 17 kills, Carley Craighead had 10 and Katelyn Weathers added eight to go with 15 digs. All three joined Quick on the all-tournament team, with Quick selected as the captain for the third straight year.
It seemed fitting that the Eagles ended the match with Quick setting Nehring for one final point and one final assist.
BCLUW ended a satisfying season with a 33-11 record and the program’s first appearance in the championship game. The Comets’ Grace Fransworth and Cassie Nason both made the all-tournament team, Farnsworth finishing with 12 kills and eight digs and Nason compiling 22 assists and 10 digs.
North Tama’s Kruiz Ewold also made the all-tournament team.