Kennedy Volleyball

Saints avenge loss to Cougars at Dubuque

DUBUQUE - Xavier went 3-2 and avenged a regular-season loss to Kennedy on Saturday at the Dubuque Invitational volleyball tournament.

Both Xavier and Kennedy went 2-1 in pool play and were paired against each other in the championship bracket quarterfinals. The Saints beat the Cougars, 25-18, 25-21.

Xavier, ranked eighth in Class 4A, was ousted in the semifinals by Class 5A No. 1 Iowa City High, 25-22, 25-21.

Class 5A No. 4 Pleasant Valley beat City High in the championship match.

Xavier beat Dubuque Senior (21-17, 21-18) and Jefferson (21-11, 21-9), and lost to Pleasant Valley (21-19, 21-23, 15-6) in pool play.

Kennedy beat ADM (21-17, 21-12) and Valley Lutheran (21-6, 21-4) and lost to Iowa City High (21-17, 21-14) in pool play.

Jefferson was beaten by Xavier, Dubuque Senior (21-9, 21-13) and Pleasant Valley (21-19, 21-6) in pool play. The J-Hawks beat Valley Lutheran (25-12, 25-8) but lost to Dubuque Senior (25-19, 25-21) in the consolation bracket.

Xavier statistics
Kills: Kayla Torson 46
Assists: Sarah Homan 94
Digs: Halle Heying 43, Torson 30, Emma Barta 27

DUBUQUE INVITATIONAL

Pool A - 1. Hempstead 3-0, 2. Bettendorf 2-1, 3. Western Dubuque 1-2, 4. Davenport Central 0-3

Pool B - 1. Pleasant Valley 3-0, 2. Xavier 2-1, 3. Dubuque Senior 1-2, 4. Jefferson 0-3

Pool C - 1. Iowa City High 3-0, 2. Kennedy 2-1, 3. ADM 1-2, 4. Valley Lutheran 0-3

Xavier, Jefferson, Kennedy Pool results
Xavier def. Dubuque Senior, 21-17, 21-18
Pleasant Valley def. Xavier, 21-19, 21-23, 15-6
Xavier def. Jefferson, 21-11, 21-9
Dubuque Senior def. Jefferson, 21-9, 21-13
Pleasant Valley def. Jefferson, 21-19, 21-6
Iowa City High def. Kennedy, 21-17, 21-14
Kennedy def. ADM, 21-17, 21-12
Kennedy def. Valley Lutheran 21-6, 21-4

Consolation Bracket
Jefferson def. Valley Lutheran, 25-12, 25-8
Western Dubuque def. Davenport Central, 25-21, 25-18
Western Dubuque def. ADM, 19-25, 25-22, 17-15
Dubuque Senior def. Jefferson, 25-19, 25-21
Dubuque Senior def. Western Dubuque, 22-25, 27-25, 15-13

Championship Bracket
Quarterfinals
Xavier def. Kennedy, 25-18, 25-21
Pleasant Valley def. Bettendorf, 25-10, 25-18

Semifinals
Iowa City High def. Xavier, 25-22, 25-21
Pleasant Valley def. Hempstead 15-25, 25-14, 15-13

Championship
Pleasant Valley def. Iowa City High, 25-20, 25-18

Kennedy spikers slip by Warriors, 3-1

The Cedar Rapids Washington volleyball team tied Kennedy in total points Tuesday night, 95-95, in their Mississippi Valley Conference match at Washington.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, they didn't win enough of the big points to claim a victory.

Kennedy trimmed Washington, 29-27, 16-25, 25-20, 25-23, by making a series of clutch plays in the first and fourth games.

It may have been a question of confidence and experience.

The Cougars reached the semifinals of the Class 4A state tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Warriors, on the other hand, have not played in the state tournament since 1994, before any of the girls on this year's team were born.

Kennedy has been there and done that. Washington is still trying, but Coach Kari Lombardi thinks her club is making progress.

"I think this year's team is better than they think they are," she said. "They have to believe they can do it. They're going to get there."

The Warriors led 24-22, 24-23, 26-25 and 27-26 in the first game, needing just one point on each occasion to take a 1-0 lead, but the Cougars had the answer each time and won the opener 29-27 on a block by 6-foot-1 Jordan Calef at the net.

The fourth and final game was tight as well. It was tied 15-15, 17-17 and 19-19 before Kennedy prevailed 25-23 on a kill by Lexi Rogers, one of 19 kills for the 6-foot senior.

"She's a great player," said Lombardi.

Washington played well for much of the night with 6-footer Dani Franklin and 5-foot-9 Aleena Hobbs smashing the ball. "I call Aleena the stealth bomber," said Lombardi.

However, the Warriors hurt themselves with some errant serves and other miscues at the worst possible times.

"It's hard to overcome them (the Cougars) and yourself," said Lombardi. "It's the little things we have to fix."

Kennedy needed five games to dispose of Xavier last week. And just like Washington's performance Tuesday night, the Saints hurt themselves at inopportune times in that contest.

It appears the gap may be closing between Kennedy and other teams in the Metro, at least at this point in the season as the Cougars replace key parts from 2011.

"There is more parity," said Kennedy Coach Michelle Goodall. "I think there's a lot of great athletes in our city."

Rogers thinks the Cougars play their best volleyball when their energy level is high. When their energy dips, she said, so does their performance.

However, Rogers does not think the gap has necessarily shrunk between Kennedy and other Metro clubs.

"We've had a slow start this season and it kind of looks that way," she said. "But at the end of the season we'll play to our potential."

Kennedy raised its records to 10-7 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Washington fell to 8-5 overall and 1-3 in the MVC.

Kennedy spikers hold off Saints, 3-2

Maybe it was Kennedy's rich tradition in volleyball that made the difference. Or maybe it was Kennedy's tough early-season schedule that gave the Cougars a slight edge over the Xavier Saints Tuesday night.

Or maybe the Saints simply didn't play very well. That's what Xavier Coach arb Sullivan said in her post-game remarks.

Kennedy trimmed Xavier in a five-set marathon, 26-24, 27-25, 17-25, 23-25, 15-11 in a Mississippi Valley Conference match at Kennedy.

"We had moments that were wonderful," said Sullivan, "but I think we kind of forgot about the basics for awhile.

"I think we were very tentative. We were afraid somebody might dig one of our balls or block us. You just have to be aggressive and swing away all the time.

"I really think we didn't play our game. The intensity that we have in practice wasn't there."

Neither coach could remember the last time Xavier defeated Kennedy in volleyball. "Not since I've been with the program, so it's been over four years," said Sullivan.

It almost happened Tuesday, but not quite.

"It would have been a big deal for them," noted Kennedy Coach Michelle Goodall. "That was a slugfest."

Kennedy (9-7, 1-2) reached the semifinals of the state tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Cougars are rebuilding somewhat this season and it appeared the Saints might be able to get the upper hand in their 42nd Street rivalry, but the Cougars had a little more power at the net at decisive moments.

"It was a really good match," said 6-foot-1 Kennedy senior Jordan Calef, who finished with 19 kills, four blocks and four aces.

Kennedy was ranked No. 2 in Class 5A when the season began, but the Cougars faced a string of tough opponents and fell out of the rankings last week. They think the tough schedule will pay dividends as the season unfolds, however.

"I think it will," said Calef. "Playing the tougher competition showed us what our weaknesses are. We knew what we needed to work on. I feel like the tougher competition will make you stronger."

Goodall said a softer schedule might have been better with new players on the team, but she's seen steady growth.

"Our schedule is probably one of the toughest in the state, as far as RPI or whatever you want to look at," she said. "It's really, really strong.

"It's going to benefit these kids in the long run. They're hanging in there."

Alexus Rogers finished with 16 kills for Kennedy and Erin Coker had nine. Kayla Torson and Audrey Richards had a series of big kills for Xavier.

The Cougars got perfect serving from Calef (21 for 21), Rylee Mitchell (18 for 18) and Madison Meier (18 for 18).

The Saints (9-4, 2-1) are ranked No. 7 in Class 4A.

Cougars 5-1 at SE Polk tourney

RUNNELLS -- Kennedy won five of six matches Saturday at the Southeast Polk Invitational volleyball tournament.

The Cougars beat Ottumwa twice, Des Moines North, Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson and Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, all in straight sets.

Kennedy was beaten by West Des Moines Valley, 2-0.

The Cougars finished ninth out of 20 teams. They improved their overall record to 8-7.

SOUTHEAST POLK TOURNAMENT

Pool A - 1. SE Polk 3-0, 2. Oskaloosa 2-1, 3. Pella 1-2, 4. DM Hoover 0-4

Pool B - 1. WDM Valley 3-0, 2. CR Kennedy 2-1, 3. Ottumwa 1-2, 4. DM North 0-3

Pool C - 1. Urbandale 3-0, 2. Nevada 2-1, 3. CR Jefferson 1-2, 4. DM East 0-3

Pool D - 1. Waukee 3-0, 2. CB Lincoln 2-1, 3. DM Roosevelt 1-2, 4. DM Lincoln 0-3

Pool E - 1. Indianola 3-0, 2. Ames 2-1, 3. Ankeny Centennial 1-2, 4. CB Jefferson 0-3

Kennedy and Jeffferson pool results

Kennedy def. Ottumwa 22-20, 21-12
Kennedy def. DM North 21-9, 21-9
WDM Valley def. Kennedy 21-13, 21-16
Nevada def. Jefferson 21-12, 21-14
Urbandale def. Jefferson 21-7, 21-10
Jefferson def. DM East 21-13, 21-12

Gold Bracket (Seeds 1-8)
Championship
Nevada def. SE Polk 21-13, 19-21, 15-10

Silver Bracket (Seeds 9-16)
Quarterfinals
Kennedy def. CB Thomas Jefferson 21-8, 21-6
CB Abraham Lincoln def. CR Jefferson 21-16, 21-11
Centennial def. DM Roosevelt 21-18, 9-21, 15-13
Ottumwa def. Pella 25-23, 21-14

Semifinals
Kennedy def. Ottumwa 21-18, 21-17
CB Abraham Lincoln def. Centennial 19-21, 21-13, 15-12

Championship
Kennedy def. CB Abraham Lincoln 21-16, 21-11

Concolation Bracket (Seeds 17-20)
Championship
DM Lincoln def. DM east 21-9, 21-16