Mediapolis faces top–ranked team

Bullettes get No. 1 Aplington–Parkersburg in the first round.

By JOE SPENCER

jspencer@thehawkeye.com

Dennis Jandrey says the Mediapolis High School volleyball team still plans to play its Class 2A state quarterfinal match Thursday against top–ranked Aplington–Parkersburg.

The Bullettes coach believes in his team, even if he thinks everybody else thinks they have no chance of winning their 7:15 p.m. date with the heavily–favored Falcons at U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

"Everybody will tell you how tall, how athletic and how great they are," Jandry said of the 37–2 Falcons, who are making their third straight state trip with five of their seven starters from last year's state runner–up back in the fold.

"Do they have two returning all–state players? Yes. Are they bigger than us? Yes. Do they beat us in everything on paper? Yes. According to everything on paper, there is no reason we should even go up there and play because we're supposed to get beat. But we're still going to go and see what happens because they don't award paper state champions."

But no team has played the part of a champion quite like Aplington–Parkersburg thus far.

The Falcons opened the year with victories in 15 consecutive matches and extended their current season–high streak to 20 wins with a sweep of perennial state contender Dike–New Hartford in the Grundy Center Regional final. Their two losses, one to top–ranked (3A) Dubuque Wahlert and the other to third–ranked (4A) Cedar Falls, failed to knock the Falcons from their season–long perch atop the 2A state polls.

Six–foot outside hitter Kasey Huisman and University of Iowa recruits Megan Schipper, a 5–11 outside hitter, and Becky Walters, a 6–3 middle, anchor the Falcons' stable of five starters 5–10 or taller. Schipper, a member of last year's all–state elite team, has recorded 189 kills, 227 digs and 62 aces. Walters, a second–team all–state pick last year, leads the Falcons in kills with 230 and is tied with Huisman for the lead in blocks (168) and aces (75).

"We emphasize our blocking and hitting because we are bigger than everybody we've faced up and down our lineup," said Aplington–Parkersburg coach Darrell Koenen, who has compiled a 578–169–30 record in 25 years of coaching at Aplington. "This is the third time these girls have been to state. After losing to Western Christian in the quarterfinals and the semifinals the last two years, this group was determined to get back."

While the Falcons marched to state for the fifth time, Mediapolis (35–9) endured a bumpier road to its fourth state trip overall and first since 2002.

"At the beginning of the (district) tournament, I think we were a question mark to a lot of people," Jandrey said. "We had our ups this season and we had our downs like the (SEI Superconference) tournament where we played two matches and were out the door.

"We were constantly tweaking our lineup throughout the whole year. When we started districts, I had a new left–side hitter, two different defensive backs, a server who hadn't been in our rotation the whole year. I credit the resilience of these kids and their acceptance. They have been receptive to everything we've asked them to do in practice." Jandrey seemed to find the right combination at the right time. The Bullettes have lost just two games in four postseason matches, beating bitter Superconference North Division rival Wapello for the first time in the past three years and avenging last year's regional semifinal loss to Mid–Prairie along the way.

Senior Bethany Weber, a 6–1 middle, has provided Mediapolis its one constant all year, racking up team–highs in kills (302) and blocks (108). Senior outside hitter Kami Keller (221 kills) has consistently given the Bullettes' attack a second option, while senior reserve Monica Holsteen (101 kills) has had 10 or more kills the last three matches after battling through injuries much of the year.

Setter Molly Petersen (781 assists) and back–row specialists Amanda Darbyshire, Abby Darbyshire, Mindi Fye, Brittany Griffith and Marissa Dideriksen have spurred Mediapolis' scrappy, knees–to–the–floor defense and passing that's paved the path to state.

"The way I look at it, all the pressure is on them," Jandrey said of the Falcons. "If they go to Cedar Rapids and don't walk away with a championship, then they've had a bad season. Anything our girls accomplish is icing on the cake because we have no expectations."