Iowa state volleyball: Pleasant Valley, Ankeny Centennial sweep into semifinals

Lone lower-seeded 5A team to score an upset was Waukee Northwest, who knocked off Ankeny

Waukee Northwest knocked off Ankeny on Monday in the opening round of the Iowa volleyball state championships in Coralville. / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pleasant Valley, Ankeny Centennial, West Des Moines Dowling and Waukee Northwest each punched tickets into the Class 5A state volleyball semifinals on Monday inside the Xtream Arena in Coralville.

The Spartans, who took over the No. 1 spot in the rankings late in the season, swept past Waukee by scores of 25-23, 25-19 and 25-15. 

Isabelle Kremer had 12 kills, Stella Smith added nine and Gabriella Ragins eight. Pleasant Valley controlled the net, registering four solo blocks and 10 block assists. 

For Waukee, Malia Rogers had nine kills and Alexa Weber eight.

Ankeny Centennial swept Cedar Falls by scores of 25-19, 25-22 and 25-23, as Delaney Miller racked up 24 kills with 14 digs. Jaeden Pratt had 10 kills and 17 digs, with Maegan Cheeseman dishing out 16 assists. 

Kennedy Krecklow had a team-high nine digs for Cedar Falls.

West Des Moines Dowling claimed the final two sets to best Indianola, 3-1 (25-17, 17-25, 25-17, 25-23), as Ellie Muller, Kaylie Klein and Ava Groeteke had a combined 37 kills. Ella Rogers added 34 assists with 13 digs. 

For Indianola, Aspen Nelsen had 15 kills and Camryn Overton 14.

The lone upset in terms of seeds came courtesy of defending state champion Waukee Northwest, as the Wolves knocked off Ankeny in three (25-15, 25-20, 29-27). Logan Vogt had a match-high 15 kills with 10 digs, London Taylor had 18 digs and Avery Cordes picked up four solo blocks. As a team, Northwest had 11 solo blocks.

Reagan Hanfelt and Kamryn Scheib each had nine kills for the Hawks.

In the semifinals on Wednesday, Pleasant Valley (33-3) will face Dowling (26-9) while Ankeny Centennial (32-4) squares off with Waukee Northwest (27-9). The championship game is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.