Waukee Northwest wasted no time asserting itself in volleyball.
In just its third year in existence, Northwest reached the state tournament for the second time and came away with the Class 5A championship, beating top-ranked Dowling Catholic in a highly competitive five-set match.
Dowling Catholic rallied after losing the first two sets to win the next two before Northwest finished it off in the fifth set. The Wolves won it 25-22, 25-15, 17-25, 19-25, 15-12.
Northwest took control in the final set by running off four straight points for a 12-6 lead. The Maroons got it down to 14-12 before all-tournament captain Katrina Pelds slammed home a kill for the final point.
Chloe Jones led the Wolves with 13 kills, while Pelds had 11 kills and 18 digs. Avery Vogt led the winners with 23 assists and Katey Locklear had 21.
Mackenzie Dean’s 13 kills led Dowling Catholic, which reached the state tournament for the 12th straight year. Siri Beecher, Kate Nelson and Ellie Muller each had 11 while, Ella Rogers racked up 48 assists and Annalise Grant had 29 digs.