The HTC Crusaders hold up the state runner-up plaque after falling to the Ankeny Christian Eagles 3-0 at Xtream Arena in Coralville Thursday night.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Holy Trinity's Mary Kate Bendlage second from left and Teagan Snaadt third from right were named to the Class 1A All-tournament team Thursday night.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Senior Mary Kate Bendlage accepts her All-Tournament Team medal from an IGHSAU official following the Crusaders loss to Ankeny Christian Thursday in the Class 1A State Championship match 3-0.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Junior Teagan Snaadt gets awarded an All-Tournament Team medal following Thursday's IGHSAU State Championship match.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Presley Myers shares some tears with some teammates following the Crusaders 3-0 loss to Ankeny Christian Thursday in Coralville.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Senior Natalie Randolph goes for a kill in the first set Thursday night in the Class 1A State Championship match at Xtream Arena in Coralville.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Mary Kate Bendlage goes for a kill against the Eagles front line defense in the third set Thursday night at Xtream Arena in Coralville
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Junior Anna Bendlage tries to put up a block in the second set of the Crusaders 3-0 loss to Ankeny Christian Thursday night in Coralville.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Senior Mary Kate Bendlage tries to find some rare room for a kill in Thursday's Class 1A state title match in Coralville. The Crusaders fell 3-0 to Ankeny Christian to finish the season at 33-11.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Sophomore Presley Myers attacks in the middle for the HTC Crusaders Thursday night in Coralville.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Senior Taegan Denning goes battles for a ball at the net in the second set of HTC's 3-0 loss to Ankeny Christian Thursday night at Xtream Arena.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
John Bohnenkamp for Pen City Current Sports
CORALVILLE — Holy Trinity spent 70 minutes of the Class 1A state volleyball championship looking for holes in Ankeny Christian’s defense.
The search was rarely productive, often futile.
The October postseason run for the Crusaders was a brilliant dissection of opposing defenses, but in the biggest match on the biggest stage, the cuts were few.
Ankeny Christian Academy swept the Crusaders 25-21, 25-18, 25-17 to secure its second consecutive state title on Thursday night at Xtream Arena.
The fact that the Eagles, top ranked and the top seed of this tournament, had been to this spot last season and won the title, certainly mattered and was obvious.
“We haven’t been in this situation and they have,” said Holy Trinity senior Mary Kate Bendlage, who had a team-high 11 kills. “Kudos to them and their season — they really played hard.”
The Eagles (39-3) had control from beginning to end. They led almost all of the first and third sets — there were only three lead changes in the match.
Holy Trinity (33-11) had just 29 kills, never getting Ankeny Christian out of an offensive rhythm that produced 45 kills, including a match-high 16 by Macey Nehring.
“They had a great block, a great defense, and they didn’t let the ball die,” Bendlage said. “And that’s frustrating as a hitter.”
The Eagles also had 43 assists, 35 coming from Katie Quick, who also contributed seven kills.
“They ran that offense really well,” Holy Trinity coach Melissa Freesmeier said. “They moved that ball around. That Quick girl is really good. That’s what beat us tonight — they moved the ball around so well.”
“They can hit crazy shots, and they’re a good offensive team,” said libero Teagan Snaadt, who had 18 digs and joined Bendlage on the all-tournament team. “They’re strong hitters, they’re tall hitters. It makes it hard for our blocks to get over to every hitter when they’re so well-rounded on offense.”
Ankeny Christian set early tones in each of the three sets. The Eagles were up 7-4 in the first set, 8-4 in the second set, and 13-9 in the third. The Crusaders, who had opponents chasing them throughout the postseason, had the roles reversed.
Freesmeier used her full allotment of timeouts in each set, trying to come up with any sort of formula that could solve whatever Ankeny Christian was doing.
“We couldn’t (get the Eagles out of their offense),” Freesmeier said. “And that was tough. We tried, we kept hitting, but they made some fantastic digs.
“At the end of the day, they were just better than us tonight.”
Ankeny Christian also had devastating runs at the end of the second and third sets. With the score tied at 15 in the second set, the Eagles scored eight of the next nine points. And in the third set, up 14-11, they scored eight consecutive points.
“It hurts,” Snaadt said. “But we worked hard all year, and we can’t dwell on what we didn’t do great today, but what we did (all season).”
It was an emotional end for the run of the Crusaders’ seniors — Bendlage, Natalie Randolph, Taegan Denning, Jenna Hellman and Raegan Holvoet.
“Everyone left it all on the floor,” Bendlage said, wiping away tears. “I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of the players out there.
“I wouldn’t trade them for anyone.”
“Our kids never quit, especially our seniors,” Freesmeier said. “It’s sad for them. They left it all on the court.
“Oh, they’re going to be missed. MK, Natalie, Taegan, Raegan, Jenna — they put a lot of work in and they’re leaders on and off the court. They’re who you want to be.”
HOLY TRINITY STATISTICS
Kills — Mary Kate Bendlage 11, Natalie Randolph 6, Presley Myers 6, Adalyn Kruse 4, Taegan Denning 2.
Assists — Anna Bendlage 12, Randolph 10, Teagan Snaadt 5, Kruse 1, Denning 1.
Digs — Snaadt 18, Randolph 17, MK Bendlage 11, A.Bendlage 9, Denning 7, Myers 4.
Blocks — A.Bendlage 2, Kruse 1 ½, Myers 1 ½, Randolph 1.
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