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♪♪ >>> We welcome you back to extreme arena, the place to be on this championship Thursday.

The Iowa river landing trophies handed out to 5A Rocky Northwest, and we bring you back inside as Western Christian, the Wolfpack, the defending champs last year at class 2 A, take on Mount Vernon, the number one overall seed.

Welcome, everyone.

I'm amped up.

Why should our viewers be?

>> It is an exciting match here for 3A.

It's beautiful outside, it's sunny, and these teams are about to shine bright inside.

They have championship caliber teammates around them.

They're ready to show us what they've got on the court.

>> Let's tell you about these two teams and what makes them special.

We'll start with Western Christian.

23 straight consecutive years they've been here, a state record.

They last won 2A last year.

Tammy Veerbeek holds the coaching record for state appearances and state championships, with 13.

And then we'll talk about the team leaders and what they mean as they have just had a very special season.

So that's the Wolfpack.

Let's now look at Mount Vernon.

They're no strangers to this at all.

Six straight trips to state, 18th overall.

Chloe Meester, a Louisville recruit.

Got to be good to go to Louisville, a top five national program.

And Sydney Huber with 10 1/2 assists per set.

What do you think are going to be some of the keys that we have here for this big time battle?

>> Big time battle is top-notch coaches for each program, you mentioned that.

But key starting here for Western Christian, looking for them to apply -- >> I'm going to stop you real quick as they're playing a big intro for bringing this out.

Beth, we've been part of this for many years.

Every year it seems like the girls' association continues to take it up a couple of notches.

>> Yes, it's a great experience for these student-athletes.

The union does a fantastic job thinking of new and creative ideas to make it an extra special event for these state qualifiers.

>> Playing a big intro video, and the pink smoke and flames as we await the teams being introduced onto the court.

Mount Vernon and Western Christian.

That means we're getting close here, as the teams will run right through that.

>> Please welcome to the floor the Western Christian Wolfpack.

[ Cheers and Applause ] >> Now let's hear it for the Mount Vernon Mustangs.

[ Cheers and Applause ] >> It's time to introduce our players and coaches.

For today's 3A championship matchup, first of all, for the Western Christian Wolfpack, here are your nonstarters.

Number 2, Hadley Dekkers.

Number 5, Aubrey Kooiker.

Number 6, Maggie van scapen.

Shea Reitsma.

Number 11, Sydney Feenstra.

Number 14, Autumn Wolfswinkel.

And number 15, Jayci De Wit.

Your assistant coaches, Ashlyn Cline, Amanda hall and Jenna Dykstra.

Now here is your starting lineup for the Wolfpack of Western Christian.

Sophomore, number 3, Bentley Bliek.

5'7" sophomore, number 4, Scarlett Winterfeld.

5'11" senior, number 8, Shana Dan DRIEKen.

Number 9, Keana Wynja.

Number 12, Addy Van't Hul.

And senior, number 13, Brea Van Kley.

Number 1, Haley Wielenga.

Head coach for the Wolfpack, Tammi Veerbeek.

And now let's meet the Mount Vernon Mustangs.

Here are your nonstarters.

Number 2, Mavrik Schweer.

Number 7, Jordan Bleile.

Number 10, Olivia Haverback.

Number 11, Addison Gookin.

Number 14, Kaylie Kelchen.

And number 17, Sophia Meester.

Your assistant coaches, Robin Brand, Christa Winders.

Amber Hess, Dolfi Kalm, Shannon Miller and Jeff Walker.

Ask now here is your starting lineup for the Mustangs of Mount Vernon.

5'7" sophomore, number 3, Caliana Whitaker.

5'11" junior, number 4, Paige Schurbon.

Junior, number 5, Eryn Jackson.

Senior, number 8, Brooke Ellyson.

Junior, number 15, Sydney Huber.

And a junior, number 16, Chloe Meester.

Your libero is number 1, Jaden Rolland.

Head coach for the Mustangs, Maggie Willems.

Now let me introduce to you our officials for this 3A championship as assigned by the Iowa Girls High School athletic union.

First referee, Brittany Novatny, Samantha stone.

We support good sports manship by -- >> The lineups for our class 3A matchup, as you see the action going on just beyond the court, posing for pictures, a memorable moment, for sure, as North Scott defeated Indianola.

What a cool idea to have a pink throne back there for a photo op.

>> It is perfect for the volleyball queens, having won the crown for their class.

Pretty special.

>> An emotional time, obviously.

Let's take a look at the keys to this match, as Western Christian, again, we talked about 23rd consecutive year at state, 32-13 record.

What do you got, Beth?

>> Western Christian, we are looking for the Wolfpack to make Mount Vernon uncomfortable, by applying pressure from the service line.

They're hoping to force the Mustangs out, to slow down their powerful offense.

And while Western Christian may be the smallest 3A school, Eric mentioned they were 2A champs last year.

We have a long history of experience at state, and I have no doubt that they will be bringing a mighty fight this afternoon.

>> Those are the keys for Western Christian.

And now here are the keys for the Mount Vernon Knights.

>> Mount Vernon brings size and power in their front line, and they have the ability to control the net offensively, and with strong blocks.

We're looking for the Mustangs to build on their experience from last year's appearance in the state semis, to focus and finish today if they want to bring home the championship title.

>> The stage is set, the whistle is blown.

Let's take a look at the coaches.

We talked about Tammi and what she means, taking her team to state, the state leader, who just does not seem to be fazed by anything at all.

And then on the other bench, an outstanding coach who has led them to a conference championship, Maggie Willems, who has been there quite a while and done a tremendous job, amassing nearly 400 victories.

So first serve is officially under way.

Mount Vernon and Western Christian looking for the first points.

Good rally to start things off.

The one-handed save, defense for Mount Vernon.

The back row, near side swing, cross-court, great job of cutting it.

Shana Van Dyken gets the kill.

>> Pushed it down line, then mixed it up with a sharp cross-court shot on the second for the kill.

>> The block, but out of bounds, and it's tied at one set apiece.

That block was there, Beth.

>> Double-block, not afraid, though, Mount Vernon on the outside using the hands of the blockers, out of bounds to score that point.

>> Brooke Ellyson serving, one of the seniors for the Mustangs.

It's quickly returned for a point.

And quick side-out for the Wolfpack.

Here is the replay coming right at you.

>> A smart shot, going deep cross-court, Van Dyken is a senior.

We expect that court awareness and knowledge from her on where to go.

>> Beautiful up by the libero.

Dekkers has had a tremendous season in that back row.

Blocked, but down for the point.

Paige Schurbon, the junior, listed at 5'11", playing that middle hitter position.

Look at how she attacks this block.

>> Going right at their hands.

As a blocker, you're wanting to press over and seal that net.

Western Christian, you saw the block a little off, so it came right down the front.

>> A little tip over the block.

The Wolfpack tries again.

Needing to hit it over on three, and they do.

Good attack.

Second time.

And the Wolfpack just won't let the ball hit the court.

We play on.

Sending it to the back row.

And just running out of space.

Bliek tried to get it, but so close to the banister and net there.

>> Good rally there.

Tough defense.

When you think about volleyball, you think of strong, powerful attacks.

But defense is really what can frustrate your opponents.

>> Seeing some great defense here in the early going.

The ball hit the net.

No stoppage of play.

Quick set, middle.

The back corner was wide open, and a point and side-out for the Mustangs here.

>> Cutting around the double-block, they were lined up to take away her strong side, so she goes across her body.

Again, good vision.

>> But no runs of any sort happening here in the early stages of this 3A championship match, as it's one point here, then another point there.

It's a game of runs.

It's a game of momentum.

>> A game of runs is right.

And when it's back and forth like this, it sure makes for some exciting volleyball.

We'll see if either team can string together some momentum here early in set one.

>> An electric atmosphere from Extreme arena.

Beth West on the call.

As you see on the net cam, they blocked it, but so much momentum, so much force from the volleyball, it actually goes out of bounds on the far baseline, behind the service line, and now that ball grabs the sideline in for a nice kill.

We're sitting at 5-4, as you see the replay.

>> Meester using the out of system ball, off the platform from her setter there, but still a smart crosscourt shot.

Again, Western Christian are able to respond right away, back and forth, back and forth.

>> I have a feeling this is an indication of what's to come in this class 3A championship match.

Bliek, behind the service line.

She averages over 2 per set.

A whistle.

An illegal touch there and it's a point and a chance to continue serving.

Bliek.

Nice back set, down the line, and it's in.

>> Out of the middle, Whitaker for Mount Vernon, bringing it to that sideline.

She didn't have a lot of space to work with, folks, but, man, she squeezed it in there.

Good shot for the Mustangs to get the serve back.

>> Wasn't the hardest hit ball, but it hit right where she needed it to.

Did a good job disguising where she was going to put it.

The overpass sails out of bounds.

I don't know if you can tell on your TV screen watching, but these are some hard hit volleyballs we're seeing in the early stages here.

>> Sometimes it can be hard to see the speed, the power.

Just the physicality that the sport of volleyball, and especially these two teams, are showing us right now.

>> Set to the outside.

In the net violation.

And the point goes to the Mustangs.

You saw Brooke Ellyson going up for it.

A chance to serve for Schweer.

Looking on, the legend, Tammi Veerbeek.

28 years of coaching, 25 at Western Christian, 1,119 career wins.

>> Unbelievable.

The commitment and longevity, and just building a program, sticking with it, making sure that year after year she's putting quality teams on the floor.

Not just quality, but teams who can win, and win under pressure and win against the highest competition year after year in the state.

>> 8-8, that's the thing, as a high school coach you have to potentially change your system depending on who is coming up as an eighth grader, ninth grader, tenth grader.

You might have one focus one year, being a strong blocking team, and then realize after those kids graduate, we don't have the height, we've got to figure out another way to win.

>> Exactly.

Adjusting, being flexible, tailoring it to the student-athletes that you have in your program.

You're right, it could be based on setting abilities, based on a defensive scheme, it could be based on a star player.

Maybe it's a balanced attack.

Lots of variables going into it, and coach Tammi Veerbeek does it at the highest level year after year, figuring out that puzzle.

>> Speaking of levels, Western Christian defeated new Hartford in a thrilling five-set victory last year.

They bumped up.

They're one of the installer class 3A smalls in the state, but it doesn't seem to faze them as they're playing for a state title with one class higher this year.

>> It's so impressive what Western Christian has done, moving up a class.

But, honestly, for them, it probably wasn't much of a change.

They're scheduling tough.

>> Absolutely.

>> They're playing high-level competition throughout the year at different tournaments and midweek matches.

Maybe they didn't even notice the change in classes, except for now at state.

>> 11-9, Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon, been to state 11 out of the last 12 straight years.

They're the number one overall seed in class 3A.

They have the target on their back.

Setter working hard.

Mixing it up.

And getting a point.

>> Credit to Western Christian, covering their hitters to give their offense a second opportunity.

They set it up again and they're able to find the opening, a tip to the sideline there for the point.

>> Big swing, got a hand on it.

Meester now 12-10, the lead.

>> Meester elevating on that swing, working around the double-block, going sharp crosscourt.

She has the height and jumping ability to really take a variety of shots, and bring power with those shots.

So I expect to see that this afternoon, mixing it up, changing the speed, changing the power that she brings.

She's got a lot of tools in her tool bag.

>> The number one hitter in class 3A, averaging 5.2 kills per set.

Then you see a service ace, Addison Gookin, another strong serve.

Looking to get a side-out.

They have to send it over.

They do.

In system with options.

Back set.

To the outside.

A little tip.

Great effort on both sides of the net in this rally here.

Contact is the call.

And Beth explained to some of our viewers tuning in, why are they stopping and why is that a penalty?

>> So the two contact violation, typically on a setter, just when the setter is unable to get a clean contact on the ball, and so when you think of two hits, touching the ball twice, rather than having it touch the setter's hand, it releases from both hands at the same time, nice and clean.

Two contacts being it's a little uneven, you can usually see some weird rotation in the ball.

So that's what happened there.

It could be maybe the ball is wet from sweat, maybe the hands are sweaty, the contact is off.

But that's a two-hit violation.

>> Kind of like carrying a basketball, you really have to have it as one fluid motion with those two hands.

That's a clean set.

That's a big swing.

And down for the point, Meester gets the side-out.

Checking in for Mount Vernon is Sophia Meester.

>> Mount Vernon with a good pass, quality set, great swing on the outside, making it look easy when they're in system and they get a good pass.

>> Tipped.

And smart heads-up play, going to the sideline.

Down for the point.

Neither team has used a time-out because it's been within one or two points right from the get-go.

>> Just for a breather, they've played so many points already.

High level volleyball here.

>> Wolfpack gets it down.

What a strong play.

And they're fired up.

Look at the emotion after that play.

>> So fun.

Winterfeld down the line, sees an opening.

Double block there.

But they left enough space between the antenna.

>> She's just a sophomore, 5'7" inches, had 168 kills, Winterfeld did, heading into state.

Well, here is my thoughts on this opening set.

No matter who wins, the other team knows they can play with them, and this just doesn't feel like this is going to be a real sweep for either team here.

But starting to get a bit of separation, as you see the ball just go right at -- good thing we have the antenna there, it would have taken our camera out.

Let's go inside the Mount Vernon huddle and listen in on the time-out.

>> Get a good contact here.

There's no reason for us to be rattled.

It's 16-14.

We're just fine.

We're going to clean it up.

Okay, let's go.

>> So, Beth, to me it wasn't necessarily to call to talk strategy.

It was to call, let's settle down.

The demeanor of Coach Willems, she's calm.

>> So composed as a head coach, and that translates to your squad, right?

The composure, the calmness.

She reminds them, we're right in there.

It's 16-14.

It's not the end of the world.

Go play volleyball.

>> So after the first time-out for Mount Vernon, let's see how they respond, applying pressure, but hitting it into the net.

And just a little bit of either timing or missed contact on that swing.

>> It looked a little like she was reaching behind her.

So you're right, whether it was the approach she took, the timing of the set.

Something a little off there, not getting a good contact on the swing.

But, thankfully for Western Christian, they get it right back on a service error.

>> Side-out.

17-15, with the serve.

Back-to-back service errors.

You want to serve aggressive, but those are just free points for your opponents.

And as you enter into the fourth quarter, the later stages of this first set, each point magnified just a little bit more.

>> It is.

Serving is a tough skill, it's not freebies.

You want to serve aggressively.

Your coaches are normally giving you signals to tell you which zone, which area of the court to serve, because they want to target certain people, certain patterns.

And so as much as you think you can just go back there, tap it over, there is more strategy, there is a lot more thought and effort to it.

>> After that time-out, fighting back to a 17-17 tie.

But if you're just tuning into the broadcast, in the last minute you have to think, okay, why do they keep serving it out of bounds?

That's three points now in the last minute.

It's a pressure-packed situation.

There's a lot of underclassmen on the court playing for these two squads as well.

There's a good serve, and a nice pass.

Back row swing.

Into the net.

And side out.

>> Good idea, pushing that set all the way, trying to go line.

Unfortunately, it catches the antenna right there at the top of the tape.

>> Serving is Schurbon.

Tipped over.

Great reaction.

Going to be tight to the net.

That's hard to pull the ball back off that pass.

>> Hard swing, coming with some heat there.

Good touch on the Mount Vernon side.

Meester got under it, just not able to control it in system for the Mustangs.

>> Down for a point, and starting to feel things clicking a little.

It takes a while.

>> It takes a while.

And now is go time, 20-18.

These last points, push to five for Western Christian.

>> Western Christian.

And now a whistle, two contacts, again, the call.

We have an all-star officiating crew that was voted on to officiate at state.

It's not like a raffle where they pull names out of a hat.

They deserve to be in the spotlight here.

Perfect placement.

Dropping the hammer.

>> Going back across her body, again, the vision, I'm very impressed.

She sees the double-block that Mount Vernon is bringing on her strong side, so she is turning the ball away from it, finding an opening.

Wow, following up with an ace serve.

Clutch.

>> Largest lead, and it comes at a critical time.

Western Christian is starting to pull away.

Let's listen in to their huddle.

>> Okay, watch the crosscourt and then you watch -- if you see her shoulders rotate, her power is crosscourt, right?

Try to get a good touch on point of contact, get your weight shifted.

Don't get beat on jump or a roll shot.

Play defense.

Defense wins.

Knock the serve in.

Let's go.

Come on, hands up high at the net.

Defense wins championships.

One, two, three, team!

>> Do you agree, defense wins championships, Beth?

>> Absolutely.

Couldn't have said it better, defense is a bedrock of any championship run.

And especially in volleyball.

You have to defend, you have to put up strong blocks.

Otherwise, you can't get anywhere.

And so good instruction for the Western Christian squad, and you heard coach talking about their blocks, too, saying they love to go crosscourt, take it away from them.

>> Smart play by the setter.

And now setting near side.

It's out of bounds, and the run continues.

Good teams get separation as the game is winding down, and I think that's what we're witnessing right now with Western Christian.

>> We see the double-block, taking away the majority of the crosscourt.

Meester can cut it so sharp.

She tried to go even further, but out of bounds.

>> And that brings up set-point.

You can use any part of your body to keep it off the court.

It's not soccer season yet, but anything you can go to keep it alive.

So it is set-point, Western Christian.

The Wolfpack need just one more.

Mustangs fighting hard here, reaching back and getting a good attack.

Oh, smart idea, just not executed as Breya Van Kley, the senior setter, who has 22 kills on the year, almost had a huge one there.

>> You can't fault her idea.

She saw it, it was good vision.

It was an open net.

Unfortunately, she just couldn't get it over, so good idea.

Keep it up.

I like the aggressive mentality.

>> Still set-point.

To the outside.

Blocked.

So two straight points for Mount Vernon.

Fighting.

We might see a time-out.

And there it is.

Western Christian gets two, this is their first.

Here is Mount Vernon's huddle with a MIC'd up coach.

>> She just had a block, so we're going to be stopped, reading that arm swing.

So much better timing on the block last time, too.

And just remembering the patterns we're looking for.

We want to work on getting you out, so working on making sure the ball is high and in front of Syd.

>> Calm demeanor again.

It's how you say it.

The words are important, but the delivery is equally as important.

>> It is, and it's fun to listen in on both huddles.

But the strategy and the chess match between these coaches and how they're identifying the same theme.

Coach Willems saying they're taking away our cross, line shots are going to be the best, push out so we can go line.

>> We just heard the exact opposite from Western Christian, saying, take away their cross.

>> It hit out of bounds, so the run continues for Mount Vernon.

Wolfpack, they need just one more point.

They're going to use their second and final time-out here.

So close to the finish line.

Let's see what Western Christian has.

Look at that last point here.

>> Confidence, want the ball to come to you in this moment.

We've got to get our feet to the ball first, then our platform.

We stick and rip and finish this game, right?

Let's go!

Pack, one, two, three, pack!

>> Platform.

What is she talking about?

>> Solid platform when passing and a strong platform.

So when Coach says platform, she's talking about your arms, holding your arms tight, two arms together.

Seeing that ball, seeing the serve come right into your arms, holding strong.

Don't wiggle it around, let it fly off your arm.

Hold it strong, pass it to your setter.

>> Set-point in set one.

This is a class 3A championship match.

Mount Vernon goes to their heavy hitter.

Tipped.

Coach asking for a lift.

We play on.

Mustangs.

Over to the Wolfpack.

What a great rally.

And a point goes down, and a big fist pump from number 16, Chloe Meester.

She has over 500 kills this season.

None bigger than this one.

Not a hard hit, but great placement.

Still set-point.

Mount Vernon has worked so hard to get back into this one.

Up.

A lot of options.

In trouble.

Back to the Wolfpack.

And there it is.

Not easy in the slightest bit.

Winning by the slimmest of margins, 25-23.

That was entertaining.

>> I love the fight, I love the effort on both sides.

Long rallies, never give up.

This is going to be a match.

>> We'll be back with more.

You have it tuned into Iowa high school volleyball championships, only here on Iowa PBS.

>>> You're watching live coverage of the girls State Volleyball Championships on Iowa PBS.

Stay tuned.

More to come.

>> Mount Vernon, an outstanding effort toward the end of that first set, but Western Christian finished the job.

The defending 2A champions win this one 25-23.

Any indication of what we're going to see here?

Who has the advantage in the second set, Beth?

>> That was an incredible set one.

The fight from Mount Vernon to that set two is going to be the same, back and forth is what I'm expecting.

Great composure from Western Christian to finish it out at the end.

>> Here is a look at some of those highlights from that first set.

Pretty balanced attacks on both sides.

Multiple players getting involved.

Trying to help their team.

Will their team to this 3A championship title.

You see the celebration there.

Here is a look at the stats, pretty equal as expected.

One more kill, two more assists.

And pretty even.

It's a coin flip, from my perspective, who wins the second set.

So let's find out.

Quick little time-out.

Now we're back to live action.

Whistle.

In the net.

Charged against Mount Vernon.

You can't have your body in the net at any point.

>> Exactly.

Your body, your arms.

Staying clean, elevating up high, and then coming down, landing, staying out of the net.

One thing as a new blocker in the front row, girls may try to kind of bat at the ball, kind of swing their arms forward to try to reach or go really high.

Unfortunately, then you can tend to drop your arms into the top of the tape.

>> Not the start they were looking for here.

3-0, as Mount Vernon has had a couple of hitting errors and Western Christian looking to seize on this opportunity, widen the gap as much as humanly possible here in the early stages of the second set.

4-0. to use one here.

What a start.

Maggie Willems, the head coach for Mount Vernon, the number one seed, wants to talk things over.

Let's go in and listen to their huddle.

>> We have played at a higher level all year long and you have got to find it right now.

Like, this is not okay.

You want more from yourselves in this match, and we have got to find it.

You have got to execute.

You can do little things better.

Let's go.

Come on.

I mean, it just doesn't feel at all like yesterday, does it?

>> Yesterday in the semifinals, victorious, as the road to state here was pretty interesting between these two schools.

Mount Vernon defeated Waller Catholic and Western Christian defeated Urbana and Union to get to this stage.

That's the first point the Mustangs are going to get.

Got to start somewhere.

>> Got to start somewhere.

They're going to take that point, hopefully build on it with some momentum.

Sometimes it takes an opponent's error for you to capitalize and move on.

>> Struggling a bit with serve receive.

They'll free ball it over to the Mustangs here.

The ball is going to sail out of bounds.

Last touched by the Wolfpack.

That's two straight points for Mount Vernon.

>> Building some confidence, getting a good swing.

Putting it away, earning that point for the Mount Vernon side.

>> Nice placement.

The pass was there, the set right on the money, as a good look at Van Dyken, the 5'11" senior, who is going to end her senior year with nearly 400 kills.

>> Very impressive.

That shot, turning, seeing what the blockers are giving her and then adjusting her swing.

That time a kill down the line.

>> Her kill efficiency is close to .275 through this tournament, and that's very effective for an outside hitter.

>> As an outside, absolutely.

If you're close to .300 as an outside hitter, that is fantastic.

Outside hitters can get some out of system sets, some bump sets, some not as perfect sets because you're kind of an outlet sometimes.

Absolute, you're going to get on-the-money sets, but there could be some others in there.

So hitting close to .300 on the year is fantastic.

Great efficiency.

>> Perfect placement for Chloe Meester.

Meester now with five kills, leading the way for the Mustangs.

And I'm sure that's part of the scouting report, saying, we need to make sure she's an integral part of our offense.

>> Get Meester involved.

She had a big transition.

She has a good arm and was able to adjust, even without a big approach.

>> Beth, what does this say about the Mustangs coming back, after digging a little bit of a hole early on in the second set?

>> They had a hole in set one, they started in a hole, unfortunately, in set two.

But they are resilient.

They're determined.

They're not going to let Western Christian walk away with it.

They are determined to fight in this championship match.

>> Last state title for Mount Vernon came in 2019.

They have been dominant this year.

The number one team in class 3A.

Plays like that.

You hear that last name Meester, their father was an all-American for the UNI Panthers and played a decade for the Jacksonville jaguars.

When you retire, you move back to your home state, you have six daughters and you raise them in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and be the offensive coordinator on the football team as well.

>> Fantastic.

And just as we're talking about him and his daughter, Chloe, she gets a big block for the Mustangs.

>> Trailing 4-0, and now leading 7-6.

Crosscourt, and that's in.

That ball just dropped right when it needed to, right on the line.

Big smiles there.

>> You mentioned placement before.

It's so important in volleyball.

You have six players on the court.

And as much as it seems like sometimes they can cover everything, there's always openings.

There's always holes.

So finding those holes with placement is key.

>> Trying to put a run together of their own.

It starts with the side out.

Checking in with Kooiker to play the back row.

She will serve.

She replaces Wynja, who has had a tremendous year, 250 kills.

>> Meester, the block is not there and she has free reign, that's the result you're going to get nine times out of ten.

>> Great transition, great approach, big arm swing.

Working around the double-block.

Western Christian had a double-block up there, but the high contact point that Meester has when she elevates, it's hard to stop.

>> Another thing that's hard to stop is the ball that is cut and hugs the net as tightly as that last shot.

So smart with her angles.

That's why she's such a strong offensive weapon.

Bliek to serve, the sophomore.

Free ball.

Off the hands.

One-hand save.

Libero steps in.

And this is pretty typical of these long rallies that we've seen here in this class 3A championship match.

Defense gets the point.

Great extension and finish for Van Dyken, the senior.

We talked about her kills.

She has over 40 blocks as well.

Tied for third on the team in that category.

Side out, as the tropical theme in the Mount Vernon student section.

It's warm out there today.

>> Sunny, beautiful day in Iowa.

>> Great serve.

Mount Vernon has flipped the script.

Looks like they're in a pretty darn good spot here, up 11-9, trying to tie this series up, as Western Christian won the first set 25-23.

Miscommunication, as two players went for the same ball.

The Mustangs say, we'll take it, thank you.

The momentum has shifted inside the arena here, and a time-out is called.

Let's see what Mount Vernon has to say at this time-out break.

>> We really only want to -- Chloe, crosses are great, regardless of who is over there.

But 1-6 is money, so you've got to make sure you're working on creating swings, taking them over here, and remind each other of that, okay?

Remember to be active when you're in the front row.

>> Time-out.

12-9.

So much time left in the second set.

It's not a must-win for Mount Vernon, is it?

>> Not a must-win, because it's best 3 of 5, but they want to get the second set.

To build momentum, build confidence, to tie it up one apiece going into that third set.

But you're right, there's always the reverse sweep, if you want to go that route and make it extra exciting.

>> Extra exciting, a little more challenging, a little more pressure.

It just seems like Mount Vernon has elevated their game in every area, serving, the passing, the blocking.

They didn't play like this for the majority of that first set.

>> They are serving aggressive right now.

Float serves, getting Western Christian out of system a little bit, not able to bring their strong top of the line attack on every point.

And then Mount Vernon playing some really strong defense.

Yes, playing tough defense, not letting that ball drop.

Good overpass for the Wolfpack, getting the serve back.

>> That's the equivalent of a wide open fast break slam dunk type opportunity.

No defense was there, and she could just let loose on that >> Your eyes get nice and big as a front row player when you see that.

You have to be controlled and smart, but, man, swing away.

>> Western Christian trying to take the momentum back to their side.

A couple of straight points.

Chipping away at it here.

Western Christian.

Team phrase, play to win, don't play to lose.

They think there's a pretty big difference in playing to win and not playing to lose.

>> There is.

A mentality to playing not to lose, in my mind, doesn't have a lot of confidence.

It's more reserved.

It's, okay, let's not make a mistake, we don't want to lose.

Versus play to win exudes more aggressiveness, take charge, more determination.

I think that's a really great team motto.

>> You see that happen in some sports where you have a lead and you try to go conservative, protect the lead.

And the more aggressive team ends up winning.

So they're cutting loose right now, as we're at the halfway point of this second set.

Great shout-out to our outstanding Iowa PBS crew.

We could not bring you these sights, the sounds, the energy, and just the awesomeness that is the Iowa high school volleyball championships without Iowa PBS.

They put in a couple of long days, starting with a 10:00 a.m. broadcast for class 5A today, and we'll wrap, hopefully, by 9:00 tonight, depending on how all these matches go.

We do have scheduled 2A to start tentatively at 10:45 and the 1A match set to start at 7:00 p.m. Beth and I will be here for the rest of the ride with you, as we are watching Meester -- I'm not going to say single-handedly take over, but it seems like she wants the ball maybe more than what she was wanting early on.

>> She's been a part of a lot of the good plays that are coming from the Mount Vernon side, blocks, kills, helping with defense as a six rotation player.

She stays in to serve and play back row defense as well.

She's got some quality teammates who are helping her along the way, leading here in set two.

>> The sophomore serving it for Western Christian.

Three points separating these two teams in this 3A matchup.

Goes long.

It's now a four-point advantage, trying to even things up here.

Mount Vernon, successful in some other girls' sports.

About a week and a half ago, cross country class 3A runner-up at state, and in 2021 softball state champions.

I know, Beth, you were a multi-sport athlete.

Always fun to see the energy of a good volleyball, a cross country season in the fall carry over to basketball or wrestling or golf or tennis, whatever the sports are.

>> Exactly.

You learn so much as a multi-sport athlete, not just physically -- obviously different technicalities of each sport, using different muscles, using your brain in a different way.

But, also, from a standpoint of having different coaches, being led by different teammates and just the all-around athlete you become when you're playing multiple sports.

So I love that so many of the Iowa girls are multi-sport athletes, that their schools give them the opportunity to compete in multiple seasons throughout the year.

I encourage it, I love it.

Great to see it for these Iowa girls.

>> That's Beth West, an Iowa girl.

A top performer at UNI.

Getting interesting here, as Western Christian glances up at the scoreboard and says, okay, we've got to go now.

And some strong plays like that, as serving it up will be Kooiker.

>> There's no let-up in these teams.

We saw it in set one with Mount Vernon coming back late in the set.

Same thing here with Western Christian.

They are fighting each point, battling it out.

>> Pretty impressive, the swing she's able to get that far back off the net.

>> Timing, vision.

It's very important about your approach.

You saw there how Meester had to adjust her approach.

She didn't even jump because of the timing, and just the connection there was off.

But that's the thing, each set is going to be different in two ways.

Each set that you're getting from your setter, and each set in a match as well.

So being able to adjust is important in volleyball.

>> Chloe Meester, over 500 kills, over a .370 kill efficiency percentage.

She's in the back row trying to make a difference for her team, leading by 3.

Out of bounds.

Smart decision.

Defensive play, should I go for it, should I let it go.

Let it go, and that was the right call.

>> Good communication between the teammates on that back line.

You have to talk.

You have to tell each other what you're seeing.

Is it in, is it out.

Talk, say it loud.

>> I thought we were going to have a joust opportunity, then the ball hits the court, side out.

And back into the lineup is going to be Schweer to serve.

>> Speaking of loud, how do you like this atmosphere?

>> It is very loud, as the student sections are right on top of us here.

Second year in a row being played here at the Extreme Arena.

Holy smokes.

And it's a four-point lead.

>> The connection -- >> Let's take another look here.

>> The connection between the setter and the middle for Mount Vernon right on target, the pass, running quick, making herself available, Paige in the middle.

Great job for the Mustangs.

>> Let's listen in with head coach Tammi Veerbeek.

>> Stay aggressive, okay?

Remember, we are up in the match 1-0, okay?

So we don't have to play absolute.

We're playing to win.

Stay aggressive, be smart.

We still can drop in or make them play defense.

Don't be afraid to swing.

Let's go.

Come on!

One, two, three, Pack!

>> Remember, even if we lose the second set, we're leading right now.

You've got to play with confidence, don't you?

>> Playing with confidence, reminding her team, we're up, play like we are up, like we are here to win.

And then giving them some strategy as well, saying if you get in trouble, remember, you can tip short, and remember the donut is open.

We call the donut kind of the middle of the volleyball court, mainly because the six players can kind of form a circle around, and sometimes it can drop right in the middle in the donut in front of all six of them.

>> Service error, side out.

And a point for Western Christian, into the front row, Breya Van Kley, the senior setter.

Has done a tremendous job.

428 assists in the regular season.

Nice pass.

The set.

And the swing.

Timing is everything.

And Paige Schurbon, the junior, with a .415 attack kill percentage.

>> Another good connection, this time running more in that what we would call maybe a three zone, so not all the way out to the pin, but not immediately next to the setter.

In between there.

They have a great connection, kind of catches the blockers off guard, makes them move.

She had a great swing.

>> Schurbon with six kills.

Trailing only her teammate, Meester, who has ten.

23-18.

Pressure-packed situation if you're the Wolfpack.

Serve coming, and it's into the net.

>> This is about the point in set one that Mount Vernon started going on their run.

Let's see if the Wolfpack can do the same, capitalizing on that missed serve.

>> Far off the net.

But a nice attempt.

Into the block, but it doesn't matter.

How did the ball make it through there?

>> It was a roll shot.

She didn't use all of her power, but, again, roll shot off the top fingertips of the blocker rather than going into the knee.

>> Time-out on the court.

Déjà vu.

This time it's the Mustangs needing just two more points, and the rally behind the Wolfpack.

Here is the Western Christian huddle MIC'd up.

>> Somebody get water for Haley.

Hey, we just got an ace, right?

We want to tire her out.

If we're going to miss serves, which we're not, make sure we're missing deep.

Make them think about things.

No more net serves.

Be confident with our serves.

We're right back in it.

We get a stop here, it's a one-point game.

We never give up.

Every point, be smart.

If it's off, try to drop one in the middle.

Otherwise, we rip.

Let's go!

Let's go!

>> Well, she knows what she's doing.

28th year, so many state titles.

She believes, her players believe.

Now go out and execute.

In system.

Tipped.

Calm, cool, collected.

Both teams really taking their time, being patient.

Not forcing anything on this play.

Have to push it over.

They do.

Beautiful up in the back row.

Beautiful up.

Feels like a full minute has gone by since the initial serve here.

Holy buckets!

What a play!

>> That rally gave me goosebumps, Eric.

Such high-level volleyball.

I love the defense on both sides, getting touches.

These teams are fired up, especially the Wolfpack of Western Christian.

>> People love a good offensive attack and swing.

I love a good back row play to keep the ball off the court.

Now a hitting error, and the Mustangs need one more point to even up this series 1-1.

They're looking to get it right here.

They don't want to give the ball back on a side out.

Hit deep, out of bounds.

We're tied.

Equally as entertaining as the first set.

This time it's Mount Vernon, the Mustangs, winning set two.

We'll be back with the third set right after this.

You're tuned into the Iowa girls' high school volleyball championships right here on Iowa PBS.

>>> Mount Vernon and Western Christian, what an entertaining first two sets in this class 3A championship match from the Extreme Arena.

Mainstay here during the girls' high school volleyball tournament, T-shirt maker from Des Moines, who says the arena and the high school girls association have teamed to make it a memorable experience for fans and players.

We watched Joe work.

It's a work of art.

It's something you can take home with you.

Part of the fun here.

Well, Beth, Mount Vernon didn't need to win it, but they did.

Now we're right where we started.

>> Right where we started, one set apiece.

The atmosphere in Extreme Arena is electric right now.

I'm excited for set three.

These teams are really bringing the heat.

>> All right, third set, advantage nobody.

And interesting to see how this one is going to play out.

If you're watching on your screen, Western Christian there in the dark uniforms on the right, and on the left side of your screen in the gray, that's the Mustangs.

Well, leading the way with kills is Meester.

She has ten.

But 12 kills for Van Dyken, who has a dozen over there.

And what impressed me most about this so far is, it hasn't been one player who has been leading their team.

Depending on the situation, there's three or four that have stepped up and rose to the occasion here.

That's what you want as a coach, as a team.

When you are in system, when you get a good pass, you want to have options.

Hitting options to the outside, the middle, depending on if your setter is front row or back row, the right side.

And we're seeing that balanced attack.

You are absolutely right.

>> Here is what really impresses me, though, as Mount Vernon, only two starters from last year's state semifinalists return, and for Western Christian, they lost six starters from last year's state championship team.

So last year when we were watching them compete for a state title, not a lot of returns from 2022.

>> That speaks to the quality of the program that coach has built at Western Christian, and, again, kudos and a shout-out to current players who might not be starting, who might be on the bench.

We are developing, whether you're seeing court time a lot or a little this season, thinking of the future, you have a role.

And so it's so important, one, to practice well, because you're getting the starters ready, but also, thinking ahead.

It might be next year you're here in the state championship.

So giving your all in practice, and then every opportunity that you get into a match to get better.

>> Great advice, as freshmen become seniors in the blink of an eye.

Well, putting on a clinic early on, and coach Veerbeek might want to call a time-out.

She does just that.

5-0 out of the gates.

Mount Vernon using that momentum from set two's victory.

Let's go inside the huddle.

>> Defense, okay, now they know it's going to be there, so now you're going to pick it up.

Move in if they make you do it.

They don't want you to get the ball.

They're going to make you get it and then sprint out.

If she has to come in, maybe she has to run a three and Keana runs something else.

Relax.

It's five points, guys.

Five points.

We've got to get it under control.

Don't get mad at each other.

Relax.

Be better for your teammates.

Five points, we can come back from that easily.

Let's find our way, get in our rhythm.

Everybody take a deep breath.

Together, right?

Pack!

>> Better the ball, great advice from coach.

What that means is if the first touch isn't that great, that second touch has to better it, and the third one has to go even farther.

A great strategy, a great advice in volleyball, better the ball.

>> Calm demeanor on their sideline as well.

No panic button being pushed by the defending champions.

Tied 1-1 here.

Great up, and free ball over the net.

Wow, a play like that could be kind of a turning point.

The libero making an outstanding play on the ball.

Let's watch it again.

This is Haley Wielenga.

>> She was in the right spot.

She took a hard swing.

She took it over and then there was some miscommunication.

So point to Western Christian.

But good job, just being where she needed to be, sticking with it to get that dig.

>> Mount Vernon, some hard swings coming.

A couple of players got tangled up.

Volleyball is a fun game, isn't it?

That ball landed on the line.

Not how you draw it up, but it's a point, nonetheless.

>> Ping-pong back and forth here.

Sometimes you've just got to get an arm on it.

It's not always pretty.

But just get a touch to keep it alive.

>> And another kill for Schurbon.

She now has nine, and the setter doing a great job, as Sydney Huber, a junior, averages a 3A best ten assists.

>> Running her hitters on different routes, we saw Schurbon running behind on that one.

We've seen her right next to the setter.

So mixing up your offense, not just setting different people, but also setting those people in different locations along the net.

>> That golden corner was open, and taking advantage of it, Western Christian.

It was 5-0, and now it's 6-3.

Attack there from sideline to sideline.

And momentum is starting to shift again.

This time in favor of Western Christian.

Well, it starts with not the best serve received.

They don't get the swing they want out of it, and really looking sharp, especially in this rotation, is Western Christian.

>> Using that out of system ball, a little bit of an over pass there, reversing the court, going opposite to get that kill.

And then following it back up, right?

Point after point here for the Wolfpack, to get right back in there.

We're all tied up.

>> A 6-1 run.

Far, far away from the 25 points needed to win this pivotal third set.

Antenna is waving.

>> Just needing to speed up that approach a little bit.

I think Meester waiting for that ball, the set to come farther out.

Speed it up a little bit, get that attack in.

Just like that.

I think she heard me.

Clearly.

What a great swing from the outside.

>> You saw the shot of the antenna.

Here is the replay.

Now it's 7-7.

It's going to be a back row swing.

Meester again.

Really cooked that.

Didn't put as much heat on it, but pushed it down the line for the point.

>> Saw the opening down the line.

>> 14 kills for her.

8-7, third set.

If you're just joining us, this is the class 3A championship match at 10:00 a.m. this morning North in a thrilling five sets defeated Catholic, and class 4 A, north Scott, and after this, Hartford is probably is the best team in the State of Iowa, they're undefeated and beat a bunch of 5A, 4A.

You see coach looking on.

They'll take on the number two team, and will close out in prime time tonight at 7:00.

Anthony Christian with Holy Trinity Catholic.

>> Some competitive back and forth.

We just saw a really good block from the Wolfpack.

Mount Vernon with the swing.

Close to the tape.

Wolfpack able to block it.

>> Great communication by the Wolfpack to get that ball over.

Meester continuing to get the majority of the sets, meaning the majority of the swings, the setter is looking, where is she at, I'm going to get her to the ball.

>> A lot of attempts, and I like that set location, bringing Meester into the court, not pushing her all the way to the pin.

Allows her a little more space, makes the blockers move.

>> And I don't think she's a real liability playing back row, either.

>> Absolutely not.

She moves well, quick in the backcourt.

And then you have an outlet and option as a back row attack, which we just saw as well.

>> Long rally, but a line violation is going to be charged against Western Christian.

So retaining the serve will be Mount Vernon here.

35 wins, only 4 losses.

Let's see, who did they lose to?

Hartford on September 23rd, Marion on October 12th, and some quality wins against state tournament teams throughout.

>> Their only losses are to state qualifying teams.

So a good body of work coming into state.

They've been tested and we know they're getting tested to the limit right now as well in the championship.

>> 12-9.

A three-point lead in the third set, in the 3A match.

Tough shot.

She's so far back to have the angle of the volleyball drop like that from the position where she's hitting on the court.

She's not the tallest player, she might be the gutsiest.

Plays with some spunk.

>> You're right, the timing and vision, and just composure to keep it high, get it across the net.

>> What a swing.

Nice play.

Shana Van Dyken, the senior, averaging 3.42 kills per set.

That is a team best in that category.

She's not the tallest, either.

5'11", pretty good size.

But her vertical leap and timing and fundamentals are just a whole nother level.

>> Led in the quarterfinals with 18 kills, and she's definitely on pace right now in the championship match as well for some high numbers.

You're right, she does jump well.

Good front row player there for the Wolfpack.

>> Meanwhile, here is a freshman, as Mavrik Schweer is in serving.

I cannot imagine myself as a freshman stepping into a championship and having to step up and help my team.

She has delivered, and another point delivered by the Mustangs, as we're past the halfway point for them.

>> It's such a fun experience that you get to play with your teammates, play for your community.

Like you said, it's a big stage.

But focusing just on the court in front of you, trying, if you can, to block out everything around.

This atmosphere is electric, so that can be hard.

But doing a great job on both sides to just really focus on the play at hand.

>> Calm, cool, composure on both sides of the net here.

Western Christian won the first 25-22, Mount Vernon won the second 23-25.

You feel like as long as it's within three or four points, it's just going to be a battle in the final couple of minutes to see who wins this first set.

Nice serve!

Service ace.

>> Float serve, top of the tape.

Meester got a little jammed up right there.

Good platform, she had it out in front.

It floated on her.

>> And look who comes up with that point.

Tip.

Mustangs have it.

Wolfpack trying to cook up something good here, like that attack.

Close to the net for the setter.

Joust opportunity.

Back row swing.

Beautiful up.

Running tip.

Over a minute since the first serve of this set.

And it ends with the ball sailing out of bounds and a point, hard-earned point for the Mustangs.

>> Hard earned back and forth rally.

We saw both teams bettering the ball, like we talked about before.

There were some out of system plays and they did well to get swings.

>> Nice pass.

There's no returning that swing.

Another kill added to her tally.

14 now.

Leading the team in that kills category.

15-15.

Going right back to her.

Some great volleyball unwinding before our eyes here in class 3A.

The back row players are my MVPs.

Just the will to keep the ball alive.

Two contacts, violation.

Again, you just have to be clean with how you set the ball up to your teammate.

>> And sometimes on a long rally like that, again, it could be sweat, it could just be getting tired towards the end, but tough to end on that, as it was such a good back-and-forth battle there on that rally.

>> Two straight points, and in for the rotation, it's going to be Wolfswinkel, the sophomore.

>> Van Dyken with vision, going high.

Tipping right over the block.

We've seen her with such strong, aggressive swings.

I like the mix-up there with the tip.

And just as we say strong and aggressive, Meester with a powerful outside slam there, sharp crosscourt.

>> Coming right at you.

Now 17-16, Addison Gookin, the senior.

Mount Vernon, class 3A, number one seed.

>> Using the block, off the hands of the Mount Vernon block.

Good job, Wynja in the middle for the Wolfpack.

>> And another point.

Great play, as blocking, passing, all very important here in the sport of volleyball.

>> The setter, Huber, with that block.

Great timing.

Pressing over, sealing the net on over pass.

>> Over the block.

Huber sets.

To the back row.

Libero all over it.

Down the line to the golden corner.

Mixing it up.

She's a Swiss Army knife with all these different types of shots she has in her repertoire.

>> Because Meester can hit the crosscourt shot so well, Western Christian's defense is cheating that way.

So the line is wide open.

Meester has had two pushes, kind of power tips to that corner for points.

Because you've got to give up something, right?

You've got to focus.

You can't defend it all.

So good vision.

>> Side out, Wolfpack.

Things are starting to heat up a couple of notches here, a couple of degrees inside Extreme Arena, as we inch closer and closer to the 25-point mark.

19-18, and the slimmest of leads for Mount Vernon.

And now a violation, two contacts.

We're tied at 19-19.

It all started with the serve from Kooiker.

Mount Vernon has two time-outs left, one remaining for Western Christian.

The ball hit the court.

What power to get it through.

>> Using that high hand of the blockers, if you've got to tool it off the block, I suggest going high.

That's what she did.

Great point there for the Wolfpack.

Followed up with a quick middle attack from Mount Vernon.

If they can keep their passes in system, we talked before, they have good options.

So running that middle one-on-one, and she's found that golden corner, like you call it.

It is golden, perfect spot for middles.

Go corners.

>> Meester, behind the service line.

Right down the line for the kill.

Mustangs got the ball up in the air.

It just didn't hang high enough.

Love the play we've seen from Jaden Rolland.

Right now it's Bentley Bliek looking to string some points together for Western Christian with a one-point lead.

Two contacts, the call.

They whistled.

Going to talk with the top official.

Calling it pretty tight here in this championship match.

21-21.

Schweer to serve.

And it's a beauty.

But returned to sender.

What a play by Winterfeld.

>> So aggressive.

She comes blazing in there on her approach, swings so strong.

They really move Winterfeld around.

We've seen her swing on the outside, behind the setter.

She's serving, now she's doing a great job.

>> Service ace!

It's on the line.

She plays with that fire in her belly and she's helping lead Western Christian to a two-point lead.

They need just two more.

Let's listen in to Mount Vernon's huddle and Maggie Willems.

>> We're at 23-21.

We've got to go out, talk, get the ball up in system and give all of our swingers an option.

Listen, when we have a defensive play that's not typical, like a quick dig or something, we have to have awareness like over blocking, not releasing on defense, and we can step in and create a swing.

We practice that all year long.

You're all capable of doing that.

Help her out.

>> One, two, three!

>> Highlighting communication on that Mount Vernon side, saying, hey, if we get a great dig, if we pop it up but it's out of system, be unconventional.

Anyone can step in and get that second ball.

It doesn't have to be the setter running it down.

Just having that communication, the setter saying, I need help, I can't get to it, having someone else step in and take that ball.

They're getting good touches.

>> They really are.

Communication is so important.

Needing to send it over.

Mount Vernon on their heels right now, trying to fend this off.

But not having any luck, as Van Dyken delivers the hammer, and now the second and final time-out called by Mount Vernon.

Wow.

>> That set was tight on the net.

Van Dyken was not fazed.

She gets after it with a powerful swing.

>> Let's see what Coach Veerbeek has to say.

>> They'll probably key in on her, but I love the tempo.

You're calling hard.

Hold the block.

Yes, if it's in system, call a slide and go hard, and then shoot it.

Okay?

Everybody is covering.

Knock the serve in.

Let's go, come on!

Fundamentals, first contact, hold your platform.

Stay calm, finish the game.

One, two, three, team!

>> They have a plan of who they want to get the next attack.

>> They do.

It sounded like they want to run the middle behind the setter.

They want that middle really to sell it, too, be loud.

And then if the pass allows, it sounds like they want to shoot it, a quicker tempo set to the outside.

Let's see if we interpreted it correctly, if it happens.

>> Two contacts.

Illegal hit.

>> The pass was tight to the net.

That's tough as a setter.

You're trying to stay clean, contact it, keep it out of the net.

Tough one for the setter.

Van Kley didn't have a lot of space to work with.

>> Facing set-point, but with the serve, is Mount Vernon.

The Wolfpack need one.

They got one!

Exclamation point to close out the third set.

Western Christian has won set They're one set away from being your class 3A state champions.

They did it last year in class 2A, bumped up a class now.

We'll be back with the fourth set right after this.

You have it tuned into Iowa high school volleyball right here on Iowa PBS.

>>> Western Christian in the driver's seat right now.

They need to just win one more set to be class 3A champions here in 2023, as Beth West and I bring you the sights and sounds.

They have the confidence right now.

They didn't start great in the last set, but they finished great.

>> They finished great, and that is what matters.

They came through late in the clutch, strung together some really quality points, and, man, that defense, we saw so many long, hard-fought rallies from both sides.

But you're right, to win a championship, you have to finish.

You have to focus and finish at the end.

>> Here is a look at some of the highlights from that pivotal third set.

Mount Vernon looked like they were just going to run away with things, jumping out with a 5-0 lead.

Not so fast, as we are ready to go here in the fourth set.

If I know anything about Mount Vernon and the research I've done on them, though, they're warriors, they are not going to back down, even though they trail two sets to one.

Their team mantra for the weekend, shine bright like a diamond.

Their team motto for the season, fight forward, stay present, get ready for the next point.

They won the title in 2019.

They're in it right now, just down a little bit.

>> They are in it, that's right.

Fight forward is such a great motto.

I love the stay present, get ready for the next point.

I'm sure that came up in their huddle in between sets three and four here.

Hey, put it behind us, stay present.

We have the opportunity in set four to now move forward.

>> Right side of your screen, celebrating, that's Western Christian, Mount Vernon in the light gray tops.

We should mention to people just tuning in, why is someone on either team wearing a different colored uniform, Beth?

>> Great question, Eric.

This position is called the libero, and it is a defensive specialist.

It's a defensive position.

They wear a different color because it helps with the scorers, the table crew, because they do not count as substitutions.

>> They're limited on the number of substitutions.

>> Exactly, but a libero does not count against your substitution count, so it's just easier to identify them for the crew.

And then, also, there's some rules around the libero position of when they can use their hands and have someone take it over.

So, again, the different colored Jersey helps the officials spot them on the floor as well during the play.

It's a great position, defensive oriented.

Really makes an impact for teams to have a quality back row player in their libero.

Last thing I'll mention is they can only serve once.

So they normally come in for the same position, we'll just say typically middles, when the middles go to the back.

But they can't serve for both middles.

They can only serve for one.

>> We want to educate on our broadcast, as we know not everyone understands all the rules of this awesome sport of volleyball.

3 of 3, right out of the gates.

Evenly matched, like we've seen all afternoon here for class 3A.

We've seen effort and hustle and hard plays like that all day long here on championship Thursday, from Extreme Arena.

That grabbed the sideline, as Meester has a big smile, knowing that she tricked her opponent there.

>> It was off on the timing, it was a standing-down ball.

But smiling is right, because she placed it so perfectly, catching the sideline.

Crosscourt there.

It counts as a kill.

>> An attack, and not the same intensity that we saw to close out that third set right now.

>> A little bit of jitters, maybe, trying to settle in to this fourth set.

That swing just got a little Underneath the ball.

Sailed wide.

>> Good placement on the sideline there for the points, and back to serve will be Brea Van Kley, the senior setter.

So special, as she had 428 assists during the regular season, 76 digs.

And how about that play?

Fighting away to get points any way possible.

Wolfpack, the bench, locked in.

Another nice serve.

Give and go to the back row attack.

Beautiful up.

Over pass.

It's down for a point.

You don't have to bump, set, spike every time.

If you want to return it on the first point of contact, go right ahead.

She did just that.

>> I thought for sure someone was going to back up and pass it.

But, no, aggressive from Winterfeld, and I think that was the right idea.

>> Ball was last touched, Meester gets the kill.

We're tied at 6-6.

A reminder of what happened last year at the 2022 state volleyball, the Knights of Davenport assumption won its first State Volleyball Championship in school history, defeating Sioux center in three sets.

Maggie Johnson and Schurbon were named the all-tournament team.

So neither of the teams that competed for the class 3A title last year are here right now.

But one team who had that championship experience is, as Western Christian last year was number two in class 2A.

They upset number one and two-time defending champions 3-2 in a back-and-forth championship match.

7-7 here in the fourth set.

Attack error.

Meester with 21 kills, early stages of this fourth set.

>> That's a lot of kills.

A lot of attempts.

She has high production for the Mustangs.

Swinging in the back row, staying in front.

Powerful.

Has a really great cut shot.

Unfortunately, an error on the last one.

We'll see if the Mustangs can get the out of system point.

>> Wolfpack sends it over.

Going to be tight to the net.

Joust.

Down for the point.

Timing is everything.

Great play.

>> Nice job there going up, staying clean.

Just wiping it straight down to the corner there.

Across the net.

Good job in the front row.

>> According to our stats, only played in 17 sets in the regular season as a sophomore, but comes in and makes the big play, and now leading by three, first time-out here in the fourth set.

It's going to be taken by Mount Vernon.

Let's see what they have to say with head coach Maggie Willems.

>> We've got to play to win right here.

I feel like we just don't have all of you right now.

You're at, like, 80%.

This is a match for a state title.

Let go of mistakes.

We've worked on this all year.

Focus, refocus.

This point, this is an absolutely winnable match.

Come on, come on back!

Let's go!

>> Trying to fire up her squad.

Saying, hey, we've got to do it now if we want to go.

Now is the time.

And, also, reminding them that, hey, we've practiced, we've been in these situations before.

This isn't something new.

Don't be surprised and stunned.

Go out there and fight.

Wanting to get her squad riled back up.

She mentioned, hey, I think we're only at 80%.

You've got to be 100% for a state championship.

>> You can win a lot of regular season matches being at 80% when you have the weapons that Mount Vernon does.

But 80% is not going to get you a state championship.

>> Exactly.

>> Chloe Meester, the top hitter in class 3A, averaging 5.2 kills her set.

They're going to lean on her.

Look at how Western Christian, the Wolfpack, are playing.

We've seen plays like this all afternoon, going right down the line for the point.

Their largest lead of this fourth set, leading by four, in a must-win scenario.

That one is in.

>> Strong swing down the line.

We've seen Meester tip and push down the line.

But not a lot of power swings, like that shot.

So really good vision and execution to put it exactly where she wanted and needed to.

>> One of the daughters of NFL great Brad Meester, UNI all-American football player.

12-8, you see the ball.

I love the coloring of the ball.

You have the black, you have the pink, you have the white.

One of the reasons why is to make it easier on the officials to see the rotations.

But starting to pull away.

Starting to get a little separation, Western Christian.

They can sense it, and I think Mount Vernon can as well.

And that's why they used their second and final time-out, trailing by five.

Let's see what Western Christian has to see with legendary head coach Tammi Veerbeek.

>> Meester is in the back row.

We go now.

Widen the gap so they cannot get back in.

Widen it.

First contact has to be good, we're covering, we're believing in our teammates.

Doing all the little things right.

Let's go!

Left front, play defense.

Team, one, two, three!

>> Step on the accelerator.

Step on the gas, and keep pulling away.

Leading 13-8.

>> She said, we go now.

Create that margin.

Make Mount Vernon think that they can't come back.

>> So Mount Vernon defeated Wallert Catholic and assumption to get to this championship match.

Another point.

Western Christian, they defeated Center Point Urbana to get to this title.

Good textbook blocking for the Wolfpack.

High up into the rafters here.

Free ball.

Setters dump.

You haven't seen that often here in this 3A championship match.

Hitting error.

That's what Mount Vernon needs.

Looking to capitalize on a miscue and string some points together.

Here comes the freshman in to serve, Schweer.

Well, Western Christian has a lot of losses this year, compared to a normal year for them.

But they're playing teams from the state of Nebraska, teams from the state of South Dakota, Indianola who just played, Cherokee.

Talk about battle tested, Beth.

>> A variety of opponents is right.

And now in the state tournament is when you see the fruits of what you put in front of your team all season.

And that's coming true for Western Christian.

In a normal year, you're right, 13 losses, probably wouldn't see it.

But that's okay, because you learn so much from a loss.

Some coaches are going to tell you, hey, we learned more in a loss than we did going undefeated all weekend.

>> It exposes your weaknesses and what you need to work on.

I would rather be working on it in August or September, early October, than when it matters most here early November on championship Thursday.

>> Exactly.

You want to play your best volleyball at the end of the season.

So put those challenges in front of your team, create opportunities for them to grow, and then it all comes together for the regional play and state tournament time.

>> Ball hit out of bounds, a rare attack air, and now just four points between these two.

Early on, we talked about the keys to the match for Western Christian.

Are they executing what you thought they needed to do?

>> So far, absolutely.

Applying pressure, we talked about having the Wolfpack apply pressure by serving tough, wanting to force Mount Vernon out of system, and they've done that.

They've slowed down their offense at times.

Then we talked about being small but mighty, being in 3A for the first time this year, smaller 3A school, but not afraid of the new opponents coming up from 2A.

They're giving a mighty fight this afternoon.

>> I would agree with that.

The video on your screen doesn't lie, does it?

There's sure a lot of fight out of Mount Vernon here, the number one seed, the number one team all year long.

For the kill.

The sophomore with the kill.

It's a five-point advantage, in the driver's seat.

Here is Western Christian, leading two sets to one.

>> Mount Vernon unable to get a block up on that play, so an open net for the Wolfpack to swing away in the middle.

Same thing here, on the next point, an over pass, unfortunately.

But the Wolfpack ready in the middle, just putting it away.

>> Great serve by the libero.

Blocked, out of wounds.

Last touched by the Wolfpack.

Liked the attack there by Ellyson, the senior, who has had a great year.

Hitting .230.

She'll grab the volleyball and serve it up here.

Tip.

That tip kind of threw everybody off.

They weren't expecting it.

The defense was playing pretty far back, expecting a hard hit.

>> Playing far back, on their heels, like you said.

Dug in, waiting for the strong attack we've seen so often from Western Christian.

A tip over, catches them off guard.

Great shot.

19-12.

Meester has 22 kills for Mount Vernon.

She's been held in check here in this fourth set.

>> Mount Vernon looking to get a good pass.

We just said Western Christian is really applying pressure.

Mount Vernon is out of system a lot, not able to get their hitters in the locations that they want to.

So credit to Western Christian, serving tough, putting pressure on them.

>> Western Christian won the first set 25-22, dropped the second set 23-25, won the third.

Now looking real strong here, up 20-12.

Meester with the kill.

A reminder, she has committed to play volleyball at Louisville.

You'll see another Louisville commit playing in the next championship match, one of the Peterson twins in class 2A.

>> Louisville is currently number 3 NCAA Division 1.

Runner-up last year, currently number three.

A fantastic volleyball program.

>> And what I have seen out of Peterson and Meester is they'll probably stay top five in the nation DI.

>> They're going to develop so much in their college years.

I'm excited to continue following them as they play volleyball for Louisville.

A lot of growth on the court, and then as a student off the court as well.

Some big years ahead.

>> Coach looking on.

28th year of coaching, 25 of those taking place here at Western Christian.

She's amassed 1,119 career victories, 23rd consecutive year Western Christian has made it to state.

Wolfpack trying to get just four more points, as they lead here by six.

Mustangs off the block.

Calm, nice return.

Tip.

Quick set, middle.

Most teams usually shut that down.

And the attack, another long rally with incredible plays on both side of the net.

And it has to be hard, because all year long you're playing teams where normally a lot of these plays result in a point right away.

>> Right.

>> Now it's getting returned.

>> Having longer rallies because your normal shots aren't working.

But the persistence to stick with it, stay calm, don't get frustrated, keep swinging and being aggressive is what's carrying these players today.

>> Again, these two coaches, 28 years and 13 years of coaching, developing young female student-athletes.

Six-point advantage for Western Christian.

It's a must-win scenario for Mount Vernon here.

Ball goes out of bounds, but it was touched at the net.

Last touched by the Mustangs.

And it really feels like it's destiny now that Western Christian is going to win this thing.

>> They are on a role.

They're playing well.

They are hustling.

Both sides of the court.

You see these players chasing balls down, running all over, putting their bodies on the line, diving.

I love the hustle and the effort.

>> One of the smaller 3A schools in the State of Iowa is on the brink, as its match point of winning the class 3A title.

Play to win.

Don't play to lose.

Their motto.

They've played like that all afternoon here against a great Mount Vernon Mustang team.

Contact called, two contacts against Western Christian.

They'll still have match point opportunity.

>> For Western Christian, wanting to get a quality pass, run their offense.

They would love to get it first time here.

>> There's the pass.

It's tight to the net.

Hard play to over pass it.

Two straight points by Mount Vernon.

They dug themselves a hole.

There's no room for error.

They're getting back into this thing.

Time-out.

Let's go inside that Mount Vernon huddle.

>> We're going to make sure we get a read, blockers, we're going to work really hard on timing and crossing across the net here.

Play to win.

Play to win.

Let's go.

>> We talked about this in the open, just the atmosphere in here.

Fans have made their way in for the 2A matchup.

It was slated to start at 4:45.

My guess, it will be closer to 5:00, depending on what happens here.

But we'll have the class 2 A championship match.

Iowa PBS from Extreme Arena.

It is match point.

The attack goes down, and your class 3A 2023 state champions are Western Christian.

What a performance.

There you see how the last couple of hours have unwinded, as Western Christian won all but the second set.

Gritty effort out of Mount Vernon, who ends their year 35 wins, 5 losses, conference champs, and state runner-up.

It's hard to end your season with a loss, but an outstanding year for Mount Vernon.

>> Hard fought from both sides of the net.

Both seems got down at certain points.

They fought back to get in it.

Credit to Western Christian, pulling ahead.

Last year 2A champs, this year 3A champs.

Incredible accomplishment.

>> We'll have the presentation of the trophies and the all-tournament team coming up in a minute or so.

>> Russ Adams, Zach Clark, Jennifer Donalds.

Presenting awards for the all-tournament team, representing the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Here is your all-tournament team for 2023, from Western Christian, Keana Wynja.

From Mount Vernon, Sydney Huber.

From union, Sydney Smucker.

From Assumption Catholic.

From Western Christian, Shana Van Dyken.

From Western Christian, Haley Wielenga.

And your class 3A all-tournament team captain, from Mount Vernon, Chloe Meester.

>> What an all-tournament team there, as Van Dyken ends with 20 kills, Meester with 25.

You also see Western Christian's libero, Haley Wielenga, the senior who was spectacular.

And it's always a special treat to give individual honors as well as team awards after teach championship.

They pose for the photo.

Next up, we'll have state runner-up and state championship team trophies awarded, as we go back to Tim Fitzpatrick.

>> The award for the 3A championship match, presenting the award is Taylor Anderson of the Iowa girls' high school athletic union.

This year of the championship match, from Western Christian, Shana Van Dyken.

>> Top producer.

>> Introducing your class 3A runner-up, the Mustangs of Mount Vernon, and head coach Maggie Willems.

And Wolfpack, will you please complete the class 3A bracket?

Your 2023 class 3A champions, coach Tammi Veerbeek, and the Wolfpack from Western Christian.

[ Cheers and Applause ] >> 19 times, Western Christian has won a state volleyball title.

Congratulations.

They're your class 3A champions.

Final thoughts here, Beth?

>> We saw a lot of fire power from Mount Vernon, but congrats to Western Christian.

They have a gritty effort, such determination to win this 3A championship.

>> Northwest is your 5A champion.

Now Western Christian celebrates with the student section, as they bumped up from 2A to 3A.

It didn't matter, they still win the title.

That will do it for the 3A match, as you look back at some of the highlights.

We'll take a short intermission, and be back for the DUEL of the class 2A championship match.

This is Iowa high school volleyball here on Iowa PBS.

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