Western seeks 7th title in 8 years
Top-ranked Wolfpack faces arch-rival Unity at state
By Terry Hersom | Posted: Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Western Christian volleyball team races across the floor to collect their sixth state title in seven years at last year’s state tournament in Cedar Rapids. (Staff photo by Tim Hynds)
The slogan finally started showing up on t-shirts last summer.
It was high time, too.
After all, the enormously successful volleyball program at Hull Western Christian has promoted the same mantra for quite a few years now.
"Tradition never graduates.'' That's what Western's volleyball teams have been trained to believe.
And, that's what those teams just continue to keep proving, year after year.
Six times in the last seven years, Western Christian has reigned as Iowa's Class 2A state champion.
If not for an Aplington-Parkersburg team led by University of Iowa recruits Becky Walters and Megan Schipper -- squeezing past Western in a five-game 2005 title match -- Coach Tammi Veerbeek's program would have seven consecutive titles to their credit.
Now, a year after eight seniors led a 10-player rotation to one of Western's best seasons ever, the Wolfpack heads back to another state tournament as the favorite to win it all again.
Top-ranked Western begins that latest quest Thursday night (6 p.m.) at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, taking on 15th-ranked arch-rival Orange City Unity Christian.
Western and Unity, who've combined to win 14 state championships in the last 15 years, have met five times this season and Western has won them all.
Not bad when you return just one attacker and one back row performer from the first Iowa team ever to win 50 matches in a season.
Veerbeek's 2007 squad not only finished 50-2, they went 6-0 against Bishop Heelan's Class 3A state champs and won their only encounter with Johnston, which reigned as Iowa's 4A (largest schools) champion.
"We had a lot of talent that had to sit the bench last year,'' said Veerbeek. "We had a good group of juniors and most of them didn't get a lot of playing time. But those seniors from last year only made these girls better.
"Some people counted us out early in the year, but I think that motivated this group even more to prove they can play this game and they can play it very well.''
With outside hitter Brittany Landegent and libero Jenessa Schutte as the only returning regulars, Western has fashioned a 44-4 record, suffering all four of its losses to strong Class 4A rivals.
Ankeny, ranked No. 2 in the big class, tripped the Wolfpack twice at the Heelan Invitational on Oct. 18. They also lost twice Oct. 4 in the Urbandale Invitational, losing one match to Ames and another to top-ranked Johnston, the defending 4A champ.
"All four of those were best-of-three matches in Saturday tournaments,'' noted Veerbeek. "We haven't dropped a best-of-five.''
Landegent has a team-leading 372 kills after deferring last year to the senior attack that featured Kate Buyert, Brielle Moerman, Brandee Schaap and April Solsma.
"We've moved Brittany to the outside and she's just having an explosive year for us,'' said Veerbeek.
The coach is similarly effusive in her praise of Schutte, the libero.
"She's been dynamite on serve receive,'' said Veerbeek. "I hope she gets served to at state because she's the backbone of our back row.''
Western filled the middle hitter roles of Buyert and Solsma with seniors Steph Fykstra and Danae Geels, two of those juniors who had to wait their turn last season. Fykstra, whose aunt, Karmen, will be inducted into the state volleyball hall of fame on Saturday, has 281 kills and Geels has added 255.
Kim Elgersma, a 5-11 junior with 201 kills, is another valuable threat for Western, which has seen sophomore Kayla Gesink emerge as the setter, totaling 957 assists.
Gesink succeeded last year's Iowa Class 2A player of the year, Jessica DeStigter, who actually lives just across the street from her and dates Kayla's brother, Joel, the point guard who'll try to lead Western's boys basketball team to a third consecutive state title this winter.
"For a sophomore, Kayla is very knowledgeable,'' said Veerbeek. "She's going to be an oustanding setter for us.''
It was high time, too.
After all, the enormously successful volleyball program at Hull Western Christian has promoted the same mantra for quite a few years now.
"Tradition never graduates.'' That's what Western's volleyball teams have been trained to believe.
And, that's what those teams just continue to keep proving, year after year.
Six times in the last seven years, Western Christian has reigned as Iowa's Class 2A state champion.
If not for an Aplington-Parkersburg team led by University of Iowa recruits Becky Walters and Megan Schipper -- squeezing past Western in a five-game 2005 title match -- Coach Tammi Veerbeek's program would have seven consecutive titles to their credit.
Now, a year after eight seniors led a 10-player rotation to one of Western's best seasons ever, the Wolfpack heads back to another state tournament as the favorite to win it all again.
Top-ranked Western begins that latest quest Thursday night (6 p.m.) at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, taking on 15th-ranked arch-rival Orange City Unity Christian.
Western and Unity, who've combined to win 14 state championships in the last 15 years, have met five times this season and Western has won them all.
Not bad when you return just one attacker and one back row performer from the first Iowa team ever to win 50 matches in a season.
Veerbeek's 2007 squad not only finished 50-2, they went 6-0 against Bishop Heelan's Class 3A state champs and won their only encounter with Johnston, which reigned as Iowa's 4A (largest schools) champion.
"We had a lot of talent that had to sit the bench last year,'' said Veerbeek. "We had a good group of juniors and most of them didn't get a lot of playing time. But those seniors from last year only made these girls better.
"Some people counted us out early in the year, but I think that motivated this group even more to prove they can play this game and they can play it very well.''
With outside hitter Brittany Landegent and libero Jenessa Schutte as the only returning regulars, Western has fashioned a 44-4 record, suffering all four of its losses to strong Class 4A rivals.
Ankeny, ranked No. 2 in the big class, tripped the Wolfpack twice at the Heelan Invitational on Oct. 18. They also lost twice Oct. 4 in the Urbandale Invitational, losing one match to Ames and another to top-ranked Johnston, the defending 4A champ.
"All four of those were best-of-three matches in Saturday tournaments,'' noted Veerbeek. "We haven't dropped a best-of-five.''
Landegent has a team-leading 372 kills after deferring last year to the senior attack that featured Kate Buyert, Brielle Moerman, Brandee Schaap and April Solsma.
"We've moved Brittany to the outside and she's just having an explosive year for us,'' said Veerbeek.
The coach is similarly effusive in her praise of Schutte, the libero.
"She's been dynamite on serve receive,'' said Veerbeek. "I hope she gets served to at state because she's the backbone of our back row.''
Western filled the middle hitter roles of Buyert and Solsma with seniors Steph Fykstra and Danae Geels, two of those juniors who had to wait their turn last season. Fykstra, whose aunt, Karmen, will be inducted into the state volleyball hall of fame on Saturday, has 281 kills and Geels has added 255.
Kim Elgersma, a 5-11 junior with 201 kills, is another valuable threat for Western, which has seen sophomore Kayla Gesink emerge as the setter, totaling 957 assists.
Gesink succeeded last year's Iowa Class 2A player of the year, Jessica DeStigter, who actually lives just across the street from her and dates Kayla's brother, Joel, the point guard who'll try to lead Western's boys basketball team to a third consecutive state title this winter.
"For a sophomore, Kayla is very knowledgeable,'' said Veerbeek. "She's going to be an oustanding setter for us.''
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