Johnston Team Volleyball Exceeding Expectations

At the start of the season, the was just a young team coming off a so-so 2010 campaign, and was seen as likely to do the same in 2011.

The girls lost their first match of the season to Class 3A's Pella Christian, but they then had a string of five-straight wins and now find themselves ranked 13th in the state.

"We should be ranked," said senior Claire Westemeyer. "I think we're a good team. I'd rather be underestimated than overestimated. I was fine not being ranked early in the season. These young girls have the attitude and talent, I knew they'd step up."

Senior Sam Philiph knew that her Dragons would turn some heads this season. She says the trend should continue.

"It's one of those seasons where we're going to come in, beat some people unexpectedly, like we did Southeast Polk, we're just going to continue and try to do that."

If the Dragons are to continue their winning ways, it will be against some stiff competition. They play in undoubtedly the toughest conference in the state. Five of the six teams in the Iowa Conference are ranked in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's top 15.

"The strength of our season is yet to come," said head coach Richard Brooks. "We face a lot of real difficult competition both during the week and on Saturday. So we're looking forward to that and to see where we can get to."

Brooks said the Dragons top-15 ranking and the success has been great. But having the team play its best at the end is what's most important to him.

"We want to try and hit our stride at the end of the year," Brooks said. "That's what everyone wants to do, and we feel that we have the potential to beat anyone on any given day. We want to try and do that three times in a row at the end of the year, make the state tournament and see what we can do from there."

Not many matches remain on the regular season schedule for the Dragons. Remaining are Cedar Rapids Prairie, Indianola, the Johnston Invitational (which includes 15 teams) and then .

Last season Dowling Catholic defeated the Dragons in three sets on Johnston's senior night. That has not sat well with the returning Dragons.

"We definitiely want to qualify for state, that's a big goal, especially among the seniors," Philiph said. "And our biggest goal from the very beggining was to get Dowling. They took us in three sets on our own senior night last year, so we want to get them in three on their senior night this year."

The Dragons end their regular season on Oct. 18 at Dowling Catholic.