Hard-Working Dowling Catholic Volleyball Team Ranked Fifth

The hard-working volleyball team is currently ranked fifth in the state, according to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Association's weekly rankings. 

Third-year head coach Mary Beth Wiskus said the high ranking is more a token of recognition than anything else.

"I think the ranking is more of a congrats, just to recognize that we're doing really well," Wiskus said. "The rankings are just rankings. It's a matter of us getting better day in and day out so we can be playing our best at the end of the season."

The team would like to be playing its best here in the final month of the season, however the Maroons have already played well enough to tally an impressive resume of wins.

Fourth-ranked was the only barrier between the Maroons and a state tournament birth last season. On Sept. 20, Dowling got its revenge and defeated the J-Hawks in five sets.

"Beating Urbandale, who's a long-time rival, and who took us out of the state qualifier last year, was great," said junior Anne Buscher. "Also beating Cedar Rapids Kennedy was probably the most exciting and the most uplifting thing this team could've done."

There are still plenty of matches to be played as the regular season winds down, including two Saturday invitationals at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and the other at . Also, Tuesday matches against sixth-ranked Southeast Polk and 13th ranked Johnston.

Johnston, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, , and Dowling are all ranked in the top 15, which makes the CIML Central Conference easily the toughest in the state. Wiskus said it's a challenge the team embraces.

"I think it's the best situation for us," Wiskus said. "The better teams you play during the regular season, the better off you'll be in the postseason, and that's what our goal is. So yeah, we definitely can't slough off on Tuesday nights."

The Maroons will represent the Central Conference in region four at the class 4A regional volleyball tournament. A region that, on paper, looks favorable for the girls.

Des Moines Lincoln, Marshalltown, Boone, Mason City and Cedar Falls round out region four. Cedar Falls is the only other ranked opponent in the bunch.

"We need to be playing our best at the end of the season when regionals come around," Wiskus said. "Cedar Falls is probably the team we'll be looking at, they're a really strong team. I think if we focus on ourselves and push ourselves to be better, then at the end of the day the girls will be happy with where they're at."

If the Maroons get past the winner of the Lincoln and Marshalltown game, they will play a regional final Nov. 2 against either Cedar Falls Boone or Mason City to go to state.

"We're going to get to state this year," said Buscher. "Nothing is going to stop us."

The Maroons will next be in action on Tuesday at Southeast Polk, at 7:30 p.m.