On Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, the Liberty Volleyball Team brought home their first state title in school history. The Lightning defeated the defending state champions, the Pleasant Valley Spartans in four sets to win the championship. Going into the tournament, Liberty was ranked #1 in the 5A bracket, with a record of 33-8. Throughout the season, the Lightning put in countless hours of hard work behind the scenes to make it to the state championship.

“The season starts in the summer… They work hard lifting and practicing all summer, we practice all fall and work 6, 7 days a week… It’s a long process, more than just the last couple of weeks,” says Allie Kelly, Head Coach of the Liberty Volleyball Team, “The girls have worked hard all season and to see them get back [to state] one more time… it’s always really special.”
The team experienced many highs and lows to become state champions.
“We worked through a lot of adversity and we really just got to the point where we all were ready to win,” Lilah VanScoyoc, 12.
Despite the challenges, the Lightning remained driven and focused.
“Our team stays focused under pressure by focusing on one point at a time. This helps us not look too far ahead and think about things. [It] also helps us give our all during the whole game,” says Cassidy Hartman, 12.
Liberty’s run at the state tournament began with the Lightning defeating eighth-ranked Urbandale in the quarterfinals on Oct. 31, followed by a victory over fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial in the semifinals on Nov. 2. For the first time ever, the tournament was hosted in Coralville, at the Xtream Arena, where over 700 Liberty students showed up to support their school.

“The student section brought a lot of energy and it was just crazy to look up at the stands and see that much of a community was supporting us,” says Shelby Kimm, 12.
The team got encouragement and support not only from the Liberty student section but also from each other.
“I think we just bounce off of each other, it’s just very good energy, very uplifting, which, I think, helps us be successful,” Gracie Hennings, 11.

The volleyball team’s success at the state tournament did not stop at winning the title. Liberty had two members of the team, Cassidy Hartman and Shelby Kimm named to the All-Tournament Team. Kimm was also the Iowa Pork Producer top producer of the match and Hartman was named All-Tournament Team captain.

“Being All-Tournament Team captain means a lot to me. It is a dream come true for my younger self,” states Hartman.
Coach Kelly hopes that the success of the volleyball team will carry over to other events and activities.
“I think that the Liberty community is ready for all of our activities to take off and to be dominant, so hopefully this can spark something,” Kelly states.

The Liberty Volleyball Team, along with the Liberty community are happy for the victory at state and excited for the future of the program.
“I am thankful, I am proud. I know that it’s a huge deal for our girls and I’m really happy, especially for our seniors, that all of their work getting this program to where it is, is acknowledged and recognized in this way,” says Kelly.

Gallery • 10 Photos

Dani Petersen

Shelby Kimm, 12, looks into the crowd of Xtreme Arena after scoring a point.