No. 4 AGWSR

CLASS: 1A

RECORD: 35-4

STATE HISTORY: First trip.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: No. 11 Schaller-Crestland (27-7)

TOURNAMENT OPENER: 2:15 p.m. Thursday

HOW THEY GOT HERE: The Cougars rolled past Don Bosco in four sets in the regional finals. AGWSR wasn't on the court longer than 45 minutes for a match prior to that as it swept its three previous tournament opponents. Schaller-Crestland won its first three postseason matches in straight sets before going four sets to defeat Southern Cal.

STATISTICAL LEADERS: Macy Ubben 362 kills (3.6 kps), 374 digs (3.7 dps), 57 blocks (0.6 bps), 76 aces (0.8 aps); Cassidy Ringena 210 kills (2.1 kps); Kelsey Enslin 822 set assists (8.2 aps); Enslin 92.2 percent serving: Ubben .403 hitting efficiency.

QUICK FACT: AGWSR dropped from Class 2A to 1A this season. The No. 4-rated Cougars are the highest rated team left in Class 1A.

QUOTING HEAD COACH ADAM BOSCH:

"The level of focus for our team has been unreal since the start of the postseason. With the amount of weapons we have offensively, we have the luxury of being able to get everyone involved. If someone happens to have an off night, at least two other hitters have stepped up to help carry us."

APLINGTON-PARKERSBURG FALCONS

CLASS: 2A

RECORD: 24-13

STATE HISTORY: This will be the Falcons' seventh state appearance and fifth in the last six years.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: No. 5 Kuemper Catholic, Carroll (27-2)

TOURNAMENT OPENER: 7:15 p.m. Thursday

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Aplington-Parkersburg overcame a two-set deficit to defeat No. 6-rated Lake Mills in the regional finals. Prior to that, the Falcons earned four-set wins over West Fork and ninth-rated Starmont after sweeping Denver. Kuemper Catholic swept its way through the regional tournament and defeated Woodward-Granger in the finals.

STATISTICAL LEADERS: Chelsea Poppens. 442 kills (4.4 kps), 281 digs (2.8 dps), 190 blocks (1.9 bps), 64 aces (0.6 aps); Nicole Hippen (130 kills, 1.3 kps); Ashley Dohlman 470 set assists (9.0 aps); Marina Kannegieter 96.3 percent serving; Poppens .390 hitting efficiency.

QUICK FACT: The Falcons defeated first-round opponent Kuemper Catholic in five sets in last year's regional finals.

QUOTING HEAD COACH BRADI JOHNSON:

"I think we're right where we need to be. We need to do everything that we can to polish up our game. We have to be able to adjust quickly to every team we play. I personally think the team that comes out Saturday night with that championship trophy is the team that can stay focused for the longest amount of time and adjust well to any type of game."

No. 2 DIKE-NEW HARTFORD

CLASS: 2A

RECORD: 36-4

STATE HISTORY: Dike and Dike-New Hartford have made a total of 19 trips to state. The school has won two of its seven state titles since consolidation.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: Waterloo Columbus

TOURNAMENT OPENER: 7:15 p.m. Thursday

HOW THEY GOT HERE: After defeating Gladbrook-Reinbeck in four sets, Dike-New Hartford swept Hudson, Grundy Center and Iowa City Regina. Columbus opened with sweeps of North Linn and Jesup before rallying from 2-0 to defeat Cascade in five and downing Durant in four sets.

STATISTICAL LEADERS: Hannah Willms 435 kills (4.3 kps); Emily Merfeld 299 digs (2.9 dps); Heather Rekers 96 blocks (0.9 bps); Ashley Beninga 68 aces (0.7 aps); Jenny Willms 874 set assists (8.6 aps); Brooke Becker 96.8 percent serving; H. Willms .374 hitting efficiency.

QUICK FACT: All four of Dike-New Hartford's losses have come to state qualifiers. They include Ankeny and Cedar Rapids Kennedy in Class 4A, Marion in 3A and AGWSR in 1A.

QUOTING HEAD COACH DIANE HARMS:

On Waterloo Columbus: "They have a lot of experience. It's their fifth trip down there in five years. They've been in that environment and they know what it takes. They're going to have that on their side where some of our kids have that experience and some of our kids haven't been there before.

"We're going to have to make sure we work through our nerves and come out and play the way we're capable of playing. If we do that, I think we're going to have a good chance with Columbus. It's just going to come down to how well we execute that night."

TRIPOLI

CLASS: 1A

RECORD: 24-11

STATE HISTORY: Tripoli is a tradition-rich program that has been to state nine times with six titles. The Panthers were defeated by eventual champion Wapsie Valley in the first round of last year's state tournament.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: Kingsley-Pierson

TOURNAMENT OPENER: 2:15 p.m. Thursday

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Tripoli avenged last year's state loss to Wapsie Valley, knocking off the No. 1-rated team in an epic five-set regional semifinal battle. The Panthers swept their other three regional opponents. Kingsley-Pierson survived a five-set battle with Galva-Holstein in the second round and also swept its other three opponents.

STATISTICAL LEADERS: Megan Gilbert 251 kills (3.1 kps), 63 blocks (8.0 bps); Natalie Figanbaum 240 digs (2.6 dps), 53 aces (0.6 aps); Marissa Shinstine 610 set assists (6.6 aps); Gilbert 99.1 percent serving, .299 hitting efficiency.

QUICK FACT: The Panthers have plenty of youth with only one senior in their main rotation. Gilbert - the team's leading attacker - is a freshman.

QUOTING HEAD COACH WILL BAUMANN:

"The reason we've been able to do what we've done is that we've pulled together as a team. These girls have made some unusual bonds and nobody wants to see it come to an end. We're playing really, really well to make sure that it doesn't.

"In the state tournament, all bets are off. A lot of teams have seniors playing for the last time and a lot of different things happen. It's kind of a gut-check time and people pick it up."

WATERLOO COLUMBUS

CLASS: 2A

RECORD: 28-16

STATE HISTORY: All five of Columbus' state tournament appearances have come in the last five years.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: No. 2 Dike-New Hartford

TOURNAMENT OPENER: 7:15 p.m. Thursday

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Columbus opened with sweeps of North Linn and Jesup before rallying from two sets down to defeat Cascade and then beating Durant in four sets. After defeating Gladbrook-Reinbeck in four sets, Dike New Hartford swept Hudson, Grundy Center and Iowa City Regina.

STATISTICAL LEADERS: Rachel Schaefer 288 kills (2.6 kps), 254 digs (2.5 dps); Lauren Friedman 268 kills (2.7 kps), 95 blocks (1.0 bps); Katie Conway 672 set assists (7.1 aps); Michelle Schupbach 74 aces (0.7 aps); Kelsey Bernt 96.9 serving percentage, Schaefer .287 hitting efficiency.

QUICK FACT: Statistically, the Sailors are a balanced team. Columbus has five players contributing at least one kill per set. The Sailors' top three back row defenders are all within three digs of each other for the team lead, while Columbus' top three servers are within two aces of each other.

QUOTING HEAD COACH LAURA ROWEN:

On Dike-New Hartford: "I saw them play at our home tournament. I think it will be a good game. Our girls are going to come out hard and play. They seemed very pumped up already (Monday) in practice for Thursday night's game, which is good. Dike is obviously going to bring their 'A' game as well.

"If you play with heart through the whole entire tournament, you know you're going to win no matter what. The times you lose is when you walk off the court feeling like you didn't give it everything you have and you didn't play your best.

"I've told them through districts and regionals that every game could be their last, and they don't want to walk out of their last game feeling that they didn't play hard and they didn't play well. They've got to play with heart and give it everything they've got."

- Compiled by Sports Writer Nick Petaros