Iowa City Liberty volleyball sweeps three opponents to claim Mississippi Valley Conference title

Before the Iowa City Liberty Lightning begin their quest for a first state volleyball championship, they had another trophy they had to obtain.

On Tuesday, Liberty hosted Cedar Rapids Xavier, Western Dubuque and Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the championship pool of the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament.

Winners of the tournament a season ago, the Lightning repeated as conference champions after sweeping the competition: vs. Xavier: 2-0 (25-23, 25-23), vs. Kennedy: 2-0 (25-9, 25-22), and vs. Western Dubuque: 2-0 (25-20, 25-11).

Here are just some of the reasons why those impressive wins set Liberty up well for postseason play.

There is truly no better teacher than experience

Facing three of the best teams in the conference in quick succession can be a daunting task, especially coming off a strenuous regular season.

But the Lightning were ready for the challenge after going through the same experience a year ago.

"I remember as a freshman I would always get really nervous for games like this," senior Shelby Kimm said. "Now, I feel like I am more relaxed."

At several points of the night, Liberty's familiarity with the event was on full display, as the athletes managed to keep their composure even when things did not go as planned.

That ability to keep their cool has done wonders for them, especially in the latter part of the season when the games matter the most.

When in doubt, Liberty can always count on Cassidy Hartman

It is no secret that the Lightning are never devoid of talent. It seems that every season, they have a handful of stars who earn them meaningful victories throughout the year.

However, few shine brighter than senior Cassidy Hartman, the leader in kills for not just Liberty, but for all Class 5A players.

As important as the number of kills she accumulates is, the same can be said for when she gets them.

She took over in the team's first set against Western Dubuque, which Liberty trailed for long stretches.

Facing an 18-15 deficit, Hartman scored seven of the Lightning's final 10 points, including the set-winning ace.

Knowing the faith that her teammates and coaches have in her in key moments, Hartman said she just wants to play as well as she can for them.

"It feels good that the team can trust me when they need points," Hartman said. "I like that they give me the ball to help put the game away. So, I hope to do my best for them."

As one of the most reliable players in the state, do not be surprised to see her take on an even larger load when the Lightning play with their season on the line.

Now is when the real work begins

While Liberty will take time to enjoy another conference title, the team knows it still has bigger goals to accomplish.

Reaching the state tournament in each of the last three seasons, the Lightning hope that this will be the year they can finally get over the hump.

In order for that to happen, Kimm said they have to embrace the challenge.

"We have to take things point by point, set by set, and game by game," Kimm said. "We will go into these games knowing that we have to work for it, which is OK because we are up for the challenge. We know that there is a target on our backs, but we are ready for that."

Knowing that her team is capable of making a title run, Liberty coach Allie Kelly said it is all about staying focused.

"I think the team has a chip on their shoulders this year," Kelly said. "They know how much hard work, and even luck it takes to win. Like Shelby said, we know that every point matters, we have to stay locked in."

The Lightning will have the opportunity to knock the chip off next week when they start their playoff run against the winner between Cedar Rapids Washington and Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Oct. 20.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City Liberty repeats as conference volleyball champions