For the first time since 2021 and the 15th time in school history, Gehlen Catholic volleyball is a state tournament qualifier after beating No. 9 Cedar Ridge Christian in four sets in Fort Dodge on Wednesday.
Gehlen Catholic has a rich history of qualifying for the state tournament when many of these players were younger and still learning the sport. Addi Castle says it is great to be a part of a state tournament team after watching teams before her get to experience it.
The Jays were not world beaters out of the gate this season. They opened the year 1-3 at the Sheldon Tournament and started War Eagle Conference play with a split of a triangular. Kora Bonderson says after a shaky 2-4 start to the season, she was not sure if this was even a possibility.
Halle Walgenbach says adjustments early in the season paid off down the stretch.
Head coach Jessie Bohnenkamp says those adjustments meant a revamp of the offensive scheme.
In the game, both the Jays and the Regents had to struggle through some low points in the first two sets. Gehlen came out on top in the first by the score of 25-22 while Cedar Ridge Christian took the second 25-16. Coach Bohnenkamp says it took some trial and error to figure out what would work best throughout the rest of the match.
Kenadee Sitzmann’s offense was a big factor early on with the Jays using it to build some momentum. She finished with a team-high 13 kills and says the work she put in during the early portion of the season is paying off down the stretch.
After losing the second set, Walgenbach says her teammates were motivated to prove that was not going to happen again.
Coach Bohnenkamp says experience with some tough sets and stretches helped pay off in the final two sets.
With a strong block from Cedar Ridge Christian, the Jays were able to utilize many different attacking strategies to record points. Bonderson says she took advantage of some tip opportunities that came in handy late in the match.
The offense was also able to get into a rhythm late with some steady play from young setter Kennedy Konz who had 27 assists on the night. Coach Bohnenkamp says Konz provided a calm demeanor which paid off throughout the match.
The Jays raced out to leads in both the third and fourth sets, and Castle says that was thanks to the coaching staff preparing the team well to handle tough times.
The Jays won the third and fourth sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-14 to advance to the state tournament. The moment was made sweeter for Sitzmann after the fact considering she did not see this as a reality early in the season.
Coach Bohnenkamp was a senior on Mike Meyer’s first team to go to state at Gehlen Catholic in 2009. It was just the third time the school had gone to state at the time. She says there was more pressure in 2009 as a player than there is now in 2026 because she has confidence in knowing what her team is capable of from the bench.
The Jays will enter the state tournament as the No. 7 seed in Class 1A. That means they will have an uphill climb towards a long run in the state tournament. Castle says trust will be a big factor in preparation for the state tournament.
Speaking from her own playing experience, coach Bohnenkamp says this is only the beginning of some of the high stakes they will experience at state.
Gehlen Catholic will open state tournament play on Tuesday, November 3 at 6:35 PM with a match against No. 2 Boyden-Hull. KLEM Radio will broadcast the match live with coverage scheduled to begin at 6:20 PM.
