Grundy Center Edges Aplington-Parkersburg in State Quarterfinal

Grundy Center rallied to win a five-set Class 2A state volleyball quarterfinal over Aplington-Parkersburg at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Volleyball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a volleyball player in red and white leaping to spike over the net in a brightly lit arena. — Grundy Center rallied to beat Aplington-Parkersburg 3-2 in the Class 2A state volleyball quarterfinal Tuesday in Coralville, winning the fifth set 15-10. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Grundy Center defeated Aplington-Parkersburg 3-2 in the Class 2A state volleyball quarterfinal on Tuesday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. Grundy Center won the decisive fifth set 15-10 after Ryanne Brubaker returned from stomach distress and delivered the winning kill.

Why it matters

The win advances the No. 2-seeded Grundy Center team, which finished the season at 38-7, in the Iowa Class 2A state tournament. The result also ended a matchup in which Grundy Center had swept both regular-season meetings with Aplington-Parkersburg.

Brubaker recorded 17 kills and 10 blocks, while Jenna Blythe added 14 kills for Grundy Center and Adri Allen recorded 18 kills for Aplington-Parkersburg. Grundy Center finished the season at 38-7 against Aplington-Parkersburg's 26-11, and the five-set match ended with a 15-10 deciding set; the status of later rounds has not been reported.

The players

Ryanne Brubaker

Brubaker is a Grundy Center volleyball player whose 17 kills and 10 blocks were central to the team's quarterfinal win.

Aplington-Parkersburg

Aplington-Parkersburg is a Class 2A Iowa high school volleyball program that entered the state quarterfinal as the No. 8 seed.

The details

Brubaker left the court with stomach distress and returned after a timeout, then delivered the winning kill in the fifth set. Jenzen Klooster added 16 kills for Aplington-Parkersburg, which had been seeded No. 8 entering the match.

Tuesday: Class 2A state quarterfinal played at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

Season Trajectory

Grundy Center had swept both regular-season matches against Aplington-Parkersburg before this state meeting, so the five-set result marks a far more competitive rematch than the earlier sets suggested. The outcome shapes the late-season path for both programs in the Class 2A bracket.

Grundy Center's win keeps its state tournament run alive, and Brubaker's 17 kills and 10 blocks are the kind of stat line fantasy and recruiting watchers track closely. Anyone following the Class 2A bracket should watch for the next round's pairing to see how the path opens up.

The takeaway

Grundy Center's comeback from a 2-1 deficit to win the fifth set shows how a single key player's return can swing a close state match. Readers following Iowa high school volleyball should track how the bracket resolves over the coming rounds.