Prospect profile: Phyona Schrader
She may be a 10th-grader, but she sure doesn’t play like one. Ankeny’s Phyona Schrader — the top-ranked player in the Iowa class of 2021 — has taken another step forward this year as a force behind the No. 6…
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Continue ReadingShe may be a 10th-grader, but she sure doesn’t play like one.
Ankeny’s Phyona Schrader — the top-ranked player in the Iowa class of 2021 — has taken another step forward this year as a force behind the No. 6 Hawkettes’ success this year. And on Monday, the sophomore led Ankeny to a state tournament berth.
“It’s so exciting. I think we connected really well,” Schrader said after the Hawkettes swept Ames to win the regional final.
Last year, Schrader led Ankeny with 237 kills, but split the setting duties. This year, her kills have dipped a bit, because as the team’s primary setter, she’s accumulated an impressive 756 assists.
Schrader has great touch with the ball and is content to pass to any available option with terrific accuracy, often leaving defenses exposed, especially considering Ankeny has gifted hitters.
However, she can also notch kills herself on second-hits, either on dumps, or just sneaky attacks. When she does it at the right time, it’s ridiculously effective.
“I try to space it out,” she said of her attack attempts. “Where I’m not doing one after another, so I kind of trick up the middle. And also I can only do it when I’m tight. The tighter I am, the harder down I can hit. I usually wait when it’s like a really tight ball.”
With a powerful, running jump-serve, she’s also managed 33 aces this season. She’s added 228 digs and 48 blocks this year, too.
An early Notre Dame commit, Schrader is looking forward to her time in South Bend, starting in 2021.
“I’m so excited. Our recruiting class, I think, is going to be really good. We have some girls that were (a part of) the USA team,” she said. “And Mike (Johnson), our coach, is doing a great job. They’ve improved so much.”
Schrader is a truly powerful force. As a 6-foot-1, skilled lefty, she is a special prospect. As she continues with Ankeny, and as a member of Premier Nebraska, she’s working on her game.
“Right now, I’m really focusing on staying neutral and keeping my hands in front of me when I backset, so I keep the middle and the other side neutral,” she said of what she’s focused on now.