Senior Setters Set To Shine In 2019
Photo Credit (The Gazette) A Senior led team in volleyball is a huge advantage, especially when there is a setter who knows how to run the show and welcomes the added responsibility. Someone who likes being able to be involved…
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Continue ReadingPhoto Credit (The Gazette)
A Senior led team in volleyball is a huge advantage, especially when there is a setter who knows how to run the show and welcomes the added responsibility. Someone who likes being able to be involved in every play. Iowa has plenty of top tier setters and here are some who will be ones to shine in 2019.
Bailey Ortega – Davenport North
Bailey OrtegaAn absolute motor on the court, Ortega has the fire and intensity that is contagious where she can make everyone around her better. The future Iowa Hawkeye will look to lead North to be one of the top teams in the Quad Cities. Ortega is dynamic where she can do it all from being a solid backcourt defender to also being really physical at the net to score points on the second contact.
Emerson Green – Cedar Falls
A UNI basketball commit, Green might be one of the best all around athletes in the state. In 2018, Green ran a 5-1 offense for the Tigers who had an undefeated regular season and a state runner-up finish. Nothing flashy, just gets the job done distributing to the likes of Alayna Yates (Dayton) and Kacia Brown (Cedar Falls). CF will be a heavy favorite to get back to Cedar Rapids and hold the state championship trophy come November.
Brooke Mulholland – Clinton
Just smooth. Mulholland is definitely on the list of plenty of schools around the state, but is such a natural athlete who makes things look really easy. Clinton made a late postseason run last year and with players like Mulholland, that is no surprise. A member of Iowa Select, she plays big in big moments and will be fun to watch in her senior season.
Macy Kleitsch – West Delaware (Title Photo)
Kleitsch just wins. Whether it’s the volleyball court or softball field, winners know how to win. In the 2018-2019 school year Kleitsch was the setter for the Hawks in their run to the state tournament, she was a setter on the Six Pack team that qualified for USAV 17 Open Nationals and she was a starting pitcher for West Delaware which ended their season at the state softball tournament. Tough to put a metric on someone who has that X-Factor on how to just get it done in big games.
Emma Jenness – Spirit Lake
Emma Jenness of Spirit Lake.Spirit Lake is building themselves into a volleyball program to be recognized in the gateway to Northwest Iowa. Last season, Spirit Lake had multiple athletes who will now be starting their college careers and this year they will be led by UW-Milwaukee recruit Emma Loveall and Jordyn Hamm. Jenness is the distributor who was one of the top setters in Class 3A with over 1,000 assists.
Sam Christiansen – Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln
Christiansen is another who was over 1,000 assists last year for the Lynx as they were the regional runner up to Dowling. This upcoming season, lofty expectations are on going to be on the Lynx as they return a full squad of all around athletes, as well as All State outside Elaina Bohnet. Christiansen will once again be a key part to their quest to get back to the state tournament as one of the most well known programs in Southwest Iowa.
Olivia Larsen – Sidney
Do not sleep on Sidney. They breezed through the regular season where they didn’t lose a match from August 26 until the state tournament in the semifinals against Western Christain. That was in large part to the play of Olivia Larsen who was a 3rd Team All State pick. She will be back as well as one of her favorite targets in Kelsey Hobbie who had over 300 kills in 2018.
Maddie Rodenbeck – Waverly-Shell Rock
The Go-Hawks are going to be a big time contender in Class 4A this year with the return of Rodenbeck as well as other attackers, such as Jaz Westmoreland who is a terminal six rotation outside hitter. Rodenbeck had over 1,000 assists and 100 digs. She will be one of the top setters in Northeast Iowa this upcoming season.
Liz Pierce – Southeast Polk
Pierce has the ability to be very offensive for SEP who will be returning a strong team with Sophomore standout Myah Shipley and libero Jessie Stuart. Pierce has an extremely scrappy style where she can dish to all positions with a variety of tempos, but teams must also be able to recognize what she can do on the second contact as well.
Olivia Curry – West Des Moines Valley
Curry is the ultimate swiss army knife where she can set and also really hammer on the right side. Valley ran a 6-2 last year, but Curry will be the top setter returning. A team full of really dynamic athletes will have a lot of options when it comes to combinations and positions.
Rylee Fay – Liberty
Fay has just been steady her whole career. The Missouri State commit was named USAV All American after leading her Eastern Iowa Xtreme team to a 17 National Championship. This year she will be playing for Liberty which will be an exciting year as they make the move to 5A. Fay is definitely the one to lead a team into a new era with her ability to lead, dish, and get the job done in the clutch.
Sommer Daniel – Tipton
Daniel is the reigning Class 3A Player of the Year and will be heading to Utah for her collegiate volleyball career as a setter. For the high school season she can step in and do a little bit of everything, where last year she was a high flying outside hitter that was so lethal with the ability to hit so many different shots. 2019 will be a year where Tipton will look to reload and Daniel will have a variety of hats to where as setter and outside hitter.