Nebraska Top 250 Turning Into “Border Battle”
As always, we are adjusting, pivoting, and being a little creative when it comes to finding ways to play volleyball. That might be making last minute plans, car pools, and new places to venture to find a gym that will…
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Continue ReadingAs always, we are adjusting, pivoting, and being a little creative when it comes to finding ways to play volleyball. That might be making last minute plans, car pools, and new places to venture to find a gym that will allow athletes to compete. With new mandates in Iowa, there is an opportunity for athletes to come to Omaha and compete in the Nebraska Top 250 where it could turn into a bit of a border battle with athletes from Nebraska and Iowa (and Illinois and Minnesota). Who are the out of state athletes who will be crashing the party in Nebraska?
A LOT of eyes on this one, and the energy is incredible! It’s @RiderVolleyball against Class D2 powerhouse @bds_volleyball. Roosevelt’s Kenzie Dean with the kill! pic.twitter.com/n86OWc787v
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) July 17, 2020
Kenzie Dean – Club Ignit Select – Dowling Catholic
Dean is hungry to compete! She started out with a bang with her Des Moines Roosevelt team at the Prep Dig Summer Bash in Omaha this summer as a standout soon to be Freshman. However, Des Moines Roosevelt was unable to play a full high school season with going 100% online which lead to Dean heading to West Des Moines Dowling. The 6’2 pin hitter is going to be a Class of 2024 athlete to keep tabs on all throughout this club season when she competes for Club Ignit Select 16 Blue.
Claudia Aschenbrenner Claudia Aschenbrenner 5'10" | OH Osage | 2023 State IA – CIA – Osage
Aschenbrenner is from the Class of 2023 and is one of the top middles in her class for the state of Iowa. She plays with so much intensity and energy, she is electric. Really deadly on the slide, laterally quick from pin to pin, she can score points, hits with a high efficiency and is the type of teammate you need on your side of the net. She is so hungry to play and take any advantage she can to get on the court.
Brianna Gartner Brianna Gartner 5'5" | DS/L Davenport Assumptoin | 2022 State IA – Iowa Select – Davenport Assumption
Gartner made a huge statement this high school season being the starting libero for Davenport Assumption, who finished in the final four of Class 3A (losing a tough semifinal match to Aschenbrenner’s team). Gartner can take pace off the ball, anticipates well, is extremely well trained through Assumption and Iowa Select and is one to keep tabs on from the Class of 2022.
Kendall Anderson Kendall Anderson 5'7" | OH Bondurant-Farrar | 2022 State IA – IPVA – Bondurant-Farrar
Anderson is from the Class of 2022 is and is so aggressive, a great athlete. She can play on the pin where she attacks with violence and isn’t afraid to put a big swing on the ball. Anderson is definitely capable of attacking from anywhere in the front or back court. At the next level, Anderosn could also be a key player as a DS/L where she can defend, but also provide a lot of physicality and athleticism where she can pass and score points from behind the ten foot line.
Ella Caffery Ella Caffery 5'9" | S Wilton | 2022 State IA – Iowa Select – Wilton (Title Photo)
A new addition to the roster includes Ella Caffery Ella Caffery 5'9" | S Wilton | 2022 State IA . Caffery came to Omaha two years ago as a Freshman and is now a decorated Junior setter who was one of the top setters in Class 2A earning All State honors. She is one of the top athletes in Southeast Iowa and can play any position. Last year she was swinging from the middle and pin and this year she ran a 5-1 enroute to a final four finish with her high school squad. She is dynamic and a pure playmaker.
Lily Dykstra Lily Dykstra 6'0" | OH Urbandale | 2023 State #127 Nation IA – Iowa PowerPlex – Urbandale
Dykstra is the top prospect in the Class of 2023 from Iowa, a physical and athletic six rotation outside hitter. She has the length and power as well as the ability to attack and score points from the backcourt. Her PowerPlex 15s team was starting to build plenty of momentum prior to quarantine and most of those athletes will be playing together again for 2021. This will be fun to see Dykstra compete against some of the top athletes in Nebraska.
Izzy Kronenberg – Iowa PowerPlex – Dowling Catholic
Kronenberg is 6’0, physical, strong, left handed, and will make a definitely impact at the next level wherever she ends up. Seeing her play a bit over the winter and then for Dowling this past season, she showed how dominant she can be. She can put up a big block, but can also score points. Her best volleyball is still ahead of her.
The Rocket Blast
Carly Puffer Carly Puffer 6'0" | MB Wilton | 2022 State IA (Wilton), Elise Mehaffy Elise Mehaffy 5'8" | S Marion | 2022 State IA (Marion), and Katherine Kouba Katherine Kouba 5'6" | DS/L Iowa City West | 2022 State IA (Iowa City West) are three contacts from the Class of 2022. Puffer is so strong out of the middle, a major force offensively and defensively. Mehaffy is the type you can put her anywhere on the court and will play any position and do it well, extremely high IQ, and Kouba has great range as a libero and solid court command. Fun athletes to watch who have been playing club at Iowa Rockets together for a quite some time.
Ellie Sieling Ellie Sieling 5'10" | OH Bloomington Jefferson | 2022 State MN and Cassie Sieling Cassie Sieling 5'10" | DS/L Bloomington Jefferson | 2022 State MN – Bloomington Jefferson (MN) – Vital
Class of 2022
The Sieling Twins! These two are known throughout Minnesota and are especially well known when it comes to competing on sand. They are two of the top plays in the state and even the region and have been since they’ve been coming up through 13s and 14s. Solid all around game and with their sand background they can play multiple positions, but can score points on the pin and keep everything alive on their side of the net. They will be fun to see compete in Nebraska where so many athletes are well rounded with their defensive game.
Mallory Monahan – St. Thomas More (IL) – Illini Elite
Class of 2023
At just under 6’0 tall and just a Sophomore, Monahan has strong training all year round with the likes of St. Thomas More who is always a state power as well as Illini Elite. Monahan can play on either pin and provides a really heavy swing. With no high school season in the fall for high school athletes and gyms currently shutdown, Monahan will be hungry to compete against some of the best in the Midwest.
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