Nebraska Prep Dig Top 250: Iowa Hitters from Court 6!
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While walking the Prep Dig Top 250 event last Sunday, I came upon court 6. Court 6 was full of outsides that can hit a bullseye from 30 feet away with a volleyball. I am not sure how all of…
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Continue ReadingWhile walking the Prep Dig Top 250 event last Sunday, I came upon court 6. Court 6 was full of outsides that can hit a bullseye from 30 feet away with a volleyball. I am not sure how all of these players ended up on one court but they were fantastic to behold while doing their business. Let’s talk about the hitters I saw on court six this morning. ***Note: All of the players written about below are excellent OHs. The difference between them is in the intangibles, like whether they give up instead of chase a ball, their aggression in play, their ability to communicate with each other, not their skill level. They are all fantastic hitters.
1 – Emily Allison Emily Allison 5'9" | OH Rock Island (IL) | 2022 State IA (2022, OH, Rock Island High School(IL))
Emily is a 5’9″ OH from Rock Island, IL who had 2.1 KPS, 11 total blocks, 1.9 DPS, and 33 aces with an 82.8% serve efficiency for the 2020 high school season. Emily looks good in any position around the court, she communicates well, and she is really athletic. She helps make things happen. She will give up getting the kill herself if someone else has a better shot. Selflessness is what I saw there.
13 – Morgan Barker Morgan Barker 5'9" | OH Davenport Central | 2022 State IA (2022, OH, Davenport Central)
Morgan is a 5’9″ OH from Davenport Central who had 2.1 KPS, 19 total blocks, 3.2 DPS, and 6 aces with an 85.5% serve efficiency for the 2020 high school season. She works well in a group, takes up the slack, and will sacrifice her body to get the point or make a save.
78 – Madison Meyer Madison Meyer 5'8" | OH Xavier | 2023 State IA (2023, OH, Linn-Mar High School)
Madison is a 5’9″ OH from Linn-Mar High School who looks fantastic in her speed toward the ball and powerful punch once she reaches it.
35 – Lily Dykstra Lily Dykstra 6'0" | OH Urbandale | 2023 State #127 Nation IA (2023, OH, Urbandale High School)
Lily is a 6’0″ OH from Urbandale High School who had 5.1 KPS, 45 total blocks, 2.6 DPS, and 45 aces with an 88.4% serve efficiency for the 2020 high school season. Lily is aggressive to the ball and loves to hit. She played both sides of the net and hit more than any other player on the court, I think. Jumping ability, speed, and agility, these are the keys to her great play. Very good player!
30 – Kenzie Dean (2024, OH, Dowling Catholic)
Kenzie is a 6’2″ OH from Dowling Catholic who had 2.9 KPS, 20 total blocks, and .9 DPS, 8 aces with an 82.5% serve efficiency prior to the end of their season with the Des Moines Roosevelt Roughriders and prior to Dean’s transfer to Dowling Catholic. Kenzie makes it all look easy. She is tall enough she doesn’t always have to jump to have a great hit, although her best hits are when she is way up in the air. She still has room to grow and I can’t wait to see her in a year when she fully comes into her own. She is also a good defensive player, has a great platform, and transitions quickly.
2 – Ellie Anderson Ellie Anderson 5'11" | OH South Hardin | 2023 State IA (2023, RS, South Hardin High School)
Ellie is a 5’10″ RS from South Hardin High School who had 4.1 KPS, 42 total blocks, 3.0 DPS, and a team-high 41 aces with a 90.8% serve efficiency for the 2020 high school season. Ellie is fun to watch. She makes it all look effortless. She seems happy on the court, works really hard, and pulls it all together when things go wrong. She is fast, also has a great platform, and seems as if she can play anywhere on the court successfully.