IA Regional Crystal Ball: Top Players, Sneaky Teams, Key Matches

The pairings are out for Iowa Regionals.  Lots of familiarity between these clubs, these athletes know each other from playing with and against each other for years.  Each year there is always a new combination of athletes that can have a big effect on the final results.  Sunday is always an intense day with bids awarded and each place being crucial as trickle down bids go to the regional team if bids get achieved at another qualifier (that’s another story in itself).     These Athletes Will Have A Big Weekend Only appropriate to finish with a Hansen to Kuhn connection. What a match. Hudson wins 3-2, Ashlynn Kuhn Ashlynn Kuhn 5'10" | MB Hudson | 2021 State IA with 38 kills....yes 38 pic.twitter.com/ru7SNFBT7K — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) October 9, 2020 Ashlynn Kuhn Ashlynn Kuhn 5'10" | MB Hudson | 2021 State IA - Six Pack 18U I’ve never seen Kuhn have an off game.  If anything she’s the one who is always hitting the ball square off multiple tempos and finding multiple ways to score points.  She is so tough to stop on the slide and has such a quick arm swing in the middle where she is a matchup nightmare.  With pins Eve Magill Eve Magill 6'4" | OH Xavier | 2021 State IA , Saari Kuehl Saari Kuehl OH Gladbrook-Reinbeck | 2021 State IA , and Elyse Winter Elyse Winter 6'1" | OH Xavier | 2021 State IA , they will always have to pull blocker to the pin giving Kuhn plenty of room to score points.  Cassidy Hartman Cassidy Hartman 5'10" | MB Iowa City Liberty | 2023 State IA - Six Pack 16U Seeing Hartman go off at the state tournament was only a glimpse of what she will be able to do this club season.  Her team is balanced and has two solid setters in Mara Fluent Mara Fluent 5'9" | S Cedar Rapids Kennedy | 2023 State IA and Madelyn Norton Madelyn Norton 5'8" | S Dike-New Hartford | 2023 State IA .  Hartman is the type that can score in any rotation in a variety of ways.  She can hit the shots, she can score out of system, and being able to do those intangibles at this level can really propel a team in key times.  Claudia Aschenbrenner Claudia Aschenbrenner 5'10" | OH Osage | 2023 State IA - CIA 16 Black  I am sold on Claudia Aschenbrenner Claudia Aschenbrenner 5'10" | OH Osage | 2023 State IA being able to score points from the pin and step into contribute from anywhere.  She has such a fast arm that makes it tough for the other side of the net to get the ball cleaning back in system.  This CIA 16 Black team is sneaky good and has multiple weapons who can score points.  If they can ball control and serve receive their multiple attackers will be able to take care of business.  Kora Ruff Kora Ruff 5'9" | S Pleasant Valley | 2022 State IA - Iowa Rockets 17R  She is the maestro.  Iowa Rockets 17R has a powerful offensive attack, but having a setter like Kora Ruff Kora Ruff 5'9" | S Pleasant Valley | 2022 State IA makes that machine run smoothly.  This team is full of future Summit League and MVC athletes, but Ruff really does make it happen for these athletes.  This team has a major target on their back as the top seed, but this is nothing new to these athletes.  They play well under pressure and are so consistent with everything they do.    Teams To Break Through  PowerPlex 18 and 17 Black  The top teams from Iowa PowerPlex in the 17s and 18s have played a tough schedule so far this season in the Open Division of NLQ and Presidents Day in Omaha.  The 18s have a powerful lineup with the likes of NDSU commit Morgan Middleton Morgan Middleton OH Clarion-Goldfield Dows | 2021 State IA and UNI commit Layana Green.  The 17s have a balanced lineup with lots of options with a setter like Lauren Blake Lauren Blake 5'8" | S Indianola | 2022 State IA and attacker Bailey Van Vorst who will be the ones to look for a breakthrough.  They will have a tough match to finish their pool with a scrappy Club Ignit Select 17 Green squad.    The 18s From Adrenaline Adrenaline has two really solid 18s teams where they are a two seed in their pools.  With top players in the Cedar Rapids area with Lauren Schrock Lauren Schrock 6'2" | OH Mount Vernon | 2021 State IA (Central Michigan), Natalie Welch Natalie Welch 6'0" | RS Mount Vernon | 2021 State IA (Southwest Minnesota State), and Trinity Zika Trinity Zika 5'4" | DS/L Marion | 2021 State IA (Iowa Western), they are accustomed to winning, high level competition and would be happy to spoil the party for the seeds ahead of them.  This 18s Division is wide open and hard to believe that 18 Nationals are just over a month away in Columbus, OH.    Pool Play Matchups To Keep An Eye On Iowa Select 17 Baden vs. Platform Elite 17 Adidas A battle of two clubs from the Quad Cities.  17 Baden is a long and athletic team.  They have strong athletes and athleticism up and down their lineup while 17 Adidas has setter Carly Rolf Carly Rolf 5'9" | S Davenport Assumption | 2022 IA and pin Arra Cottrell Arra Cottrell 6'0" | OH Pleasant Valley | 2022 State IA who are extremely key to their success as well as some Illinois athletes who are long and athletic, capable of putting a lot of pressure on in the front row.    Iowa Rockets 17-1 vs. CIA 17 Black  Iowa Rockets 17-1 have had a strong start to their season with some big wins, especially at the St. Louis Presidents Day Tournament.  However, CIA 17 Black has not played with their full team for much of the season.  With three pins for CIA 17 Black in Kiersten Schmitt Kiersten Schmitt 6'0" | RS Beckman | 2022 State IA (Iowa State), Meredith Street Meredith Street 5'5" | OH Osage | 2022 State IA (UNI), and Maddie Harris Maddie Harris 5'9" | OH Western Dubuque | 2022 State IA , this team can cause a lot of damage if they are able to keep the ball in play and be efficient.    Iowa Select 17 Mizuno vs. IPVA 17 Black  Iowa Select 17 Mizuno is definitely a threat to get to the championship and play for a bid come Sunday.  However, IPVA is a tough team who has solid ball control, a top setter in Madison Geise Madison Geise 6'0" | S Roland-Story | 2022 State IA , and multiple ways to score points.  This will be the last match for both teams on Saturday.  Those final pool play matches will be key to who they will play to start Sunday when things get real serious.