Recruiting Iowa after GJNC: Club Ignit Select 16 Blue
Time to pay another visit to the Hawkeye State. What better way to kick things off than with a division champion? Club Ignit Select 16 Blue had a fascinating 2022 season that was highlighted by the team competing in a…
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Continue ReadingTime to pay another visit to the Hawkeye State. What better way to kick things off than with a division champion?
Club Ignit Select 16 Blue had a fascinating 2022 season that was highlighted by the team competing in a variety of divisions. By the end of the qualifier season, CIS had punched an Indy ticket in the 16 Freedom division and looked to be playing its best volleyball in late spring. That positive momentum eventually culminated in a national title at GJNC.
So, let’s give you a quick overview of this championship-winning squad as the recruitment of 2024s heats up.
Emerging Frontcourt Talent
The CIS front row came together for a big outing in Indy.
Outside hitter Kenzie Dean Kenzie Dean 6'3" | OH Dowling Catholic | 2024 State #145 Nation IA has been one of my favorite Iowa athletes to follow for the past couple of years. I first saw her as a freshman-to-be at a 2020 Prep Dig high school tournament in Omaha, and her skills have kept evolving since then. In addition to her scoring prowess on the left pin, Dean adds incredible value behind the service line and keeps progressing in middle-back defense.
Dean’s frontcourt counterparts are always primed to step up in big moments, too. Noelle Sutcliffe Noelle Sutcliffe 5'11" | OH Norwalk | 2024 State IA is another left-side hitter who has become a clutch scorer, and she also brings backcourt leadership that has granted her a six-rotation role. On the other pin, keep an eye on Claire Ernst as she embraces her time at opposite after having a wealth of experience on the left. Versatility remains a big theme on the CIS roster.
And, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about the middles. Adyson Brecht shined in 16 Blue’s two-hitter rotations at GJNC. Her impressive work behind the setter allows CIS to score efficiently with a frontcourt setter, a trend that can often shift the tide of a particular set.
16 Blue keeps their length at the net when Ava Wille rotates in. Blocking remains a big strength for this 2024 athlete, and the middle blocker position has also been aided by Maeve Rehmann Maeve Rehmann 6'2" | MB Johnston | 2024 State IA throughout the year. Depth is always a critical component of a championship roster, and CIS brought that trend to the forefront in Indy.
First and Second Contacts
Ball control, ball control, ball control. When a team wins a GJNC title, you have to figure that roster has some players who can take care of first and second contacts.
16 Blue has this phase all taken care of. We’ve previously discussed Brittany Bacorn Brittany Bacorn 5'10" | S Knoxville | 2024 State IA ‘s knack for running a nice offense at the setter spot, and she put together another brilliant weekend in Indianapolis. She mixes tempos well, and her brilliant distribution gets that steady group of CIS hitters involved. Bacorn completes her well-rounded virtuoso with some reliable frontcourt blocking and gritty right-back defense, making her the ideal fit for 16 Blue’s 5-1 system.
That’s a lot of talk about a one-setter system, but what about a two-libero rotation? It’s uncommon to see two different players sharing the contrasting jersey in the starting rotation, but CIS makes this work in its lineup. Megan Rembert Megan Rembert 5'8" | DS/L Ankeny | 2024 State IA and Ashley Staun Ashley Staun 5'5" | DS/L Dowling Catholic | 2025 IA regularly shared the libero spot throughout the year, and we saw 16 Blue rotate both through the back row in any given set. The collective confidence that the team shows in these two athletes went a long way to helping CIS secure a championship.
The defensive specialist spot is further spearheaded by consistent play from Emma Walker and Sydney Bilyeu. Amid the libero carousel we just discussed, Walker and Bilyeu step in to relieve the team’s frontcourt pins in the back row. This full team effort was demonstrated at every position, and I’m excited to follow the recruiting journeys for 16 Blue after this USAV championship showing.