Standouts from the Independence Volleyball Invite August 25th

Teresa McNabb

August 27, 2018 @ 11:55 PM

The Independence Volleyball Invitational had 5 ranked teams in attendance on Saturday. Teams included Alburnett, Benton, Oelwein, Union (Tied for 15th in 3A), West Delaware (10th in 4A), Starmont (3rd in 1A), Independence (4th in 4A), and Janesville (1st in 1A). Janesville and Independence ended up in the finals after going undefeated through pool play and winning their semi-final matches. Janesville came out on top with a 2 set win over Independence to claim the championship. Pool 1: Pool 2: 1st Independence 1st Janesville 2nd Union 2nd West Delaware 3rd Benton 3rd Starmont 4th Oelwein 4th Alburnett Semi Final 1: Independence over West Delaware Semi Final 2: Janesville over Union Final: Janesville over Independence There was a lot of great matches and we saw many great athletes but here are a few that stood out: Bree Thompson, Senior, Outside Hitter, Janesville: a versatile player with great physical presence at the net, Thompson has a high volleyball IQ, placing balls well and putting them down when she needs to. Madison Larson, Senior, Outside Hitter, Independence: Larson is an aggressive hitter with a powerful swing and an impressive jump serve. Claire Demmer, Senior, Middle Blocker, West Delaware: a dynamic athlete with lateral speed and a long block, Demmer is intimidating at the net. She is a smart hitter with an explosive swing. Macey Kleitsch, Junior, Setter, West Delaware: Kleitsch does a great job moving the ball around. She has quick hands, is aggressive, and isn’t afraid to take risks. She is a threat on the right side as well with her quick arm and strong blocking. Alisa Bengen, Senior, Setter/RH, Janesville: a skilled all-around player, Bengen delivers great sets, has good ball control, and is an aggressive attacker. Ella Koloc, Freshman, Libero, West Delaware: solid in serve receive and covers a lot of the court. Always on her toes, she will be a fun player to watch this season!