5 lessons learned from the Warrior Varsity Invitational

<p>Cedar Rapids Washington held its annual varsity invitational, hosting some of the states best. Here are 5 things we learned at the invite. </p> <p><strong>Xavier is a force. </strong>Early in pool play they did not have to play 6'5" Creighton commit, <strong>Eve Magill</strong>, but when they did in bracket play they became even more unstoppable. Between <strong>Akeela Jefferson</strong> and Eve Magill, Xavier will make a deep run this post season. They pass well, have a great setter in <strong>Jaz Yamilkoski</strong>, and have so many offensive weapons it is unfair. </p> <p><strong>Solon should be ranked. </strong>Solon has been playing very smart, allowing them to win matches no one thought they could. Senior setter and right side, <strong>Rachel Nelson</strong>, is leading this team with her ability behind the service line. Her serve is lethal and frustrates teams, she also has an extremely high IQ which keeps her team steady.</p> <p><strong>Dike New-Hartford is still strong.</strong> A big question mark going into this season, was powerhouse DNH. With the loss of Texas commit, Sydney Peterson, and UNI commit, Baylee Peterson no one knew if they could still make a run. Well after watching them at the Warrior Invite, we have no doubt in our minds they will. <strong>Morgan Weber</strong> is the arm leading the team. She is one of the most fluid players for her age. Middle, <strong>Carlee Dove</strong>, is also a huge force for DNH protecting the net. </p> <p><strong>Serving rules the game</strong>. We saw many teams struggle from behind the service line, making their easy matches, difficult. One server can take over a game and we saw that happen several times. </p> <p><strong>It is still early in the season. </strong>Although many teams are playing very well early on there is still a lot of time before the state pairings and anything can happen. Will Xavier, Linn-Mar, DNH, and Cedar Rapids Kennedy be able to make the run that most have anticipated?</p>