Iowa Class 5A - Start of Summer Rankings

Do we dare start ranking the Iowa teams for the upcoming high school season? Ummmm. YES! The WAY too early rankings are definitely worthy of an eye roll, but these athletes work hard to have people talking about them. Countless hours in the gym, traveling to tournaments across the country in the offseason, and just over two months to wear the colors of their high school in hopes of getting the championship t-shirts, roses, and trophy to raise at the end of the year is worth talking about. We’ll start with Class 5A and work our way to all classes. Where do these high school teams stand at the beginning of the summer before they finish their club season in Orlando or Indianapolis, before summer leagues, open gyms, and team camps. Class 5A <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Cedar Falls</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">West Des Moines Valley </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">West Des Moines Dowling</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Waukee</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Ankeny</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Pleasant Valley</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Council Bluffs Abe Lincoln</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Dubuque Hempstead</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Southeast Polk</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Linn-Mar/CR Jeff</li> </ol> The Big Question Marks Ankeny Centennial Davenport North Iowa City Liberty The top teams will come at no surprise. Cedar Falls has built themselves into a perennial powerhouse starting with their run of state tournaments and multiple Division 1 athletes coming in and out of their program. This upcoming fall the Tigers, who only lost one match at the hands of Ankeny Centennial in the state title match will be back with unfinished business. They will be returning power and ball control throughout their lineup starting with 6’5 middle Alayna Yates who is heading to Dayton along with Kacia Brown on the pin who has committed to Mississippi State. Emerson Green, who has committed to UNI for basketball will run the show setting and will have some solid ball control with Kirsten Graves and Emersyn Wedgbury in the backrow. Central Iowa will just be a series of the top teams beating up on each other throughout the season in big time conference matches and weekend tournaments. Valley will have to replace points from Madi Kubik who will be starting her career at Nebraska, but there are plenty of athletes to step up. Olivia Curry, the Omaha commit can set and hit, always involving herself in the play along with Jacey Spann out of the middle who is incredibly dynamic. Hayden Kubik will be entering her Sophomore year and has had a monster club season. She will be a force to contain in the front and backrow with a cannon of an arm. Payton Lombardi is back at libero providing solid ball control all the way around. Down the road is Dowling and Waukee who both made appearances in the state tournament and will return some big time point scorers. Dowling returns five athletes who had over 100 kills in 2018, with Anna Godfredson leading the way. The Maroons also have depth. They have two setters in Senior and St. Cloud State commit Allena Shimon and Sophia Painovich. Depth is an understatement with their backcourt with five athlete who were at 100 digs or higher, with Anna Flynn leading the way with 324 in 2018. Waukee came on strong to make their way to Cedar Rapids last season and will return two big time point scorers in Kate Nelson on the pin and Layanna Green out of the middle. They will have to replace a large number of kills by Haley Bush who will be playing for Drake as well as a new setter and libero. Ankeny will be lead by Phyona Schrader, the Notre Dame commit who runs the show setting and is also a big presence at the net scoring points on the second contact. The Hawkettes will also have Isabelle Vacek (Wayne State) and Malea Daugherty who are two big point scorers. Kaci Behrens will also be back at libero who had almost 600 digs last season. Teams six through nine are a little bit new to the top ten and will be a little different from last year. Pleasant Valley has a strong core of attackers returning starting with Erika Brohm who has committed to play at Purdue-Northwest (NCAA D2). Kora Ruff will be back for her Sophomore season and as incredible of a Freshman season Ruff started her career with, her game has improved over this past club season. Jump setting every ball, attacking when she has the opportunity, and really being a presence defensively at the net as well. Council Bluffs Abe Lincoln lost in a regional final to Dowling in 2018, but will be returning virtually their whole squad with top kill leader Elaina Bohnet, setter Sam Christiansen, and libero Taylan Keefer. Hempstead will be another team that will be looking to capitalize on experience with a 1-2 punch on the pin with Jada Wills and Corrine Meier along with setters Morgan Hawkins and Laney Herman. Southeast Polk will return four attackers who had over 100 kills including Sophomore Myah Shipley who led the team in kills her Freshman year and is so athletic across the net. Setter Liz Pierce will be entering her Senior year and can run the show and also attack when the opportunity is there. The rest of the rankings get a little foggy with a lot of question marks. Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids Jefferson just lost a big part of their lineup to graduation. Seniors who had a lot of experience playing at the state tournament, and moments in intense matches throughout their career. Linn-Mar always seems to reload and will build around Emily Strauss, the pin hitter who can score points anyway possible. Jefferson will build around Cassidy Boche who will be the top target from the outside. The Major Question Marks Ankeny Centennial - The defending state champions not in the top ten? They will return Devyn Robinson and Calea Jones, but there are a lot of gaps to fill replacing a roster that was not only full of Division 1 talent, but one that was incredibly deep. Robinson is their top returner in kills, however she is also the top returner in digs. Davenport North - Last year Davenport North was 9-20, not an impressive record, but for Iowa commit Bailey Ortega and Tulsa commit Justyus Jackson, they have the play making ability to sneak up on some teams. Iowa City Liberty - Liberty will most likely be Class 5A for the first time this year. With Rylee Fay, standout setter committed to Missouri State along with a supporting cast could make for an interesting twist in the MVC.