Ankeny Centennial Early Bird Invite: Previewing Pool D
Iowa is just days away from tournament time with some high powered teams heading to Ankeny Centennial for the Early Bird Invite which includes 9 ranked teams all across the state to make an early-season statement. With previews for all…
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Continue ReadingIowa is just days away from tournament time with some high powered teams heading to Ankeny Centennial for the Early Bird Invite which includes 9 ranked teams all across the state to make an early-season statement. With previews for all pools, we finish with Pool D which will include the storied tradition and one of the top teams in Class 3A with Dike-New Hartford. Here is the full breakdown of Pool D.
Dike-New Hartford is heading into the season in Class 3A which they have bounced back and forth between Class 3A and 2A. With the preseason rankings from the IGHSAU, the Wolverines are fourth-ranked behind Mount Vernon, Carroll Kuemper, and Tipton. Morgan Weber, a top five prospect out of the Class of 2020 and Wichita State commit, will receive a bulk of the swings and surely score plenty of points. DNH will also return their top two setters from 2018 in Taylor Hoehns and Audrey Rickert and Sophomore libero, Angelina Westberg who had nearly 400 digs last season.
Linn-Mar has been atop of the Cedar Rapids area the past few years, but are taking a big hit to graduation after a Senior dominated team led them in 2018 and had multiple state tournament appearances under their belt. Emily Strauss will be the big returner for Lions from 2018 with over 200 kills and 65 blocks. The Lions will be young and inexperienced but have the winning culture and athletes who practiced day in and out with one of the top teams in the state last year.
Sioux City East has debuted in the preseason rankings as #15 in Class 5A and will compete in the Missouri River Conference with the likes of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, Lewis Central, Sioux City Heelan and Sergeant Bluff-Luton – all programs this upcoming season. East will return top attacker in Lineya Wells for her Junior season where she had over 250 kills in 2018. They will return their top two first contacts in libero Josie Blake and Chloe Kramer.
Urbandale was one match short of the state tournament in 2018 with a lineup dominated by Seniors. They will be returning Rachel Brockney, Maia Bibbs, and Madi Lynch as their top attackers. Urbandale will be in a rigorous Central Iowa Metro League where they will face the top teams in Central Iowa throughout the year.
So, What Happens?
This will be a fairly well balanced pool, but the top team coming out of this will be Dike-New Hartford. Could there be the possibility for a three way tie for second place? I wouldn’t rule it out between Linn-Mar, East, and Urbandale.
Dike-New Hartford 3-0
Sioux City East 1-2
Linn-Mar 1-2
Urbandale 1-2