Five Takeaways From The Westside Invitational
I’ve been fortunate enough to see high school volleyball across the Midwest this year and coming back home to Iowa is always a treat, getting a chance to see some of the top athletes in the state. This past Saturday,…
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Continue ReadingI’ve been fortunate enough to see high school volleyball across the Midwest this year and coming back home to Iowa is always a treat, getting a chance to see some of the top athletes in the state. This past Saturday, I was able to see just that and more at the Westside Invitational at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Here are a few general takeways from the tournament with what I consider an appetizer of what is to come the next month heading into the postseason and the state tournament at the US Cellular Center which will be here before you know it!
The Consistency and Depth of Dowling
I saw Dowling lose to Marion in two quick sets in pool play Saturday afternoon. It was one of those matches where everything was clicking for Marion and it just wasn’t for Dowling. Even though the score wasn’t in favor of the Maroons, one thing that didn’t change was their intensity, their energy, and effort that happens often times when things just aren’t going well. It is easy to have really solid body language with things are going well, but the true challenge is what does it look like when things are tight and uncomfortable. Athletes were getting subbed in and out for Dowling because they are extremely deep. When athletes were subbed out, they were supportive and encouraging on the sideline. Culture like this takes a long time to develop and maintain. Later in the evening Dowling would come back to win all of their matches in bracket play and take the title. Not surprising based on their ability to control the intangibles in any situation, even if the execution just isn’t quite there.
Preparing For Marion
Marion is tough. I had seen a lot of the Marion players in the club season playing on separate teams, but they are a really interesting combination together. Their setting combo of Elise Mehaffy and Avery Van Hook is going to be tough for teams to track. Mehaffy plays on the pin when she doesn’t set and Van Hook on the right side with her lefty swing in the front row. They also have 6’1 Junior Ella VanWeelden on the right side as well. And when all else fails, there is Delaney Rice, a St. Louis commit, who can play in the middle or the right side and is an absolute wreck at the net on defense. They are a matchup nightmare for the other side of the net.
Setters Who Impressed
Allena Shimon of Dowling setting.At the high school level I see setters who across a variety of skill levels. There is so much more to setting than just being able to throw the ball up to keep everything in play. The elite setters are orchestrators and are contributing in multiple ways to get their team involved and even scoring themselves when it is needed. Macey Kleitsch and West Delaware really standout. Kleitsch doesn’t set the ball very high above the net with a really uptempo style of offense. Her ability to get the ball to the middles, especially off the net is really special. This team just clicks. Dowling has two really solid setters in Allena Shimon and Sophia Painovich are both getting the ball to a plethora of attackers which is a major return on investment for the Maroons. Emy Kratch was one of the better all around players I saw this past weekend. The Senior from Grundy Center can set, swing, block, and defend. She was extremely tough and with her leading the way for the Spartans they will be a huge threat in Class 2A.
Ankeny Centennial is Heating Up
Centennial started the season with Devyn Robinsion playing with the US Youth National Team in Egypt and building a squad that did not have much varsity experience after graduating three Division 1 players from last season. This past weekend, I saw a fire from this team that could be dangerous to contend with. Sophomores were stepping up big time. Devyn Robinson and Calea Jones were leading and doing what stars do for their team – everything from what they were doing to score points, but also the celebrations, the talking, everything. I see a lot about a team through the lens of a camera and this team had so much energy after every point no matter what the result was. They are going to be dangerous come the start of November with how they played this past weekend taking second overall.
The Tune Up Before Tournament Time
These final tournaments for teams are a great way to build momentum heading into the postseason, but also a time to make a few tweaks to get things back in order. There are some teams who are playing in conference tournaments and final conferences matches this week where they will still be able to get in some work. This is also the time to rest any nagging injuries and make sure everyone is fresh mentally and physically come crunch time. Walking out Jefferson High School on Saturday, I couldn’t help but think a month from then will be the opening day of the state tournament. What a journey it has been and will continue to be. No matter what the results are of the next few weeks, Iowa has plenty to be proud of when it comes to high school volleyball.