Part 2 – Respect Continues As Iowa Athletes Talk About Their Competitors Across The Net

Athletes across the state know each other. In the digital age, it doesn’t take much to see who is doing what on instagram, plenty of the athletes follow each other on social media, and they see other top players at events all year long. If there is anything about being from Iowa that I have taken with me wherever I’ve been is the mantra, "We’re rooting for you!" When athletes aren’t playing against each other, they are typically rooting for each other one way or another. When they head off to college and see each other across the net there is definitely that common bond of playing in the familiar confines of Iowa high school sports. For these athletes, they maybe see each other all too much through conference matches, big regional or state matches, and through the club season. Even old "rivals" of mine through high school sports can give each other a hard time on Facebook, just reiterating the fact that once the final whistle is blown there will always be the mutual respect. Here are more athletes giving a shoutout to other players they have seen across the net. [player_tooltip player_id="17246" first="Layanna" last="Green"] (Waukee Class of 2021) on Top Athletes She’s Faced: A player that has always inspired me on the court was [player_tooltip player_id="17088" first="Devyn" last="Robinson"] just because of her amazing abilities and power. I did not play her in club but over the years seeing and playing against her in school ball always made me want to work harder to be more explosive! I also love playing against [player_tooltip player_id="17322" first="Hayden" last="Kubik"] because she’s such a strong player as well, and works so hard for her team. [player_tooltip player_id="78405" first="Lily" last="Becker"] was such a strong leader for Waukee and I loved her mindset towards the game. She worked so hard and her hard work always made me want to work harder too! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I’m missing a high quality celebration point. Here are a few from the <a href="https://x.com/IGHSAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IGHSAU</a> State Tournament last fall. Oh, and I miss crowd noise too! Sound on!! <a href="https://t.co/xorJjx6k4v">pic.x.com/xorJjx6k4v</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1245125882106314755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   [player_tooltip player_id="40915" first="Avery" last="Kroll"] (Waterloo West Class of 2020) on [player_tooltip player_id="40887" first="Morgan" last="Weber"] (Dike-New Hartford Class of 2020) I’ve had the opportunity to not only play against Morgan, but also be on the same side of the net as her. Morgan has this confidence about her where if she messes up on a play, she knows she’ll fix her mistake the next play. She doesn’t let it bug her. Morgan’s ball control is one of the best I’ve ever seen from a pin hitter. She gets to balls some people wouldn’t even attempt to get up. Her range in her swing is just as good as her ball control; possibly better. Morgan has a way of seeing the court that gives her a special edge when it comes to putting a ball away. You do NOT want to be on the opposite end of a [player_tooltip player_id="40887" first="Morgan" last="Weber"] ball when there’s a wide open net. Not only can she bounce the ball, but she also has an extremely large vertical, which makes the chances of a defender trying to dig the ball a slim to none chance of getting the ball up. Morgan is the type of player that makes you want to be better. She’s an incredible athlete and I can’t wait to see her play at Wichita State!   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Doing my best to help athletes and coaches out during this time. Here are video clips I have from our events the past two months of the Iowa Class of 2021. Feel free to tag and share! <a href="https://t.co/9HbNOpQNZJ">pic.x.com/9HbNOpQNZJ</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1240342498498797568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> [player_tooltip player_id="79287" first="Emily" last="Byrd"] (North Polk Class of 2022) on [player_tooltip player_id="41254" first="Taylor" last="Grinley"] (Gilbert Class of 2021) I have had many opportunities to play against [player_tooltip player_id="41254" first="Taylor" last="Grinley"] (Gilbert High School, 2021 Setter) in high school volleyball. And even though we play for conference rivals, she has always been so supportive of me as a setter and is a player that I really look up to! Taylor is always such a positive leader out on the court, and she has an amazing work ethic! She is really athletic, quick, and has such great hands. She always puts up a consistently good set for her hitters, and is able to attack at the net, too! She is a great person with such a love for volleyball! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A few highlights from the Prep Dig Tour of Iowa Showcase- thanks again to <a href="https://x.com/iowaselectvbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iowaselectvbc</a> for hosting and <a href="https://x.com/recruitingasst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@recruitingasst</a> for helping athletes and families! <a href="https://t.co/oel8LBZsve">pic.x.com/oel8LBZsve</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1221062722290405378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   [player_tooltip player_id="17244" first="Emma" last="Schubert"] (Davenport Assumption Class of 2021) on [player_tooltip player_id="41242" first="Alysen" last="Dexter"] (Des Moines Christian Class of 2021) I was able to play with [player_tooltip player_id="41242" first="Alysen" last="Dexter"] this past year at Iowa HP and have played against her in club. She has such a powerful swing and you can always count on her to get a kill. She is such a great teammate and radiates positivity. She works so hard and it is always so fun to play with or against her.   Madison Geise (Roland Story Class of 2022) on [player_tooltip player_id="17250" first="Thea" last="Rotto"] (Gilbert Class of 2021) In high school, Gilbert is one of the schools in our conference and I really enjoy seeing how far their outside hitter, [player_tooltip player_id="17250" first="Thea" last="Rotto"] has come. She is a stud and always fun to compete against. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> What a day. From the athletes to the parents to the coaches who were able to join, so much fun at the Iowa Top 250 - a few top plays from today! <a href="https://t.co/Hm69McBz0K">pic.x.com/Hm69McBz0K</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1203469582972997632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   [player_tooltip player_id="41254" first="Taylor" last="Grinley"] (Gilbert Class of 2021) on [player_tooltip player_id="79287" first="Emily" last="Byrd"] (North Polk Class of 2022) I’ve always loved to play against [player_tooltip player_id="79287" first="Emily" last="Byrd"] in high school. She’s such a great athlete and always gives such consistent sets. She is so calm minded and a very smart decision-maker. On top of that, she’s such a sweet girl and such a hard worker!   Emmy Wedgbury (Cedar Falls Class of 2021) on [player_tooltip player_id="17246" first="Layanna" last="Green"] (Waukee Class of 2021) One of the people I’ve loved playing is [player_tooltip player_id="17246" first="Layanna" last="Green"]. She’s crazy athletic and a great player. Playing her at State was super fun because of how competitive she is and how she pumped up her team to give us one of our toughest matches!   [player_tooltip player_id="41248" first="Paige" last="Kisley"] (Osage Class of 2021) on [player_tooltip player_id="17233" first="Belle" last="Weber"] (Union Class of 2021) I played against [player_tooltip player_id="17233" first="Belle" last="Weber"] at the Waverly tournament, and I was impressed by how Belle attacked at the net. She is not only a huge part of her team, she’s an amazing leader. She always has a positive attitude and that’s why she’s so successful. It’s always fun to compete against her, and play with her during club!