“Live Eye” Big Performances From Iowa This Weekend

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So many great matchups, great teams, great players, but so little time.  I was able to take a mini road trip of Iowa this past week seeing Hudson vs. Wapsie Valley and the morning of the Westside Tournament at Cedar Rapids Jefferson.  But there were great events all over at Western Christian, Dowling, Mason City, Center Point-Urbana, CCA, Bettendorf, and more.  Here are some performances that left me saying “Wow” from their effort, execution, and what they are doing for their team.  So excited to see these athletes improve each time they step on the court and do what they do best. </span></p> <p>"Live Eye" means the performances I saw in person.  Don’t worry....I’ll be back :) </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">All the feels from a 3-2 battle between Hudson and Wapsie Valley. Here are just a few of <a href="https://x.com/DrakeVolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrakeVolleyball</a> commit [player_tooltip player_id="17243" first="Ashlynn" last="Kuhn"]’s 40 kills for Hudson <a href="https://t.co/xDu5Enbgxm">pic.x.com/xDu5Enbgxm</a></p> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1314627533476855809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="17243" first="Ashlynn" last="Kuhn"] - Hudson</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">40 kills is a solid night. However, seeing [player_tooltip player_id="17243" first="Ashlynn" last="Kuhn"] play against #2 in Class 1A Wapsie Valley was just what she does.  She’s extremely dynamic where she can run multiple routes out of the middle, connecting with setter [player_tooltip player_id="79040" first="Sara" last="Hansen"].  She’s aggressive with how she can attack the ball and hit is square, but she also has the court sense and IQ to know what type of shot to hit when.  What I see from her is how she isn’t afraid to swing.  For the young middle blockers (or any attacker), watch Kuhn play and she rarely tips, and when she does its wide open because she is always attacking with aggression.  Performances like this will give Hudson a chance to make a run to CR in a really loaded regional. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Huge win for DNH over Mount Vernon. Payton Petersen was huge for the Wolverines. [player_tooltip player_id="108422" first="Madelyn" last="Norton"] controlled the whole tempo setting. Most of this team can’t even drive to school. <a href="https://t.co/ex3iQf8f6w">pic.x.com/ex3iQf8f6w</a></p> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1314979121324339201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p><strong>Payton Petersen - Dike-New Hartford</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I saw Petersen play a month ago in Mount Vernon at their tournament and the improvement in the past month in her confidence and control of her swing is very noteworthy.  Petersen is another one who can hit some crazy angles from the pin and you can see with her wrist action she knows where to go whether its a zone four slice or a deep roll to the corner.  She changes speed, but yet has such a heavy ball that it makes it incredibly tough for the defense to receive cleanly.  </span></p> <p><img class=" wp-image-112007 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/10/DSC01089-297x300.jpg" alt="" width="340" height="345" /></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108422" first="Madelyn" last="Norton"] - Dike-New Hartford</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Norton is rising as one of the top setters in the Class of 2023 in Iowa.  Her footwork and hands are really polished and even though she has one of the top outside hitters in the state to go to, she is able to keep her side of the net balanced and finds her middles who are incredibly efficient.  Let’s not forget about her ability to attack as well with a left handed swing that can find the deep corner. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Van Hook just controlling the match from any rotation. Marion closing in on a set one win over Hempstead <a href="https://t.co/LHVqiqnaWH">pic.x.com/LHVqiqnaWH</a></p> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1314973620876251141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p><strong>Avery Van Hook - Marion</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seeing Van Hook play last year, I could tell there was some swag, a competitor, one who enjoys the tough competition and big moment and seeing her this past weekend she has only grown more into that role and even has added overall strength and athleticism to the game.  Van Hook can hammer from the right side with her left hand, control the offense as a setter, and is always a threat to score points.  Even her block is something to recognize going against some top offensive players in the state in Petersen, [player_tooltip player_id="17323" first="Macy" last="Daufeldt"] and [player_tooltip player_id="17227" first="Martha" last="Pace"] of West Liberty, and [player_tooltip player_id="41257" first="Corinne" last="Meier"] of Hempstead.  Marion is a fun team to watch, they are smooth, relaxed, and just have a great time on the court where they compete at an extremely high level. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Just sounds different when [player_tooltip player_id="41257" first="Corinne" last="Meier"] attacks <a href="https://x.com/ClubIowa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ClubIowa</a> <a href="https://x.com/HempsteadVBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HempsteadVBall</a> <a href="https://t.co/PP1eKmpLjk">pic.x.com/PP1eKmpLjk</a></p> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1314979733789200388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="41257" first="Corinne" last="Meier"] - Dubuque Hempstead</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meier recently committed to play at Middle Tennessee State.  The senior outside hitter brings so much power from the pin, but its also how she is able to rally her Hempstead teammates.  The Mustangs are definitely a team to contend in Class 5A.  They are scrappy and have a certain grit to them defensively and Meier is the X-Factor who can score points with a multiitude of shots,  plus she can use the block to her advantage with her power.  Their match with Marion was dazzling with Marion winning 15-13 in set three, but not after Hempstead made a huge comeback fighting off multiple set points. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have a full album on our Prep Dig Wisconsin from the Westside Tournament in Cedar Rapids this past weekend. <a href="https://t.co/Vl1tBwpuPc">https://t.co/Vl1tBwpuPc</a> <a href="https://t.co/5neYDu0qAY">pic.x.com/5neYDu0qAY</a></p> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1315674110748487681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>