USAV Nationals Spotlight: Iowa Select 17 Mizuno

<p>I felt the need to spotlight another team in the 17 National division. First, it was Premier Nebraska 17 Black, and now I’m crossing the Missouri River to look at another club that has had a strong showing: Iowa Select 17 Mizuno.</p> <p>This Iowa Select team features many players that have impressed me in both high school and club. Many of these athletes have displayed their talent at many of our Prep Dig events, too. All in all, this team had the talent and the chemistry to be a worthy competitor in this division.</p> <p>So, let's take a look at the team's path through Nationals and talk about a few players who will lead this group into the future.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Nationals Results</strong></p> <p>Iowa Select started out hot. They took down ACE and Michio Chicago in decisive two-set victories to begin the tournament 2-0. After 17 Mizuno’s first setback of the event against Dynasty 17 Black, the team rallied back to sweep Renaissance and Vision. Posting a 4-1 record in the first round of pools was a strong statement for Iowa Select.</p> <p>17 Mizuno's second-round pool was proof of the strength that the 17 National division presented this year. Iowa Select faced tough matchups against Paramount and FH Muscle on Saturday. After dropping a heartbreaker against Paramount, 17 Mizuno fell in another close fight against Muscle. Recovery came in the crossover match, though, as Iowa Select defeated Rage to end the year in the bronze bracket of 17 National.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Key Players</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="79708" first="Ava" last="Schubert"] is a natural leader for this team. She’s a prototypical lefty opposite who can hit in all six rotations. Schubert made a big impression with me at last summer’s Prep Dig Summer Bash in Omaha, where she was a dominant scorer for her Assumption High School team. She continues to develop into one of Iowa’s most exciting players.</p> [caption id="attachment_118913" align="alignright" width="348"]<img class="wp-image-118913" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Brianna-Gartner.jpg" alt="" width="348" height="232" /> Gartner[/caption] <p>Another athlete who embodies excitement is [player_tooltip player_id="103713" first="Grace" last="Graham"]. She’s a springy middle blocker whose lateral quickness is good enough to close any block. It’s easy to appreciate how hard she works in transition to ensure that she’s always available for her setter.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="103709" first="Brianna" last="Gartner"], meanwhile, holds things down in the backcourt. She’s simply the player you want to make the first contact on your side of the net. Gartner can handle serve receive, step in to take a second contact, or do whatever else you’d want from your libero.</p> <p>Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id="79247" first="Ella" last="Caffery"] helps tie everything together at the setter position. Pushing the ball against the flow is natural for her. Caffery’s tempo and location help spur the offense on even when passing is not perfect. She makes things happen, and the Iowa Select team looks poised to make a jump because of it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There's plenty of success ahead for this Iowa Select team. For the players, though, things begin to heat up again for high school ball this fall.</p>