Scouting Report: West Branch-Iowa City Regina
In this article:
IOWA CITY, Iowa – River Valley Conference rivals West Branch and Regina split a pair of meetings a year ago. The Regals won in an early-season tournament before the Bears bounced back in a league match. Those matches were in…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIOWA CITY, Iowa – River Valley Conference rivals West Branch and Regina split a pair of meetings a year ago. The Regals won in an early-season tournament before the Bears bounced back in a league match. Those matches were in West Branch.
Thursday, the Bears visited Regina’s gym. They had upset on their mind against the 13th-ranked Regals. Regina rallied for a hard-earned, five-set victory.
Here are reports on some of the players that stood out:
Naeve is a cheat code against most of the competition at this level. You’d expect that from Prep Dig’s second-ranked player in the state’s ’26 Class. And to be clear, she’d excel at any school in Iowa. She’s a really good athlete with advanced volleyball skills. She shows good understanding of the game. You see it when she’s working with teammates on alignment during a match. The sophomore piled up 29 kills (.365) and 31 digs during this win.
Highlights
Emily Coleman
Emily Coleman
Coleman has put together a high school career of which to be proud. She’s playing her best volleyball now and is building on her legacy. She leads a balanced-Bear attack with an impressive swing that works from multiple spots. She defends the net well with good athleticism, including an impressive vertical, with quick explosion off the court and well-timed leaps.
Devery cranked out 19 kills Thursday night, tied for the second most in match. As I wrote earlier this season when watching the sophomore, she’s expanding her game beyond blocking middle. Her swing is improving in power and accuracy. She’s athletic with long arms, which makes her effective at the net defensively. She added six digs and 3.0 blocks in this one.
Pickett paced the Bears with 19 kills in this match, according to Your Prep Sports. Like Coleman, she’s athletic and agile. As a result, Pickett helps her team beyond the big swing. She displays a strong feel with how the defense sets up and adjusts her hits accordingly, making them difficult to block.
Sydney Wagner
Sydney Wagner
According to statistics on Bound at the time of publishing, Wagner leads the state with 519 assists. She recorded 52 of them in this match. She added 22 digs and a pair of kills. Wagner knows where her hitters like the ball and points it on point. She moves well and sees the play developing, allowing her to get set up around court and keep the Regals in system.
Alyssa Vargason
Alyssa Vargason
Vargason’s progression from when I saw her earlier this season to Thursday night was notable. Her development on the right side is an important part of West Branch taking a step forward as a team this season. She’s another weapon at the net that can contribute as a two-way player. She did just that Thursday with seven kills and two blocks.
Laci Chambliss
Laci Chambliss
Chambliss ranked second on the Regals with 29 digs in this match. She tracks the ball well in the air and gets in a balanced position for passing. She moves well laterally and does a nice job turning around pace into usable passes.