Top 250 Expo Iowa: Junior and Senior DS/Ls & Rights

<p>There were so many talented athletes at the Top 250 Expo in Iowa today. I combined the defensive specialists and right-side hitters in this article because there were not a lot of them present for the junior and senior classes and this allowed me to cover them all in one place. Every athlete at the expo was a high-caliber player, so let's look at what makes each of them special. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/351-Paulena-Kamau.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-489116" style="width:167px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='261091' first='Paulena' last='Kamau'], DS/L from Ames High School, 2024.</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='261091' first='Paulena' last='Kamau']</h2>   <p>Kamau is a 5'5" senior defensive specialist from Ames High School. Kamau has quick feet, a great platform, and pure athleticism that cannot be taught. She does well with receiving the ball and getting it to her setter but is especially good at handling out-of-system balls too. She makes it work and doesn't let anything go to the floor when she is nearby. She always gives it her best and never seems to tire out.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/367-Payton-Askelsen.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-489119" style="width:165px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='474081' first='Payton' last='Askelsen'], DS/L from Ballard High School, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='474081' first='Payton' last='Askelsen']</h2>   <p>Askelsen is a 5'5" defensive specialist from the junior class at Ballard High School. Askelsen drops quicker than anyone else I saw at the expo today. She can get so low so fast and can dive well that I didn't see anything hit the floor by her. She seems to recover quickly from hard-hit balls and can set a hitter as well as receive. She serves sneaky little drop serves with weird spins and seems to get a lot of aces, at least today she did. She has great focus and communicates well on the court. She has really quick footwork that allows her to move to wherever she needs to go to do her job with alacrity. She is a very good defensive player but can also hit the ball over from the back row when needed. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/370-Sarah-Esbaum.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-489122" style="width:162px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='443094' first='Sarah' last='Esbaum'], DS/L from Mount Vernon, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='443094' first='Sarah' last='Esbaum']</h2>   <p>Esbaum is a 5'2" defensive specialist from the junior class at Mount Vernon High School. Esbaum is a very good setter as well as a great defensive player. She has a great platform, is very fast, and displays good anticipation for where opposing hitters are trying to put the ball. She is very aware and shows immense court intelligence.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='215432' first='Joslynn' last='Mehaffy']</h2>   <p>Mehaffy is a 5'10" right-side hitter from Marion High School's junior class. Mehaffy is excellent at digging up a blocked ball behind the middle. She was so fast and it was the most professional-looking play of the day. She has a great vertical, a great platform, and massive power when hitting on the right. She serves very well, can dig, and honestly could be a 6-rotation player because she played so well in the back row. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/137A0116-2.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-473698" style="width:193px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dowling Catholic's [player_tooltip player_id='215728' first='Kate' last='Nelson']. (Rob Howe/PD) </figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='215728' first='Kate' last='Nelson']</h2>   <p>Nelson is a 5'9" right-side hitter from the junior class at Dowling Catholic High School. Nelson showed some skill at the expo today. She is so fast and always ready for the ball so when an opponent blocked a ball coming over right into her face she somehow got that ball up to the setter and completed the rally with a score. She has spastic athletic reflexes that were shown to be useful again and again today. She was so friendly on the court and made every other player feel welcome, she has very good character and showed true joy for other athletes' success. She hits hard and with accuracy, blocks like brick wall, and has amazing cross-court shots that are so fast they are really hard to defend.</p>

There were so many talented athletes at the Top 250 Expo in Iowa today. I combined the defensive specialists and right-side hitters in this article because there were not a lot of them present for the junior and senior classes and this allowed me to cover them all in one place. Every athlete at the expo was a high-caliber player, so let's look at what makes each of them special.