Rockets 15R, Select 16 Mizuno Claim Prez Day Titles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ST. LOUIS - </strong>A pair of Iowa club teams powered their way to open titles this past weekend at the Presidents' Day Classic here at the America's Center. Select 16 Mizuno and Rockets 15R finished with unbeaten records and gold medals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IOWA SELECT 16 MIZUNO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming into this event, this was one of the squads I most wanted to see perform. I was lucky enough to watch it Friday and again on Monday. It did not disappoint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Monster in the middle, [player_tooltip player_id='230661' first='Ellah' last='Derrer'], has always stood out as a dominant force. She did so throughout both matches I witnessed. Derrer has continued developing her game with noticeable improvements in seeing the court better, timing on blocks, power in her swing and serving. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For me, Derrer is one of the better prospects in the state regardless of class. Her ceiling is high, and she's trending towards reaching it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The versatile [player_tooltip player_id='261085' first='Maren' last='Ouellette'] caught my attention during last season's regionals. She's taken steps forward since then as evidence by her performance here. She's become powerful on the outside and more consistent throughout six rotations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='389002' first='Mckenzie' last='Moeller'] shares traits with Ouellette. She offers position flexibility, which includes a strong swing on the outside. She holds up well in the back row with good lateral quickness and sharp reflexes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='261052' first='Ainsley' last='Haedt'] holds down the libero position, quite well, actually. She's solid in serve-receive, slides well laterally and her passes are consistently on target. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Setter [player_tooltip player_id='389008' first='Addison' last='Allen'] also can be described as consistent. She regularly places the ball where her hitters can rip. Her hitting and defense at the net is improving, and she's a prospect on which to keep a close eye.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Also keep tabs on middle [player_tooltip player_id='389003' first='Grace' last='Bohnert']. She makes sure there's not a precipitous drop-off when Derrer rotates out. Bohnert shows excellent potential as a two-way net presence. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='389006' first='Carsyn' last='Kelley'] and [player_tooltip player_id='389004' first='Eliana' last='Barickman'] also deliver key contributions with steadiness and versatility. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IOWA ROCKETS 15R</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rockets 15R is emerging as one of the state's top teams, regardless of age group. There's certainly plenty of star power. What makes it special is the stars' commitment to working well together, a key component for squads that achieve their goals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For me, it starts with one of my favorite young middles in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='493658' first='Hattie' last='Galloway']. While the sport likely will lose her to basketball down the road, she's emerging as a star on the volleyball court, too. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Galloway is a force at the net defensively. Her athleticism is enhanced by her anticipation and vision which aids her timing. She's developing as a hitter, whether she's going down the middle or sliding to the outside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Few luxuries in the sport are greater than a dominant middle. Please see the above writeup on Iowa Select 16 Mizuno's [player_tooltip player_id='230661' first='Ellah' last='Derrer'] for more evidence. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That said, having a hammer on the outside ain't too shabby, either. [player_tooltip player_id='360642' first='Sophia' last='Austen'] provides that for this outfit, shining through six rotations. The swing is mighty, defense in the back and at the net is consistently good and she owns a high volleyball IQ. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While they were at it, the Rockets brought in a dominant libero and setter. Twin sisters Edie and [player_tooltip player_id='316380' first='Hadley' last='Miller'] have already established themselves as two of the state's top players at their respective positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='273001' first='Ellie' last='Wilson'] gives 15R another strong outside hitter and [player_tooltip player_id='493660' first='Bailey' last='Simpson'] stands out in the middle of the net. [player_tooltip player_id='489998' first='Belle' last='Seaman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='493659' first='Adalyn' last='Kruse'] are steady performers on the right side, and Addi Allaman provides needed back-row support. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This group impressed the heck out of me last season. It's made significant gains up and down the roster since then. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->