Iowa 14U Programs Shine at Northern Lights Qualifier

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MINNEAPOLIS -</strong> A week before the Iowa Regional Qualifier, teams from the state converged on the convention center here for the Northern Lights Qualifier this past weekend. Their success up north impacted what we'll see in West Des Moines in the 14U Division this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>United Elite finished third in the Open Division at Northern Lights. With that, they claimed a trickle-down, Open-Division bid to the USAV National Tournament this summer. Northern Lights champion, KC Power, secured an Open bid already, freeing one up for the Iowa squad. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the uninitiated, Open bids at the national tournament are hard to come by. For a first-year club like United to claim one is impressive no matter what happens in Dallas at the end of June. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A spot in the National Division at the national tournament is top bid available at the Iowa Regional Qualifier. United's top 14s team will not play in the event with a better bid already secured. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The United roster is stocked with prep freshmen that already have made a mark of the varsity and eighth-graders that will do the same this coming fall. The student-athletes work well together with the core having been together for several years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Setter [player_tooltip player_id='754551' first='Zane' last='Ehler'] is a difference maker. She's destined to be one of the state's better players at the position when she enrolls at Tipton next fall. There's little she can't do on the court, and that's not an exaggeration. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another eighth-grader, [player_tooltip player_id='750513' first='Caylee' last='Jensen'], will make a similar impact at North Cedar next season. She'll do so as a two-way middle with athleticism and a high volleyball IQ. Her and Ehler's potential is through the roof. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='697463' first='Audrey' last='Small'] shares time with Jensen, giving opponents no relief in the middle. Small is a freshman Iowa City West, where she contributed 100 kills and 81.0 blocks on the varsity in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cyan Blommer serves as the hammer on this team. The Orion (IL) High ninth-grader brings a mighty swing and contributes through six rotations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mila Jordan is a team-player that's lined up everywhere during her young career. She's sharing libero duties with Avery Stewart in a setup that takes advantage of their best back-row skills. Wapello employs Jordan through six rotations, where she piled up a team-best 276 kills as a freshman on the varsity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='754537' first='Amelia' last='Guinn'] shines as a versatile hitter that can also slide into the back row and get the job done. [player_tooltip player_id='745251' first='Ava' last='Carlson'] can set or take care of business as a defensive specialist. Makinley Galvan adds depth on the right side, and Emersyn Bucheit brings the same in the back row. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With United out of the picture, a case could be made for naming Six Pack as the favorite to win the 14U Iowa Regional Qualifier. The team is coming off a second-place finish in the USA Division at the Northern Lights. A national bid in USA wrapped up, Six Pack has an opportunity to move up from USA to the National Division with a championship this weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Six Pack was locked last week despite losing of its top players, Kate Limbaugh, to a leg injury on the second day. It reloaded the roster after Carlson and Stewart moved to United from Six Pack this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Its strength is in the middle with [player_tooltip player_id='887022' first='Quinn' last='Sweeney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='781517' first='Hadassah' last='Smith'] casting imposing shadows on the opposition. They're both two-way stalwarts capable of putting the ball down off of power swings or turning back opposing attacks with long arms and good timing on the block. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='889843' first='Paige' last='Davis'] can play six rotations. She's dangerous at the pin and reliable in the back row. Madison Burkhardt joins her in standing out on the attack. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At setter, [player_tooltip player_id='785394' first='Hannah' last='Buhman'] consistently makes winning plays and keeps the operation running smoothly. Anndee Magers is a threat at the opposite pin, and libero Espyn Decker is joined by defensive specialists Isabella Sorenson and Tenley Eicher in holding down the back row. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Six Pack coach Zach Ceresa said this team is as close as any he's worked with. It shows in players being connected and on the same page. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->