Club Volleyballers Competing at High Level

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code:&nbsp;howe30&nbsp;in the coupon code area</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/03/week-1-iowa-regional-volleyball-recap/">Weekend 1 Iowa Regional Volleyball Recap</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 club volleyball season is rolling along. The first weekend of the Iowa Regional Qualifier is behind us. Teams will continue fiercely competing for bids to the USAV and AAU national tournaments coming up this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've been able to watch a lot of good volleyball this campaign. The sport in this state has continued ascending.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at five student-athletes I was compelled to write about after seeing them in action:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["814620"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69bac941595ec"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kayode is a kid I've seen a few times in person, the latest look coming at the Iowa Impact Invite in Ankeny earlier this month. She's playing with Impact 16-1 Elite, balancing that activity with leading Des Moines Lincoln's Girls Basketball in scoring and rebounding this winter. With hoops behind her, Kayode can tap into her recognizable upside in volleyball. She's an intimidating presence in the middle of the net, capable of slamming down a traditional set with the athleticism and explosiveness off of the court to kill a quick. That twitchiness along with timing aids in throwing up an effective block. Kayode's athleticism and heavy swing allows for ending points at the pins, too. That versatility should be attractive to programs on the next level. She paced the Railsplitters with 154 kills (.225) in the fall and tied for the lead with 26.0 blocks. Kayode is one to watch moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["490002"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69bacc1bbbbe4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Vanden Hull was a key reason that Ohana 17 National competed well when I watched it at the Impact Invite earlier this month in Ankeny. Playing in her home town, the Centennial junior set up a third-place finish in the event's 17/18 Division. She's a crafty and technically sound performer at her position. Vanden Hull consistently puts the ball in advantageous spots for her attackers, reading the defense well and picking up on the other team's blocking tendencies. She's a good athlete with agility that moves well around the court, allowing her to get in the best spot possible to set up the cleanest swing. Those traits also aid her in serve-receive, where she tracks the ball well, and in defending the back row. The lefty can end points on the attack, too, and help out on the block. The state runner-up Jaguars lost two senior setters from the program after the 2025 season, giving Vanden Hull an opening for a bigger role this coming campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["790527"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69bacf7e2ae1b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I've had a chance to watch Rockets 14R compete throughout this club campaign. Every time I see it, Pieper is making plays. Working as a six-rotation outside hitter, she does her best work from the pin, getting excellent elevation in the vertical leap, flashing hang time in the air and delivering a technically-sound attack geared to ending points. The aforementioned athleticism allows Pieper to stand out throughout the rotation. Lateral quickness, sharp reflexes and a good feel for match flow allow her to cover a lot of court in the back row. Pieper reads the ball well on the attack and on serve-receive. Her block also is effective. Pieper's well-rounded skill set feeds right into the talented pipeline at Holy Trinity, where she scheduled to be a freshman in the fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["767026"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69bad1b7107e8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I saw Gerdes in person at the Rochester M1 Elite scrimmages at the beginning of January to kick off club season. I attended the Impact Invite earlier this month, when she was again competing with CIA 16 Black. Gerdes is a stabilizing presence in the back row for this squad. Consistency leads to it staying in system to take advantage of a strong attack at all three positions along the front of the net. Gerdes covers a good amount of court thanks to a combination of easy lateral movements, clean reads on the ball and flowing with the opposing attack to get in the best possible position to deliver a clean pass. Gerdes communicates clearly with her teammates, sharing information and taking it in. Graduation losses leave Cedar Falls needing help in its back row next season, and Gerdes has the talent to do just that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["951082"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69bad352056d0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hampton showed me a lot when watching her compete with Platform 16 Adidas at the Impact Invite earlier this month in Ankeny. She's quick as a cat in the back row, giving her a wide radius when it comes to tracking down the attack. Hampton has the necessary athleticism, flexibility and lateral movement required in the back row. I noticed that she picked up on opponent tendencies throughout matches, giving her a jump on getting in a good spot to make a clean pass. Hampton does well in covering off of the block and supporting teammates throughout a play. Her strong communication also sticks out. Hampton has the look of an ascending player, one that will keep improving with more reps. A strong foundation was laid for success on the prep level working in the North rotation last season and producing 65 digs. I'd expect a nice jump forward in production this coming campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->