Names to Know from 2026 Iowa Impact Invite

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   Iowa Impact held its annual invitational this past weekend at the Prairie Trail Sports Complex in Ankeny. The results have been posted <a href="https://results.advancedeventsystems.com/event/PTAwMDAwNDQ5MDA90/home" id="https://results.advancedeventsystems.com/event/PTAwMDAwNDQ5MDA90/home">HERE</a>.   Here's a closer look at student-athletes that shined during the competition:    I my initial in-person scouting opportunity of Danielson arrived last club season at the Windy City qualifier. I caught her competing for the first time this year during the 2026 Iowa Impact Invite in Ankeny. There, the Pleasant Valley junior ran the show for a Platform 17 Adidas outfit that won the 17/18U Gold Bracket championship with a perfect 6-0 record. It won 12 of 14 sets played. Danielson is steady and consistent as a setter, two traits you love to see at the position. She's a good athlete and moves well around the court, covering a lot of ground. Danielson makes good decisions often based on where she receives the pass, not trying to do too much with her sets and making the makeables. She holds up well in serve receive, and long arms and height help when taking a swing or throwing up the block.     I've frequently written about Rude during the last few years because she puts on a show every time she competes. I watched her at the state tournament, holding down the back row in helping Valley reach the Class 5A state semifinals with an upset of defending champion Pleasant Valley in the quarterfinals. Rude was at it again when I saw her at the 2026 Impact Invite in early March. Playing up, she led Ohana 17 National to a third-place finish in the Gold Bracket. Rude combines the qualities you like to see in someone wearing the jersey. Her high volleyball IQ meshes nicely with her quickness and keen feel for the game. Rude is almost always in position, limits mistakes and delivers unlikely passes off of difficult digs. The sophomore communicates well and is a leader on the floor.     I didn't see Bentz play in person this past prep season, when she piled up 212 kills (.223), 298 digs and 29.0 blocks as a sophomore for an Ankeny Christian team that reached a regional final. The performance followed a freshman campaign when she started for the Class 1A state champs. It was great to see her in action during the 2026 Impact Invite in Ankeny. Bentz was playing six rotations as an outside hitter for the host program's 16-1 Premier team, which reached the 16U Gold Bracket championship. The 10th-grader is comfortable finishing points from both pins or at the 10-foot line. Bentz finds success with explosive athleticism which manifests itself in a strong vertical leap and quickness to be well positioned on the attack or block. The quick-twitch traits and sharp reflexes help in the back row. Bentz's prospect stock is rising.     I first wrote about Ehrke after watching her compete for a Pleasant Valley club team that finished second in the 14U division at last year's Iowa Regional qualifier, where it earned a USAV nationals bid. The then eighth-grader was a key contributor to that success. Fast forward to this winter, and Ehrke is a teammate of our daughter's on Rockets 15R. As a result, I've seen her entire season and observed steady progress up to her enjoying her best performance at the 2026 Impact Invite. Ehrke possesses plenty of natural ability to prosper at the net. She jumps well, can hang in the air and comes down with a heavy swing. It's been an adjustment playing right-side but everything came together in Ankeny during early March, when she looked confident and was a big reason the team won the Gold Bracket title. Pleasant Valley has another good one in the pipeline with this versatile prospect providing punch in the front row.     I lasted scouted Schroeder when she was competing at the 2025 Windy City qualifier. She stood out as a bouncy opposite pin capable of putting the ball down or blocking the attack. It was good to catch her again at the 2026 Impact Invite in Ankeny, when she helped Platform 17 Adidas to the 17/18U Gold Bracket championship. Schroeder looked to be building off of a junior season at DeWitt Central that saw her register 145 Kills (.266) and 42.0 blocks. The 11th-grader appears natural playing on the right-side. She adjusts well to sets and moves her body into the best position for an aggressive attack. Being 6-foot-1 with long arms helps her thrown up an effective block and generate torque in her swing.     It's fun stumbling on volleyball players for the first time even through you feel like you should have known more about them sooner. That was the case with Hutchins, who played up and helped the host program's 16-1 Premier team finish second in the Gold Bracket at the 2026 Impact Invite. The freshman even left the tournament for Ankeny's basketball practice preparing for state on Sunday and came back for the championship match. Hutchins is every bit of the 6-foot-1 at which she's listed on the roster. Long arms, explosion off of the court and leaping ability make for an intimidating, two-way presence in the middle of the net. Hutchins gets on top of the ball and flashes a big arm on the attack. Her timing in throwing up the block leads to rejections and alters a lot of opposing swings.

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area