Uncommitted Iowa 2027s with Plenty of Upside

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/03/week-1-iowa-regional-volleyball-recap/">Weekend 1 Iowa Regional Volleyball Recap</a>   I've been fortunate to write about a lot really good volleyball witnessed this club season. It's reaffirmed that the talent in this state continues to rise.   That said, there's a lot more of you than me. It really does help when video highlights are posted on the various platforms. I can catch up on your progress and file new or updated reports until watching in-person again.   Here's a collection of reports on uncommitted Iowa 2027s based on the viewing of film:    Rogers is one of those kids that plays on teams with loaded rosters, leading to her being overlooked at times. I last wrote about here during the high school season, when she was an important contributor for an Ankeny Centennial outfit that finished second in Class 5A. The junior produced 81 kills and 37.0 blocks during 58 sets played (10 matches started). The Jaguars graduated a lot of talent from last year's team, and Rogers is poised to step into a larger role in 2026. She's preparing for that opportunity with one of the state's top 17U teams this club campaign. Rogers is an important piece of the PowerPlex operation that finished second at the Iowa Regional earlier this month, earning an American Division bid to the USAV national tournament this summer on Indianapolis. We can witness her strengths when watching <a href="https://sportsrecruits.com/athlete/sidney_rogers" id="https://sportsrecruits.com/athlete/sidney_rogers">videos on her Sports Recruits page</a>. She's an athletic middle that moves well laterally and gets off of the court quickly. Rogers flashes sharp timing in throwing up the block and mounting an attack. She plays well off of her teammates, selling the fake when the set goes to a pin. Rogers is one of the state's better uncommitted 2027s.     Vander Pol enjoyed a strong junior season on a MOC-Floyd Valley squad with a balanced attack. She accounted for 168 kills (.218), and added 26.0 blocks and 48 digs in 67 sets. This club season, she's contributing for a really solid Salty 17, which earned a USAV Nationals American Division bid with a third-place finish at the Iowa Regional earlier this month. Vander Pol is one of those players that makes teammates better by delivering when she's called upon. While we couldn't find footage from the club campaign, there are highlights from the past prep season on her <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/21205854/lily-vander-pol/highlights" id="https://www.hudl.com/profile/21205854/lily-vander-pol/highlights">Hudl page</a> that reveal her talents. It also houses her hoops clips. She ranked second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game this winter. In volleyball, Vander Pol brings versatility to the floor. She can end points from either pin or in the middle, getting on top of the ball and powering through the swing. Vander Pol also defends well across the net by timing the attack well and using sound technique.     While I can't scout as many club teams as I'd like due to time constraints, those occasions at least provide access to a lot of players at one time and place. I miss even more during the high school season because a lot of it is dedicated to two-team conference matchups, which are great. That leads me to Grimm, who I watched at the Prep Dig Sizzle last August. She was the engine for a Knight operation that would end up reaching the regional finals in another fine season. I hadn't witnessed her progress since August, so I checked her <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/20134722/Bianca-Grimm/highlights" id="https://www.hudl.com/profile/20134722/Bianca-Grimm/highlights">Hudl page</a> for clips from the campaign that saw her lead the team with 435 kills (.199), and add 321 digs and 43.0 digs. We see what impressed me at the Sizzle - a dynamic, quick-twitch athlete that plays hard and to win all of the time. A lot of the footage is of her attacking from the outside. It's explosion off the court and a quick swing that generates power. She reads the block and holes in the defense well, increasing her odds of putting the ball down. While she doesn't include back-row clips on her Hudl page, Grimm flashed a lot of potential there during the Sizzle.     Plenty of talented prospects in the Iowa 2027 Class remain uncommitted to colleges despite showing the ability to play on that level. Montez fits in that category. She's a fighter in the back row that's continued working hard on her game, which has led to steady improvement annually. And there's plenty of room for more growth, which should be exciting for a next-level program appreciative of her game. I've seen Montez a couple of times this club season wearing the jersey for Rockets 16R. An ability to read the attack and learn as a match goes on are strengths. Montez moves well laterally and covers a lot of the court, laying all out when it's needed. She brings excellent energy to the court, is encouraging of teammates and keeps a team connected. Montez led Muscatine with 270 digs last fall, adding 75 assists, which illustrated that she can deliver the two ball on the money at the pin.     Smith impressed me when I saw her performing with Union during the Prep Dig Sizzle last August at Greenstate Field House. Like a lot of the Knights, she stood out for her athleticism and fluid movements on the court. That certainly tracked in Smith's case. She was one of the basketball team's leading scorers and rebounder this winter, and was the track team's best long jumper as a sophomore last spring. The explosion shows up on the volleyball court, where she produced 337 kills (.292) and 121.0 blocks in 128 sets. Smith provides evidence of what she can do at the net during her <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/24255832/taylen-smith/highlights" id="https://www.hudl.com/profile/24255832/taylen-smith/highlights">clips on Hudl</a>. First, she can jump out of the gym. Second, she generates a lot of velocity when getting on top of the ball. Smith beats the block with that power and by reading it well. She's efficient in the middle but possesses the versatility to end points from the opposite pin. The athleticism and high volleyball IQ results in a tough defender in the front row.

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