Volleyball Represents at 2026 Drake Relays

<!-- 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>The 116th Drake Relays took place during the weekend in Des Moines. Student-athletes from middle school to the professional ranks competed on and around the famed blue oval.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As is always the case, volleyball players showed off their athleticism at the historic event. Some of them left town with special memories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a rundown: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='763901' first='Berkley' last='Weiland'] laid the foundation for what should be a breakout volleyball season in 2026 with a sound sophomore campaign last fall. She helped the Rams' 4x100 win a Drake championship, was a part of the 4x200 that finished second, ran for the sixth-place 4x400 and was on the ninth-place sprint medley team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Sisters [player_tooltip player_id='389019' first='Avery' last='Vogt'] and [player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt'], Division I volleyball commitments from Waukee Northwest, were in the thick of it at Drake. Their sprint medley relay team finished second. [player_tooltip player_id='389019' first='Avery' last='Vogt'], who will play volleyball at Drake next year, also helped the Wolves' 4x100 relay team to an eighth-place finish. [player_tooltip player_id='490013' first='Logan' last='Vogt'], verbally pledged to Iowa State in the 2027 Class, took third place in the open 400.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-It's entertaining to watch Mid-Prairie's [player_tooltip player_id='775157' first='Jeorgia' last='Evans'] compete in volleyball as one of its keys players in reaching state the last two seasons. The sophomore continues doing the sport proud in other pursuits, like in the 100M, where her time of 12.13 seconds was good enough for fourth place at Drake. She also took seventh (17'06.75) in the long jump. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Mount Vernon's [player_tooltip player_id='754000' first='Cali' last='Whitaker'], who started on the Mustang's 2024 state volleyball title, helped the sprint medley relay team cross the finish line in third. She recorded eighth-place finishes in the 100 and 400.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Pella's [player_tooltip player_id='389942' first='Katie' last='Scheckel'] is one of the state's best all-around athletes. The Elite All-State volleyballer finished 11th in the shot put. Indianola's [player_tooltip player_id='809649' first='Haley' last='New'] was one spot behind her after producing 196 kills (.226) and 52.0 blocks in 109 sets last fall. [player_tooltip player_id='389007' first='Adalynn' last='Johnson'] ended up 19th following a senior season helping North Scott in a state championship with 204 kills (.290) and 5.0 blocks in 100 sets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='812248' first='Cassidy' last='Danburg'] is an accomplished, multi-sport athlete. The Waukee Northwest junior helped the volleyball team win a state championship last fall and then stood out for a Wolves' hoops squad that reached the basketball title game. The junior finished 15th in the discus. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='754848' first='Annabell' last='Niggemeyer'], who saw varsity volleyball time for a state tournament team last season, came in 22nd, and [player_tooltip player_id='490014' first='Maliya' last='Cobb'], who came up with 30 kills for an Ankeny outfit that reached the state semifinals was eighth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='552867' first='Allison' last='Koch'] contributed 66.0 blocks to Grundy Center's surge to the state semifinals last year. The senior took eighth in the high jump. All-staters Brielle Hough (10th), [player_tooltip player_id='827713' first='Rowan' last='Jacobi'] (12th) and [player_tooltip player_id='389066' first='Cambel' last='Drapeau'] (21) also competed in the high jump. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-ADM senior [player_tooltip player_id='261063' first='Elise' last='Coghlan'] took third in the 100 hurdles, and was part of the shuttle hurdle relay that was fourth and the 4x400 that was eighth. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Lucy Lueken ran on Wahlert's 11th-place 4x800 team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Waukee's [player_tooltip player_id='493609' first='Madison' last='Grover'] cross the finish line 400 hurdles in ninth place. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->