Recapping What I Saw at ’26 Mizuno Midwest JVA Challenge

<!-- 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 2026 Mizuno Midwest JVA Challenge went down this past weekend in Central Iowa. Teams competed at the EMC Expo Center in downtown Des Moines and at the RecPlex in West Des Moines. Fifteen champions were crowned in age groups ranging from 12 to 18. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I made my way around the Expo Center for a couple days. Here's what I saw: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My viewing started with the last matches of the AM Wave and then the full PM Wave on Saturday. It opened with eventual 16 open champion United Timmerman taking on PowerPlex Chapman with recognizable names dotting both rosters. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The contest was hotly contested from the outset with United claiming the opening set, 25-20. Plex bounced back with a 25-21 win in Set 2. United responded with a 15-8 triumph in the decisive third set. Timmerman did not lose a match all tournament, and Chapman proved to be one of its toughest challenges.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This United team is a handful with [player_tooltip player_id='730098' first='Caroline' last='Crane'] wrecking worlds from the opposite pin, and [player_tooltip player_id='845755' first='Kennedy' last='Klein'] standing out as one of the state's top six-rotation outside hitters. [player_tooltip player_id='758163' first='Jaya' last='Morrow'] is a precise setter, [player_tooltip player_id='493975' first='Stella' last='Largent'] is an emerging six-rotation pin, and [player_tooltip player_id='765334' first='Meryl' last='Sandholm'] and [player_tooltip player_id='946957' first='Jaslyn' last='Rasmussen'] are stout in the middle of the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For a club's second team in its age group, Chapman holds up well, as evidenced by its ninth-place finish in the Open and showing against the unbeaten champs. [player_tooltip player_id='730397' first='Claire' last='Kenny'] is an explosive outside hitter that helps out through six rotations, and [player_tooltip player_id='536274' first='Ryan' last='Connolly'] also brings a heavy swing to the pin. [player_tooltip player_id='754848' first='Annabell' last='Niggemeyer'] and Ava Blackburn are a formidable 1-2 punch at middle hitter, [player_tooltip player_id='729453' first='Jennifer' last='Alexander'] keeps opponents honest from on the right side, and [player_tooltip player_id='772368' first='Hannah' last='Presley'] keeps improving in the back row. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I spent the rest of Saturday mostly watching 15U. It's an age group I've scouted and written about a lot this season. Many of the top squads played and won their way to Sunday's Gold Bracket. It turned out to be an eventful finish. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the quarterfinals, Rockets 15R upset United 15-1 Elite, which learned a few days earlier it had an at-large bid in the Open Division at this summer's USAV Nationals in Indianapolis. Rockets entered the weekend with an American Division bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The underdogs won the first set, 27-25, before United bounced back with a 25-22 win in Set 2. The Rockets responded with a 15-12 decision in the final frame. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It should be noted that United was not at full strength. It was missing impactful middle hitter [player_tooltip player_id='750513' first='Caylee' last='Jensen'] due to illness, and super setter [player_tooltip player_id='754551' first='Zane' last='Ehler'] was still being hobbled by a foot injury. That said, it's a team that rarely, if ever, loses to in-state competition, and what the Rockets accomplished was notable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The winners did a better job of staying in system and getting to the attack. Outsides [player_tooltip player_id='759977' first='Abbey' last='Kirk'] and [player_tooltip player_id='789484' first='Avrielle' last='Ohda'] performed at a high level of efficiency to make their swings count. The Rockets also were connected, served well and defended all around the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not to be outdone, Six Pack then topped Rockets in the semifinals, winning in straight sets. Powerful middles [player_tooltip player_id='887022' first='Quinn' last='Sweeney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='781517' first='Hadassah' last='Smith'] proved to be too much to handle, and libero [player_tooltip player_id='776054' first='Espyn' last='Decker'] covered a lot of territory. The Iowa Regional runners-up finished second in this event as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sunday morning, I watched eventual Open champs Select 17 Mizuno square off with PowerPlex 16 Nelson, playing up in the event. The youngsters gave the veterans all they could handle before falling in three sets. Unbeaten Select dropped just two sets all weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Select proved again to be a very well-rounded outfit with few weaknesses. Six-rotation outside [player_tooltip player_id='490015' first='Mazie' last='Sweers'] performed at a high level in the match as did sensational setter [player_tooltip player_id='490009' first='Leah' last='Caffery']. [player_tooltip player_id='489674' first='Jordan' last='Tegeler'] was a handful at the pin, and middle [player_tooltip player_id='493984' first='Kyla' last='Ramler'] influenced the match defensively and on the attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plex made life difficult for Mizuno with a roster loaded with talent that's gelling at the right time. [player_tooltip player_id='763850' first='Gianna' last='Stanfel'] was a hammer on the right side, [player_tooltip player_id='763901' first='Berkley' last='Weiland'] set with precision and attacked from the opposite pin in the 6-2, [player_tooltip player_id='732859' first='Elle' last='Isaacson'] brought power to the pin and [player_tooltip player_id='729146' first='Anna' last='Jackson'] was stellar in the back row. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following the Select-Plex matchup Sunday morning, I slid over to a court to see Adrenaline Dan. I'm glad I did.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a fun team to watch, the whole better than the sum of what are pretty good part thanks to connectivity and team work. The team finished fifth in a solid Open Division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outsides [player_tooltip player_id='893729' first='Madelyn' last='Paulus'] and [player_tooltip player_id='693817' first='Jaleaya' last='Oliver'] took turns running through six rotations. They proved effective in the endeavor courtesy of explosive athleticism, leaping ability, lateral quickness and fast reflexes. [player_tooltip player_id='826795' first='Keira' last='Mueller'] and Demarriana Steel were an effective tandem in the middle of the net, and [player_tooltip player_id='693879' first='Delaney' last='Vaske'] brought a heavy swing to the right side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->