Under-The-Radar Iowa 2028s with Plenty of Upside

We're seeing a collection of seniors finding college homes of late, which is wonderful. They're kids that have worked hard and waited for their time.   Members Iowa 2028 Class are on the same path. Sometimes it takes more time for certain athletes to win over coaches at the next level. Here's a closer look at under-the-radar juniors ready to raise their stock and prove they're worthy of more interest:    Kelley has made a ton of progress during the last year. She did so while working hard waiting her turn with the Pleasant Valley varsity, which will come this fall, and on the club circuit. Kelley is high up in the list of 2025 prep breakouts. Not the tallest middle in the mix, she succeeds with a big vertical leap, long arms, technique and timing. Kelley extracts a lot of power from her operation with a keen sense for reading the opposing block. She also tracks the opposite attack well, flows with the play and throws up a strong block. Kelley has upside, too, with a frame that can add strength and power.     Ronnfeldt is someone a non-volleyball fan watching the sport might not notice. Those folks often are drawn in by the athletic power of the hitters. They notice back-row errors and not the difficulty in delivering consistently precise passes. That's what we've seen from Ronnfeldt, the starting libero for a state semifinalist at Clear Creek Amana. She started all 46 of the varsity matches, coming up with a team-best 355 digs. Her Iowa United team enjoyed success this club campaign. Ronnfeldt is technically sound and limits mistakes. Her feel for the game and flow of the match help her cover a lot of court.     PowerPlex fielded a pair of quality 16U squads during the 2026 club campaign. Presley was the libero on one of them. I watched that squad at the Mizuno Midwest Challenge and was reminded of her steadiness in the back row from previous scouting opportunities. She moved well laterally and in a straight line, covering plenty of court. Her reflexes were sharp against heavy attacks and receiving serves was a strength. Presley flows well with the action and is a quick, high-energy player. She communicates well with teammates in helping make sure everyone is on the same page.     I first saw Crawford play in person during Waterloo West's road upset at Iowa City High last fall. The sophomore stood out as an all-around contributor, recording eight kills and five digs on the day. While I didn't get to watch her compete with Fearless this club season, I was able to review video highlights from the year as well as summer scrimmage footage with the Wahawks. Crawford has continued sharpening her overall volleyball skills. Her swing has added power and become more efficient thanks to improved reading of the block. She's gotten better in serve-receive and in defending the back row. Her athleticism complements sound technique.     Fried impressed me with her performance at the Westside Invite late in the 2025 regular season. Against strong competition, the sophomore showed she belonged. It was a combination of physicality and athleticism coveted by college coaches. I witnessed the same traits, though more advanced, when watching her with Iowa Impact this club campaign. Fried looked locked in as a versatile two-way middle with agility and explosion. Her volleyball skills were sharpened, lifting her efficiency on the attack. She read the block and found holes in the defense. The slide attack was clicking. Fried is technically sound when blocking, using angles to her advantage.

We're seeing a collection of seniors finding college homes of late, which is wonderful. They're kids that have worked hard and waited for their time.