Players That Pushed Through Round 1: 5A Regions 5-8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heading into the second half of 5A, we will be covering regions 5-8. Here are your scoreboards, evals, and more. Follow me on Instagram to stay up to date with the Regional and State Tournaments: @Prepdigmarissa.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">REGION 5</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ottumwa defeats Des Moines North</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs are adding to the list of first-round sweeps, taking care of the Polar Bears with ease (25-16, 25-12, 25-16). Ottumwa is loaded with well-rounded players who are hungry for competition. I am excited to see how they compete against Iowa City West. They will be competing with the Trojans on Thursday at IC West.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["782282"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad97aa97a647"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='782282' first='Blake' last='Goldsmith'] has been slowly making herself more and more known over the last year. The sophomore has an incredible balance of composure and fire and brings loads of power when she steps on the court. Not only can Goldsmith put the ball away at the net, but she also knows how to play some pretty solid defense. She has an incredibly high ceiling, and I'm excited to see how her skills help out the Bulldogs in the semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">REGION 6</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Council Bluffs Lincoln defeats Council Bluffs Jefferson</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>CB Lincoln took down CB Jefferson in a quick three-set match and did a great job forcing the Yellow Jackets to make plenty of errors. The final scores were (25-11, 25-11, 25-17). Lincoln will be heading to Ankeny Centennial on Thursday to play in the semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1054536"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad97aa97a6fe"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1054536' first='Emily' last='Townsend'] has been a fantastic leader for the Lynx so far this season. The junior setter has worked hard to make strong connections with her hitters and is always finding ways to adjust and make herself better for her team. Townsend has a strong work ethic and a powerful team first mentality.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">REGION 7</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Dubuque Senior defeats Davenport West</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To be completely honest, I was a little shocked by how many points the Rams allowed the Falcons to score throughout the match. Either way, Dubuque managed to pull through with the final score being 25-20, 25-15, 25-17. Major props to West for fighting hard up until the last point. Dubuque Senior will be going up against the Spartans of Pleasant Valley on Thursday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["780202"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad97aa97a765"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">You can't really talk about Dubuque Senior without mentioning freshman [player_tooltip player_id='780202' first='Mallory' last='Pfab']. The oppo has come in and wasted no time making a major impact in the Rams program. Not only does she stand tall at 6'2, but she has an insane amount of power, a fast arm swing, and a very high IQ when it comes to hitting. Pfab has an insanely bright future, and I'm excited to see how she leads Dubuque Senior throughout the years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">REGION 8</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Waterloo United defeats Davenport Central</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was fairly shocked to see that Waterloo managed to sweep Davenport Central in three sets, but it was a hard-fought match by both teams. The Totans closed out the night with a score of 25-21, 25-21, 25-11. Waterloo played extremely clean volleyball and left room for little to no error on their end. Now, the Titans will be playing at Iowa City Liberty on Thursday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1050669"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad97aa97a7ba"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Although the Blue Devils didn't pull through with the win, I was still so incredibly impressed by [player_tooltip player_id='1050669' first='Noni' last='Casillas']. The junior has been a dominating force at the net all season, and she refused to back down against the Titans. Casillas puts up a strong block and is an incredibly crafty middle who does a fantastic job of adjusting to all of her sets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->