14U IRQ Roundup: Select Shines in Winning Championship

WEST DES MOINES - If this weekend's Iowa Regional Qualifier (IRQ) is any indication, state high schools should be feeling pretty good about what's coming into their programs. Teams in the 14U age group, comprised mostly of freshmen-to-be in 2025, competed fiercely Sunday here at the RecPlex.   Select Mizuno entered action as the top-seed and came through with a championship. It bested Pleasant Valley, 25-12, 25-20, in Sunday's title match. A day earlier, PV took a meeting between the teams in pool play, 26-24, 26-24.   Select was ready for the rematch, pouncing on PV from the jump in Set 1. PV battled back in the second set, but Select was not to be denied.   The Iowa qualifier's three bids to this summer's USAV National Tournament in Dallas went to Select, CIA and Centennial Volleyball Academy (CVA). Select snapped up the National Division bid, third-place CIA claimed the American bid and CVA accepted the Freedom bid.   United picked up an Open Division bid at last weekend's Northern Lights Qualifier (NLQ) in Minneapolis, so it did not participate in the IRQ. Six Pack secured as USA bid at the NLQ but fell victim to faulty seeding and Select in Sunday morning's IRQ challenge-match round, which kept it from advancing to the Gold Bracket.   Six Pack did lose to the eventual champion, though. Select was on a mission.   The champs leaned on a tight rotation, playing just seven student-athletes, for the most part. You can do that with a special group of well-rounded volleyball players.   Dillynn Moore and Kerby Germann are dynamic, six-rotation outside hitters. They're athletic with good explosion and lift off of the floor. They also dig in when lining up in the back row.   Jaeci Leffel and [player_tooltip player_id='523167' first='Natalie' last=''] DePoorter team up as setters adept at putting the ball on the money, but they do a lot more than that. Leffel can swing from either pin, and DePoorter's long arms help her defend the net and swing on the right side.   Ruby Stevens is a difference-maker in the middle of the net, and Sarah Mitton is a versatile outside hitter. [player_tooltip player_id='741877' first='Tenley' last='Cewe'] provides steady play at libero.   The benefit of playing a smaller rotation is that the student-athletes receive a lot of reps together. That helps build chemistry and a connection that aids Select in grinding out points. It'll be a tough matchup at nationals.   Pleasant Valley surprised the field, including the folks that put it together. Seeded third in its own pool, PV won its first six matches before coming up short against Select in the IRQ championship match. It declined the national bid earned with the runner-up finish because its student-athletes have commitments to other sports, mainly softball, at that time.   Paetyn Peterson is setter that contributes in more ways that just delivering dimes to teammates. She puts the ball down, and defends in the front and back rows.   Emerson Ehrke and Lola Gardner contribute beyond killing it on the outside. [player_tooltip player_id='789484' first='Avrielle' last='Ohda'] provides power and versatility as a two-way net performer. Brooke Vonderhaar holds it down at middle hitter, and Aubrey Birkel keeps defenses honest with her opposite-pin attack.   Charli Dolan shows quick reflexes and a good feel for the game at libero. She's complemented in the back row by defensive specialist Hannah Martin.   [program_tooltip program_id='429065' first='Club' last='Iowa Juniors'] (CIA) lost a three-set heartbreaker to PV in Sunday's semifinals. CIA won its first five matches this weekend without dropping a set.   Molly Street, playing up this season, stood out again as a six-rotation dynamo. Chloe Degroot and Brynlee Asche proved to be a handful at middle hitter. [player_tooltip player_id='754872' first='Natalie' last='Rausch'] pressure opponents with her attack at the pin, and Stella Zmolek does the same thing on the right side.   CVA came up just short of matching its No. 3 seed, losing a third set, 23-21, to CIA in Sunday's third-place match. It won a competitive Impact tournament earlier this season to help open eyes before the IRQ.   Madi VanBruggen makes life miserable for the opposition when facing her at the net. Kenna Sorensen sets her and the other attackers up consistently well. Kendall Rinehart is a outside hitter with big potential, and Stella Heither impacts the action at middle hitter. Kaiah Starr (libero) and [player_tooltip player_id='523159' first='Macy' last=''] Song are reliable in the back-row.

WEST DES MOINES - If this weekend's Iowa Regional Qualifier (IRQ) is any indication, state high schools should be feeling pretty good about what's coming into their programs. Teams in the 14U age group, comprised mostly of freshmen-to-be in 2025, competed fiercely Sunday here at the RecPlex.