Tracking Iowa Club Team Performers on the Rise

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/03/week-1-iowa-regional-volleyball-recap/">Weekend 1 Iowa Regional Volleyball Recap</a>   The 2026 club volleyball season is rolling along. The first weekend of the Iowa Regional Qualifier is behind us. Teams will continue fiercely competing for bids to the USAV and AAU national tournaments coming up this summer.   I've been able to watch a lot of good volleyball this campaign. The sport in this state has continued ascending.   Here's a look at five student-athletes I was compelled to write about after seeing them in action:    I got a chance to watch Morrissey in person when she was helping Platform 16 Adidas to a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Iowa Impact Invitational. The Moline sophomore was sharing setting duties, looking really comfortable at the position. She gets to her spots quickly with quickness and agility. Morrissey delivers a soft set to all spots of the net, putting the ball at a good height for the hitter. She mixes up her sets well and does a nice job reading the defense. Morrissey works in unison with the middles on the attack and in throwing up the block. She lists libero/defensive specialist as her main position, and that tracks when watching her operate in serve-receive and in digging up the opposing attack. During 60 sets played for the Maroons in 2025, Morrissey flashed versatility, averaging 4.8 assists and 2.1 digs a set. She produced 20 ace serves.     Martin was playing up and playing well when I watched her in person at the 2026 Iowa Impact Invite in Ankeny. The Quad City Christian freshman was setting in a 6-2 alignment and prospered in helping Platform Adidas 16 Adidas to a fourth-place finish at the event. Martin is a well-rounded player at the position. Agile and athletic, she moves efficiently around the court as she tracks the ball and anticipates pass location in achieving optimal location. Martin picks up on opponent tendencies and match flow, which leads to good decisions when it comes to where to go with the set. She's consistent in her delivery, softly putting the ball at a good depth at the pins and working well with desires of her middle hitters. Martin can put the ball down, herself when the opportunity arrives and has a keen feel when throwing up the block. She holds up well when the ball finds her in serve-receive.     Cracking the Ankeny varsity as an upperclassmen is a tall enough order. Doing so as an underclassmen is that much harder. Fisher continued sharpening her game as a sophomore on the Hawk junior varsity in 2025. I caught her in action during the Iowa Impact Invite earlier this month. Fisher impressed with her athleticism, explosiveness and versatility. She's also skilled in volleyball despite the multi-sport athlete also competing on the varsity softball and track level as a freshman last year. Fisher was setting and hitting outside when her Iowa Impact 16-1 Premier team finished second at the event I saw. There's potential at the pin with the aforementioned explosiveness off the court, vertical leap and hang time. The swing is heavy with an opportunity to add more through further development. Setting also could be the path forward with a foundation on which to build with more reps.     I watched Mollison play for the first time in person at the 2026 Iowa Impact Invitational earlier this month. Her positional flexibility in the front row stood out. She was able to end points from both pins and the middle of the net. The versatility stems from being athletic and agile. Mollison moves well laterally, can jump and benefits from long arms. She makes sound volleyball decisions, knowing when to take a rip and swing away or when to take something off when that's the appropriate approach. Mollison shows potential on the block, where room to grow is exciting. She spent the 2025 prep season developing on the Valley freshman team. The varsity graduated a lot of production from a team that reached the Class 5A state semifinals, and Mollison has the look of a player capable of taking advantage if an opportunity presents itself this coming fall.     Dowling Catholic is one of the top programs in the state at producing talent for the next level. The roster usually is loaded with college prospects making it so many younger student-athletes must bide their time developing in the lower levels of the program. Michels did that in 2025, sharpening her skills on the Maroon freshman squad while the varsity made another trip to the state tournament. I saw Michels in person earlier this month when she was competing with Ohana 15 National team at the Iowa Impact Invite in Ankeny. She's a strong presence in the back row, especially when getting in a rhythm. Michels reads the ball well in serve-receive and when positioning to defend the attack. She's a good athlete that moves well laterally and flashes sharp reflexes. Michels still has plenty of room to grow and develop as a player, making her one to watch moving forward.

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