Going Gauntlet Team Preview – Iowa Select 17 Mizuno

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   I'm looking forward to checking out my first Prep Dig Gauntlet June 6-7 in suburban Milwaukee. Nine Iowa teams across the 15-17 age groups will be representing the state at the competitive, pre-USAV Nationals event.   I've been fortunate enough to have seen eight of the nine teams in person. The one I did not catch, Iowa Premier 16-1, <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/05/going-gauntlet-iowa-premier-16-1-claims-open-bid/?itm_source=parsely-api" id="https://prepdig.com/2026/05/going-gauntlet-iowa-premier-16-1-claims-open-bid/?itm_source=parsely-api">was written about by Prep Dig's Chris Fitzgerald</a> in our "Going Gauntlet" series leading up to the show.   I'll be putting together previews for the rest of our state's teams. Let's tip off the series with a look at Iowa Select 17 Mizuno.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   My two in-person scouting opportunities of Iowa Select 17 Mizuno were well timed. I saw it at the beginning of the season, when it finished fifth in the Open Division at the 2026 Nike President's Day Classic in St. Louis. I caught up with it again at the '26 Mizuno Midwest Challenge JVA during the first weekend in May in Des Moines, where it won the 17U Open Division.   In between, the Quad Cities based program secured an American Division bid to this summer's USAV National Tournament in Indianapolis with a fourth-place finish at the Iowa Regional. It entered as the No. 5 seed. Since then, it jumped up to a USA Division bid received by the region from the Northern Lights Qualifier.   Select flashed plenty of progress between the two times I watched it. It mostly showed up in the defining of roles and the connecting of the pieces. Select 17 plays with good tempo and explosion.   It starts with the two pistons that make the engine hum.   [player_tooltip player_id='490015' first='Mazie' last='Sweers'] is one of the state's top volleyball players regardless of age. The Pleasant Valley junior has two seasons as a six-rotation starter and a junior year starting at setter on her resume. It's a unique skill set, one that always plays an important role in her team's success. She's back to playing six rotations for Select and the results are excellent for the Missouri Western State commitment.   The Select operation is run by one of the best setters in the state. Wilton's [player_tooltip player_id='490009' first='Leah' last='Caffery'] (uncommitted) is a multi-dimensional contributor at the position. Her sets are precisely where the attackers like them to be, and she can deliver them from locations around the court. Caffery is fluid and athletic. She's consistently good and limits mistakes. Caffery will enter her senior season with 2,622 career assists in 288 sets.   There's a whole lot of talent around Sweers and Caffery. [player_tooltip player_id='493971' first='Allison' last='Toft'] (Kansas State), [player_tooltip player_id='493984' first='Kyla' last='Ramler'] (Illinois State) and [player_tooltip player_id='489674' first='Jordan' last='Tegeler'] (Lewis University) are committed to colleges.   Toft has not played during the two times I saw Select this season. The Durant junior was there in Des Moines, so, perhaps, the absences from the lineup were injury related. Toft is a impactful two-way middle when she's on the court.   Ramler also stands out in the middle of the net for Select. A Western Dubuque junior, she owns a heavy swing, which results from athleticism, strength and bounce off the floor. Her top traits also aid her in throwing up an effective block as do her agility and timing.   Tegeler is one of the ascending players in Iowa's 2027 Class. The Northeast junior explodes off of the court and into a swing with a whole lot of juice. She can get through the block and is skilled enough to get around it. Tegeler also is a good defender at the net.   Moline's Zoe Perez provides Select with a consistent presence in the back row. The junior libero combines a complete skill set at the position with leadership. She communicates well, helping to keep the parts of the puzzle connected.   In Toft's absence, Select has received excellent play from [player_tooltip player_id='758798' first='LaTasia' last='Green-Huffman'] in tandem with Ramler at middle hitter. The Moline junior uses her long arms and power to contribute on the attack and defensively up front. She does well in getting on top of the ball through the swing, and keen reads of the opposing attack helps with positioning when blocking.   Bettendorf's [player_tooltip player_id='949060' first='Reece' last='Harrell'] brings more firepower to the middle for Select. She's a good athlete capable of shifting to the opposite pin with effectiveness, too, which took place for the Bulldogs last season, when she had 57 kills and 46.0 blocks in 31 starts.   Harrell's Bettendorf classmate, [player_tooltip player_id='946816' first='Abby' last='Dykstra'], offers Select plenty of value as a versatile performer with the talents to chip in at the pin or defend in the back row as well. Adding further to the versatility of the roster is [player_tooltip player_id='917987' first='Abren' last='Bazal'], who piled up 316 kills (.234) and 342 digs as a Wilton junior last season. She does a nice job as a defensive specialist for Select thanks to fluid movement, quickness and sharp reflexes.

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