Heuton served notice that she was a prospect of note with her performance in helping Kuemper Catholic reach the state semifinals last fall. She proved to be proficient and powerful at the pin. Heuton built on that progress this club season with SWI Third Degree, improving her efficiency at the pin. It’s resulted from improved feel for the game through repetitions. Heuton keeps improving her attack locations by reading the defense and finding areas to expose. The power is increasing as is the patience to meet the set. Heuton’s long arms and vertical leap make her a natural at blocking, and she’s refining the techniques necessary for success there.

To say I was impressed with watching Heuton in action during November’s Iowa State tournament would be an understatement. Here exploits were paramount in Kuemper Catholic reaching the semifinals. Heuton remains on the fast track as a prospect, as evidence by updated video from this club campaign. She is a problem at the pin. A burst off of the court and big lift on her jump leads to a whip-like, fast swing that puts the block at an extreme disadvantage. Heuton has taken a step forward in generating power on the attack, and that should continue trending up as she adds strength during the next few years. Heuton is a good athlete that moves well laterally with quickness. She sees the court clearly and defends well at the net.

Kuemper reached the Class 3A state semifinals last month before falling to eventual champion Assumption. Heuton was a key component in the Knights’ success. The sophomore ranked second on the squad with 269 kills (.233) and 53.0 blocks. In watching her in person at the state tournament, Heuton showed explosion off of the court followed by an impressive vertical leap, hang time and power in her swing. Her long arms help generate that velocity and also serve her well in throwing up the block. An excellent athlete, Heuton ran sprints on the Kuemper track team as a freshman last year.