I’ve been fortunate enough to cover several Des Moines-area stars through my Prep Dig Showcase travels. Ladwig has been a mainstay on our event circuit and reminded us of her incredible ceiling in the front row. Not many high school offenses run through their opposite, but Waukee Northwest can make an exception when Ladwig is patrolling the net. She consistently swings at the peak of her jump and creates matchup nightmares as a blocker. Iowa State is excited to keep this senior athlete within state borders.

I caught a little bit of PowerPlex Brogean in action at the 2026 Windy City National Qualifier the week before but watching a full match at the Mid-April ASICS Show Me National Qualifier. The squad took on Milwaukee Sting in the Open Division, where it finished fifth. Ladwig showed everybody why she’ll be heading to Iowa State as a member of its 2027 recruiting class. The powerful right-side hitter was hammering the ball through weak blocks and working her way around tougher ones. After helping Waukee Northwest win its second Class 5A state championship last fall with 278 kills (.422) and 74.0 blocks in 93 sets, Ladwig has raised her level of play again facing top-flight competition throughout this club campaign. She’s become more consistent through the years and still has room to go before reaching her considerable ceiling. Cyclone fans should get excited for the future.

Iowa PowerPlex 17U Brogean’s stacked lineup delivered on our sky-high expectations, and Ladwig engineered the team’s success at the opposite position. Much like Burrell, Ladwig changes the dynamic at the net as soon as she rotates in. We saw 17U Brogean experiment with various lineups throughout the Iowa Clash, but Ladwig was the focal point of most of them. She matched her wicked right arm with a clinical, well-formed block on the wings.