Your Prep Sports Area Volleyball Players to Watch this Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Monday marked the first official day of practice for volleyball teams across the state.
Opening night for matches looms less than two weeks away as every team in the state is seeking to earn a spot at the state tournament scheduled for November 3-6 at Xtream Arena in Coralville.
Before the season starts rolling later this month Your Prep Sports begins its 2025 volleyball coverage by taking a look at 20 area players to watch this fall.
Reese Naeve
Senior, Regina
One of the top players in the state, Naeve is coming off one of the best seasons for an Iowa prep in recent history.
Naeve hammered a state-best 753 kills becoming the first Iowa prep with 700 kills in a season since Mikaela Foecke of Fort Madison Holy Trinity had 812 in 2014 while leading Regina to its first state tournament appearance since 2017.
The 753 kills for Naeve last season were 63 more than any other player in the state and the 7.5 kills per set for Naeve last season were also the best in the state.
An Iowa State recruit, Naeve has raised her kill total each of the past two seasons while racking up 1,795 career kills and 1,043 career digs through three seasons.
The 5-foot-9 Naeve averaged 8.4 kills per set in four postseason matches including a 39-kill effort on .479 hitting in a four-set regional final win over Pella Christian
A Class 2A second team all-state pick by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and first team River Valley Conference South Division selection, Naeve had 343 digs, 17 blocks and 34 ace serves while helping Regina to a 24-15 record and a spot in the 2A state tournament.
Edie Miller
Junior, Liberty High
Long considered one of the top back row performers in the state Miller has led Class 5A in digs in each of her two varsity seasons.
A Dayton commit, Miller collected a 5A-best 550 digs while averaging 6.1 digs per set last season on her way to earning unanimous first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors and third team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association for the second consecutive season.
The 5-foot-6 Miller had a team-high 32 ace serves last season while helping Liberty High to a 15-21 record and a spot in a Class 5A regional title game.
In two varsity seasons Miller has already amassed 1,153 career digs and 54 career ace serv
Sophia Austen
Junior, West High
Last season Austen followed up a strong freshman campaign with a stellar sophomore season that vaulted her into the category of one of the state’s top players.
Now Austen will seek to take her game and West High to an even higher level this fall.
Austen was a unanimous first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division pick last season after leading West High in kills and digs and ranking second on the team in hitting efficiency and blocks as the Trojans boosted their win total by four from 2024.
An Iowa State commit, Austen hammered 306 kills on .223 hitting last season and added a team-high 235 digs.
The 6-foot-1 Austen is also a two-time state qualifier in the high jump and posted 30 blocks and 30 ace serves last season.
Look for another leap in production from the athletic Austen who is emerging as one of the most dominant hitters in the state.
Averie Lower
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
Among the best two-sport athletes in the state Lower is seeking to put the finishing touches on what has been a brilliant prep volleyball career with a strong senior season.
An all-state basketball player for the Clippers, Lower has been among the most productive volleyball players in Class 4A over the past three seasons racking up 914 kills, 983 digs and 129 blocks while helping Clear Creek Amana to a 117-20 record and three consecutive state tournament appearances.
Lower is coming off her third consecutive season with at least 220 kills, 300 digs and 30 blocks as she led Clear Creek Amana in kills and digs last season while helping the Clippers to a 37-8 record and a spot in the Class 4A state tournament.
The 6-foot Lower ranked third in 4A and 17th in the state with 410 kills last season on a career-best .246 hitting efficiency.
Lower had a team-high 334 digs on her way to being a unanimous first team all-WAMAC West Division and Class 4A first team all-state selection.
Hadley Miller
Junior, Liberty High
The versatile Miller has emerged as a steady force in the Liberty High lineup the past two seasons and will look to take on an even bigger role in her third varsity season.
Miller ranked in the top four on the team in assists, kills, digs and aces last season helping Liberty High to 15-21 record and a spot in a 5A regional title game.
The 5-foot-6 setter earned second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honors after leading Liberty High with 364 assists to go with a career-high 95 kills and 199 digs.
Miller added 31 ace serves last season as a sophomore and should see her numbers continue to climb this fall.
In two seasons Miller has 879 assists, 187 kills, 463 digs, 66 aces and 24 blocks.
Hattie Galloway
Junior, City High
The more Galloway plays the better the rangy and athletic junior hitter gets.
Galloway was impressive two seasons ago as a freshman posting 128 kills and a team-high 58 blocks as a rookie.
Last season Galloway was even better ranking second on the team with a career-high 190 kills on a team-high .342 hitting while leading the Little Hawks with 65 blocks.
The 6-foot Galloway added 35 digs and 15 ace serves last season on her way to earning second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Valley Division honors.
Expectations are high for City High this season and the continued growth of Galloway is a big reason why as the junior standout could be in for a special season.
Emily Henderson
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
Henderson emerged as one of the state’s top setters last season ranking fourth in Class 4A and 16th in the state in assists while helping Clear Creek Amana return to the state tournament for the third consecutive season.
The reigning WAMAC West Division player of the year, Henderson is coming off a massive junior season in which she handed out 928 assists and led Clear Creek Amana with 44 ace serves while earning Class 4A third team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
Henderson added 302 digs, 96 kills and 48 blocks last season while leading Clear Creek Amana to a 37-8 record and a spot in the Class 4A quarterfinals.
A four-year starter, the versatile 5-foot-8 Henderson enters her final prep season with 1,976 career assists, 743 career digs and 209 career kills.
Lucy Maassen
Senior, Liberty High
After recording more than 400 kills over the past two seasons Maassen is seeking a strong finish to what has already been an impressive carer.
Maassen ranked second on the team in kills for the second consecutive season last fall posting 162 kills on her way to earning Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honorable mention honors.
The 5-foot-8 Maassen added 132 digs and 19 blocks last season while helping the Lightning to a 15-21 record.
An explosive athlete on the outside look for a strong final season from Maassen who had 252 kills and 40 blocks two seasons ago as a sophomore.
Addison Bollier
Junior, Regina
In two seasons Bollier has established herself as one of the top back row players in the state and is coming off the best season of her career.
Bollier ranked second in the state with 683 digs last season while helping Regina win 24 matches and advance to the Class 2A state tournament for the first time in seven seasons.
The 5-foot-5 Bollier was a first team River Valley Conference South Division pick after averaging 6.8 digs per set (fourth in the state) while also adding a career-high 37 ace serves.
Bollier has already accumulated 1,063 career digs in two seasons and should be even better with a couple of years of experience.
Ellie Wilson
Junior, Liberty High
Already a two-year starter with 282 career kills Wilson is primed for a big-time breakthrough this season as Liberty High attempts to improve on its 15-21 record from a year ago.
Wilson has demonstrated the ability to be a productive hitter on the outside after posting 176 kills as a freshman in 2023 and ranking third on the team with 106 kills last season.
The 5-foot-8 Wilson ranked third on the team with 237 digs and added 26 ace serves and 22 blocks last season.
Now an upperclassman with two years of experience Wilson is poised for her best season yet on Liberty High roster that returns largely intact from last season.
Audrey Small
Sophomore, West High
Small showed her huge upside and vast skillset last season during a strong freshman campaign in which she led West High ace serves and blocks while ranking third on the team in kills.
The 6-foot-3 Small was a Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honorable mention pick last season after hammering 100 kills on a team-best .289 hitting percentage.
A nimble athlete at 6-foot-3, Small led West High with 81 blocks and 42 ace serves helping the Trojans to a 13-18 record.
With a year of experience and a full offseason under her belt look for a breakthrough season for Small who possess the skills to be a force at the net for the Trojans.
Kennedey Whitford
Senior, Solon
Among the best back row players in Class 3A Whitford is coming off a strong junior season in which she led the Spartans in digs for the third consecutive season.
Whitford collected 418 digs last season, 12th most in Class 3A, on her way to earning honorable mention all-WAMAC East Division honors.
A South Dakota State commit, Whitford has posted back-to-back 400 dig seasons and has racked up 1,100 digs in her impressive prep career.
The 5-foot-5 Whitford added 26 ace serves last season while helping Solon to a 28-14 record.
Jozie Lahr
Senior, Solon
A three-year starter Lahr has been a big part of a string of recent success for Solon that included a 28-win season a year ago, the most for the Spartans since 2015.
Lahr has racked up 349 kills and 194 blocks in two seasons as a full-time starter helping Solon to 50 wins over that span.
The 6-foot senior hitter will look for a strong finish to her career this season as Solon attempts to take the next step as a team.
After posting 202 kills and 119 blocks as a sophomore Lahr had 147 kills on .290 hitting last season and ranked second on the team with 75 kills on her way to earning honorable mention all-WAMAC West Division honors.
Briley Kaalberg
Senior, West Branch
The breakthrough for Kaalberg came last season when she led West Branch in both kills and blocks on her way to earning River Valley Conference South Division honorable mention honors.
Kaalberg is hoping to make the follow-up season even better.
The 6-foot-2 Kaalberg was impressive last season hammering a team-high 133 kills on .155 hitting.
She was just as impressive on the other side of the net leading the Bears with 66 blocks.
Look for another big season from Kaalberg this fall as West Branch attempts to improve on its six wins from a year ago.
Bailey Simpson
Junior, Clear Creek Amana
While teammates like Emily Henderson and Averie Lower garnered plenty of well-deserved attention it was a breakthrough season from Simpson that helped Clear Creek Amana make a third consecutive state tournament appearance.
Simpson quickly emerged as a dependable second hitting option opposite of Lower last season ranking second on the team with 216 kills on .242 hitting.
The 6-foot Simpson ranked second on the team with 78 blocks and added 78 digs and 19 assists on her way to being a unanimous first team all-WAMAC West Division selection.
Look for a big season for Simpson as Clear Creek Amana seeks to improve on its 37 wins and Class 4A quarterfinal showing from last season.
Hazel Schluckebier
Sophomore, City High
Schluckebier made an immediate impact in her first varsity season leading the Little Hawks in assists while establishing herself as one of the top young setters in the state.
Following a strong debut season in which she handed out 572 assists on her way to earning Mississippi Valley Conference all-Valley Division honorable mention honors Schluckebier will look to grow her game this fall while helping City High improve on its 17-13 record from a season ago.
Last season Schluckebier showed an impressive skillset for a young setter.
In addition to her team-high 572 assists the 5-foot-10 Schluckebier had 60 kills on .237 hitting and ranked third on the team with 27 ace serves.
Schluckebier was second on the team with 157 digs and 29 blocks and should see those numbers grow this season.
Kaitlin Loria
Junior, City High
After getting a taste of varsity action two seasons ago as a freshman Loria flourished in an expanded role last season leading City High in kills on her way to earning Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors for the first time.
Loria had a team-high 195 kills on .212 hitting last season earning second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Valley Division honors.
The 5-foot-10 Loria ranked second on the team with 28 ace serves and was third with 25 blocks while helping City High to a 17-13 record.
Expect Loria to continue to improve this fall in her second season as a full-time starter and center piece of the Little Hawk attack.
Kiley Devery
Senior, Solon
An impressive athlete with the ability to dominate at the net Devery will be a key piece of what should be a potent Solon attack this season.
The 6-foot-1 Devery ranked third on the team with 186 kills on .200 hitting efficiency in her first season in the Spartan lineup last fall.
Devery ranked third on the team with 61 blocks last season.
A Fresno State recruit, Devery has racked up 689 career kills over the past three seasons and will be looking to add to those totals with a huge senior season.
Sydney Van Heukelom
Junior, Liberty High
Van Heukelom has provided a steady presence at middle for Liberty High over the past two seasons posting back-to-back seasons with at least 85 kills, a .250 hitting percentage and 60 kills.
This season Van Heukelom will look to take her game to an even higher level as Liberty High seeks to improve on its 15 wins from a season ago.
Van Heukelom was a second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division pick last season after collecting 92 kills while posting a team-high .250 hitting efficiency.
The 6-foot Van Heukelom led the Lightning in blocks for the second consecutive season last fall with 68 giving her 130 in her first two varsity seasons.
Van Heukelom added 22 ace serves and 59 digs a season ago and should be an even bigger part of the Lightning attack this fall.
Lila Eastvold
Junior, West High
If you are looking for a player ready to take a big step forward this season look no further than Eastvold who appears poised to build on a strong sophomore season.
Eastvold impressed in her varsity debut season last fall leading West High in assists and ranking second on the team in ace serves while directing the Trojans to a 13-18 record.
The 5-foot-8 Eastvold was a Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honorable mention pick after handing out a team-high 583 assists and adding 39 ace serves.
Eastvold also had 37 kills on a .112 hitting efficiency and ranked third on the team with 164 digs.
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