Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Monday marks the first official day of practice for volleyball teams across the state of Iowa with the first matches of the season looming just 14 days away.

As the season gets underway every team is hoping to end the season in the same spot, at Xtream Arena in Coralville for the state tournament scheduled for November 2-5.

With practices underway and matches on the horizon Your Prep Sports begins its 2026 volleyball coverage by taking a look at 20 area players to keep an eye on this fall.

Sophia Austen

Senior, West High

One of the top players in the state Austen is coming off a stellar junior season in which she earned Class 5A first team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association after leading West High to its best season in a decade.

The 6-foot-1 Austen ranked 12^th in 5A last season with 285 kills on .217 hitting to help West High to a 27-6 record and its first state tournament appearance since 2016.

A unanimous Mississippi Valley Conference first team all-Mississippi Division pick a season ago, Austen had 36 blocks, 318 digs and 34 ace serves to go with her 285 kills.

The Iowa State recruit enters her final prep season with 760 career kills and 763 career digs.

Edie Miller

Senior, Liberty High

One of the best back row players in the state Miller will look to put the finishing touches on what has already been an incredible prep career.

Miller was a second team Class 5A all-state selection and unanimous first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division pick last season after ranking in the top three in 5A in both digs and digs per set.

The 5-foot-6 Miller averaged 5.2 digs per set while collecting 480 total digs to help Liberty High to a 24-11 record and a spot in a Class 5A regional title match.

A Dayton recruit, Miller added 34 ace serves last season.

In three seasons Miller has amassed 1,622 career digs and 88 career ace serves.

Hattie Galloway

Senior, City High

Galloway is coming off a breakthrough junior season in which she secured her status as one of the top players in the state.

A Milwaukee recruit, Galloway posted career highs in kills, digs and blocks last season and will look to build on those numbers this fall as she attempts to help City High improve on a 9-19 record from a year ago.

Galloway was one of only two players in Class 5A last season with 270 kills, a hitting percentage over .300 and 70 blocks when hammered 270 kills on .321 hitting while adding 73 blocks.

A unanimous first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Valley Division pick and a second team 5A all state selection by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association, Galloway added 107 digs and 19 ace serves last season.

The 6-foot-1 Galloway enters her final prep season with 588 career kills and 196 career blocks.

Bailey Simpson

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

Following a solid sophomore season in 2024 Simpson established herself as one of the top players in Class 4A last season with a breakout junior season that ended with her earning second team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

Simpson will look to follow up her stellar junior season with a big senior season as she attempts to lead Clear Creek Amana back to the state tournament.

Last season Simpson ranked third in 4A in hitting efficiency and fourth in blocks while helping the Clippers to a 42-4 record and a spot in the 4A semifinals.

The 6-foot-2 Simpson was a unanimous first team all-WAMAC West Division pick after posting 298 kills on .379 hitting while adding a team-high 101 blocks.

A Missouri Western recruit, Simpson added 88 digs and 22 ace blocks.

Amelia Guinn

Sophomore, Solon

One of the most productive freshmen in the state last fall Guinn will look to improve on an impressive debut season in which she ranked 15^th in the state among freshman for total kills.

Guinn hammered 237 kills on .220 hitting last season as a freshman, the fifth most kills for a freshman in classes 4A and 5A.

The 6-foot-1 Guinn earned second team all-WAMAC East Division honors as a freshman after adding 30 blocks and 66 digs while helping Solon to a 29-10 record and a spot in a Class 4A regional title match.

Addison Bollier

Senior, Regina

The state digs leader last season Bollier will look to build on an incredible junior season that saw her earn third team Class 2A all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

Bollier led the state with 794 total digs last season while helping Regina to a 30-14 record and a second consecutive Class 2A state tournament appearance.

A Samford recruit, Boller averaged 6.8 digs per set and added 25 ace serves on her way to being a first-team all-River Valley Conference South Division

Bollier had 380 digs as a freshman in 2023 and has led the Regals in digs each of the past two seasons racking up 1,857 career digs.

Cyan Blommer

Sophomore, West High

Blommer burst onto the scene last fall with an impressive debut season in which she quickly established herself as one of the top young hitters in the state.

The 5-foot-10 Blommer will look to build on what was an incredible freshman campaign in which she ranked 11^th in Class 5A and led West High with 287 kills.

The 287 kills for Blommer were the most for a freshman in Class 5A and the sixth most by any freshman in the state.

A first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division pick last season, Blommer had a .217 hitting efficiency and ranked second on the team with 320 digs.

Blommer also added 17 blocks and 14 ace serves during her strong freshman season.

Julia Schlarbaum

Junior, Clear Creek Amana

A big reason for the success of Clear Creek Amana last season that included a 42-4 record and a trip to the Class 4A semifinals was the emergence of Schlarbaum as one of the state’s top young hitters.

The 6-foot Schlarbaum hammered a career-high 264 kills on .288 hitting last season on her way to earning third team 4A all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

A South Dakota commit, Schlarbaum led 4A with 72 ace serves and ranked third on the team with 283 digs during her breakout sophomore season.

Schlarbaum was a second team all-WAMAC West Division pick last season when she added 26 blocks.

Nora Wilhelm

Senior, Regina

After making her debut as the Regina setter two seasons ago Wilhelm took a big step forward last fall ranking fourth in the state in total assists and sixth in assists per set while helping the Regals to a 30-14 record and a spot in the 2A state tournament.

Wilhelm had career highs in assists, kills, blocks, digs and ace serves last season on her way to earning fourth team 2A all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and second team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors.

The 5-foot-10 Wilhelm had 1,061 assists, averaging 9.8 assists per set, to go with 25 kills, 36 blocks and 206 digs.

Wilhelm also had a team-high 45 ace serves during her breakthrough junior season and enters her final prep season with 2,018 career assists.

Izzie McDonald

Junior, West High

In her first season at West High McDonald established herself as one of the top back row players in the state while helping the Trojans to a 27-6 record and a spot in the 5A state tournament.

The 5-foot-4 McDonald ranked seventh in 5A in both digs and digs per set during a breakout sophomore season in which she was a second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-division pick.

An Iowa commit, McDonald averaged 4.7 digs per set while racking up 410 total digs last season and added 31 ace serves.

Kaitlyn Loria

Senior, City High

A steady presence in the Little Hawk lineup each of the past three seasons Loria will look to put an exclamation point on her career with a strong senior season.

Loria earned Mississippi Valley Conference all-Valley Division honorable mention honors last season after ranking second on the team with 184 kills.

The 5-foot-10 Loria added 139 digs, 12 blocks and 20 ace serves last season while helping City High to a 9-19 record.

The City High team leader in kills as a sophomore in 2024, Loria has racked up 442 career kills.

Hadley Miller

Senior, Liberty High

One of the most consistent setters in the state over the past season years Miller has racked up better than 1,600 career assists in three seasons leading the Lightning attack.

Miller is coming off the best season of her career last fall when she earned second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honors after ranking fifth in 5A in assists while helping Liberty High to a 24-11 record and a berth in a 5A regional title match.

The 5-foot-5 Miller had 758 assists last season while posting career highs in kills (133), hitting percentage (.262), digs (306), blocks (25) and ace serves (37).

A Morningside recruit, Miller has led Liberty High in assists each of the past three seasons accumulating 1,637 career assists to go with 769 career digs and 320 career kills

Scarlett Ferin

Senior, Solon

A two-year varsity contributor, Ferin enters her third season leading the Solon attacked poised for her best year yet.

Ferin was a WAMAC East Division honorable mention pick last season after leading Solon in assists while helping the Spartans to a 29-10 record and a spot in a 4A regional title match.

The 5-foot-9 Ferin had a team-high 424 assists and ranked second on the team with 31 ace serves while adding 141 digs last season.

With two years of experience to her credit Ferin will look to expand on those numbers this fall.

Lila Eastvold

Senior, West High

A big part of the turnaround season for West High last fall that included the highest win total in a decade and the first state tournament appearance since 2016 was the play of Eastvold at setter.

Eastvold ranked third in Class 5A with 895 assists in a breakthrough season in which she was a third team all-state selection by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and a unanimous first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division pick.

In addition to her team-high 895 assists Eastvold also posted career highs in kills, hitting efficiency, digs and blocks while helping the Trojans to a 27-6 record and a 5A state quarterfinal appearance.

The 5-foot-10 Eastvold had 62 kills on .306 hitting, ranked second on the team with 32 ace serves and added 22 blocks and 178 digs.

Ava Burnett

Senior, West Branch

Burnett returns with a year of experience under her belt after leading the West Branch offense last season while helping the Bears to an 18-18 record.

The 5-foot-8 senior had a team-high 455 assists last season and ranked second on the team with 238 digs.

Burnett added 21 kills, 20 blocks and ranked second on the team with 29 ace serves last season and will be counted on as a key leader for a West Branch squad that will be replacing four seniors that started every match a year ago.

Hazel Schluckebier

Junior, City High

After leading City High in assists each of the past two seasons look for a breakthrough season from Schluckebier this fall.

Schluckebier earned second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Valley Division honors last season after leading City High with 476 assists while also posting career highs in both kills and digs.

The 5-foot-10 Schluckebier had 79 kills on .177 hitting last season to go with 207 digs, 24 ace serves and 19 blocks.

Entering her third season as the starting setter for the Little Hawks Schluckebier has already amassed 1,048 assists and 364 career digs.

Ellie Wilson

Senior, Liberty High

A stalwart in the Liberty High attack since her freshman season Wilson is coming off the best season of her career last fall when she led the Lightning in kills while posting a career high in hitting efficiency.

Wilson hammered a team-high 216 kills on .184 hitting last season on her way to earning Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honorable mention status.

The 5-foot-8 Wilso added 221 digs, 28 ace serves and 19 blocks last season helping Liberty High to a 24-11 record nd a spot in a 5A regional title match.

A four-year starter, Wilson has posted three consecutive seasons with at least 100 kills and enters her final prep season with 498 career kills and 733 career digs.

Sydney Van Heukelom

Senior, Liberty High

Another four-year starter for the Lightning, Van Heukelom is looking to build off a breakthrough junior season in which she posted career highs in both kills and hitting efficiency.

Van Heukelom earned second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division honors last season after posting 195 kills on .299 hitting while helping Liberty High to a 24-11 record.

The 195 kills last season for Van Heukelom were more than the 6-foot-1 middle had in her first two varsity seasons combined.

Van Heukelom has led Liberty High in blocks each of the past three season after collecting 67 blocks a year ago and enters her final season with 367 career kills and 197 career blocks.

Kainoa Senio/Ava Lacina  

Sophomores, West Branch

Senio and Lacina each made strong debuts a year ago as the tandem combined for 215 kills in their freshman campaigns.

With three of the top four hitters from last year’s 18-18 West Branch squad lost to graduation there will be plenty of opportunities for Lacina and Senio to bump up their production in a big way this fall.

Lacina ranked third on the team with 117 kills last season while Senio added 98 kills on .165 hitting.

The 5-foot-7 Lacina had 23 blocks and 77 digs a year ago while the 5-foot-6 Senio had 28 blocks and 85 digs.

Adalee Klein

Senior, Regina

A breakthrough season from Klein was a big reason Regina returned to the Class 2A state tournament for a second consecutive season last fall.

Klein earned second team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors last season after posting career highs in kills, hitting efficiency, blocks and digs while helping the Regals to a 30-14 record.

The 6-foot-2 Klein had a 134 kills last season from his middle spot, 101 more kills than Klein had as a sophomore in 2024.

Klein posted a career-best hitting efficiency of .231 and led Regina in blocks for the second consecutive season with 69 blocks.

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