Volleyball Capsules: Taking a Quick Look at Area Volleyball Teams
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
West High
Coach: Scott Sanders (4th season)
Last season: 6-29
Returning starters: Emma Dunlap, Jr., S; Katherine Kouba, Jr., L; Kearsten Lenth, Jr., S; McKenna Proud, Sr., OP; Ryann Culver, Sr., OH; Raina Pfeifer, Jr., MH.
Other returning letterwinners: Mayowa Dokun, Jr. MH
Newcomers to watch: Melae’ Lacy, Fr.; Emma Stammeyer, Fr.; Rylie Baldes, Sr.; Carmen Crabtree, Jr.
Headliner: Just two seasons into her prep career junior Katherine Kouba has garnered a reputation as one of the top back row players in eastern Iowa. Kouba was a Mississippi Valley Conference second-team all-divisional pick last season after leading West High in digs for the second straight season with 336.
Keep an eye on: Senior McKenna Proud returns as the leader of the West High attack after posting a team-best 120 kills last season. The 5-foot-11 Proud also ranked second on the team with 53 blocks and will be a centerpiece of the West High attack this season.
Ready for a breakthrough: Senior Ryann Culver could be poised for a strong senior season after showing flashes last season as a junior. The 5-foot-9 Culver led the Women of Troy in hitting efficiency and finished with 58 kills and ranked second on the team with 178 digs.
Circle the date: September 12 Caroline Found Volleyball Extravaganza. A home tournament is always a day to look forward but the annual West High tournament also offers the Women of Troy a chance to see how they stack up against some of the best in the state. This year’s always loaded field features six ranked teams including 3A top-ranked Mount Vernon, 2A No. 2 Dyersville Beckman and 5A No. 2 Liberty High.
Breakdown: There is excitement at West High following a six-win season a year ago with six starters returning and a strong group of newcomers expected to provide help.
Juniors Emma Dunlap and Kearsten Lenth both return with varsity experience after splitting the setting duties a year ago and have a veteran group of hitters led by Proud and Culver.
Kouba is a rock in the back row at libero while junior middle hitter Raina Pfeifer is back after posting 42 kills last season and junior Mayowa Dokun returns after getting some varsity experience.
Transfer Rylie Baldes, a 6-foot-1 senior, and Carmer Crabtree a 6-foot-1 junior will provide some much-needed height while Sanders has high expectations for freshman Melae’ Lacy and Emma Stammeyer.
City High
Coach: Tricia Carty (3rd season)
Assistant coaches: Reagan Johnson, Kenzie Ribble, Mickey Hansche, Aleena Hobbs
Last season: 17-15
Other returning letterwinners: Makayla Ribble, Jr., S; Maya Morales, Sr., L; Joslyn Becker, Sr., RS/MB; Alia Vanderhoef, Sr., OH/MB
Newcomers to watch: Ruby McDonough, Soph., MB; Mia DePrenger, Jr., DS
Headliner: Senior Maya Morales stepped in and solidified the libero spot last year in her first season at City High earning Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors in the process.
The 5-foot-6 Morales led the Little Hawks with 322 digs and ranked fourth on the team with 22 ace serves last season.
Keep an eye on: With the top three hitters from last year’s team lost to graduation seniors Joslyn Becker and Alia Vanderhoef will get the chance to show what they can do with more prominent roles in the Little Hawk attack. Both players were solid in limited hitting opportunities last season. The 6-foot Becker ranked third on the team in hitting efficiency while posting 95 kills and Vanderhoef added 73 kills and a team-high 38 blocks.
Ready for a breakthrough: After sharing setting duties last season junior Makayla Ribble takes the reins of the City High attack this season and has a host of new hitters surrounding her. Ribble gained valuable experience each of the past two seasons and had 225 assists, 46 kills and 194 digs last season.
Circle the date: October 1 at West High. The annual Battle for the Spike is always one to look forward to. City High snapped a four-match losing skid to its cross-town rival last season with season-opening sweep of West High. The Little Hawks will try to make it two in a row when it travels to West High in a match rescheduled after initially appearing on schedules in early September.
Breakdown: City High returns just one full-time starter from last year’s 17-15 squad but has plenty of experience for third-year head coach Tricia Carty.
The Little Hawks return four players with varsity experience led by Morales and Ribble and the hitting tandem of Vanderhoef and Becker.
Carty expects 6-foot-1 sophomore middle Ruby McDonough to provide some height at the net and junior Mia DePrenger is an athletic piece of the puzzle in the back row.
Clear Creek Amana
Coach: Jackie Clubb (7th season)
Last season: 23-20
Returning starters: Hailey Pollock, Sr., MB; Lauren Riggle, Sr., OH; Emily Sly, Sr., MB; Gabrielle Bedford, Sr., DS; Calia Clubb, Jr., OH
Other returning letterwinners: Morgan Helle, Sr., OH; Grace Bedford, Sr., S; Morgan Etscheidt, Jr. RS
Headliner: Calia Clubb emerged as one of the best players in Class 4A last season, earning All-WAMAC West Division first team and honorable mention all-state honors. The 6-foot-1 Clubb is an all-around talent that led the Clippers in kills (351), digs (285) and ace serves (48) as a sophomore.
Keep an eye on: Senior Hailey Pollock has made steady progress throughout her career, increasing both her block and kill totals in each the last three seasons. The 6-foot-2 middle was among the top players in the WAMAC conference last season when she posted 279 kills and a team-high 63 blocks and will try to improve on those numbers again this season.
Ready for a breakthrough: Gabrielle Bedford was solid in the back row last season as a junior ranking second on the team with 237 digs and adding 29 ace serves while earning honorable mention WAMAC West Division honors. Bedford will look to become an even bigger part of the Clippers back row success this season.
Circle the date: September 15 at Independence. Clear Creek Amana hits the road to take on 3A No. 13 Independence in a match that could determine the WAMAC West Division title.
Breakdown: Expectations are sky high for the Clippers this season which open the year ranked seventh in Class 4A. Clear Creek Amana returns five starters from a team that won 23 matches last season, the ninth consecutive year for the Clippers with 20 or more wins.
Clubb and Pollock headline the list of returners along with Bedford.
Seniors Lauren Riggle and Emily Sly are both back with varsity experience after posting 17 and 48 kills respectively last season.
Morgan Etscheidt (97 kills) and Morgan Helle (75 kills) are also both back to provide more hitting options.
The Clippers must replace departed senior setter Cheyaenne Bunch with senior Grace Bedford one of the candidates to take on the setting duties.
Solon
Coach: Jeff Walker (1st season)
Assistant coaches: Rylee Smith, Vik Meade, Lindley Visser
Last season: 15-22
Returning starters: Kennedy Bombei, Sr., S; Delaney Bombei, Soph., MH; Maddie Manifold, Jr., OH; Camryn Keith, Jr., MH; Sydney Langenberg, Sr., L; Kylee Flynn, Soph., S.
Headliner: Delaney Bombei will look to build on an impressive debut season in which she earned honorable mention all-WAMAC East Division honors with a strong sophomore season. The 6-foot Bombei ranked third on the team with 152 kills and was second with 48 blocks last season as a freshman.
Keep an eye on: Junior Camryn Keith showed flashes last season ranking fifth on the team with 75 kills and fourth with 36 blocks. The 5-foot-10 provides some length for the Spartans at the net along with Bombei and should surpass her totals in both kills and blocks from a year ago with an increased role.
Ready for a breakthrough: Kylee Flynn was tossed varsity action last season taking over the full-time setting duties as a freshman. Flynn showed she was up to the task, leading the Spartans in assists (575) and ace serves (48) while ranking third on the team in digs (192). With a year of experience under her belt Flynn should take a big jump in her second season leading the Spartan attack.
Circle the date: August 27 at Clear Creek Amana quad. The Jeff Walker era opens at Solon with a giant test as the Spartans face a WAMAC quadrangular field that features 4A No. 7 Clear Creek Amana, 3A top-ranked Mount Vernon and Center Point-Urbana.
Breakdown: Jeff Walker takes over a Solon program that returns five starters and six letterwinners from a team that won 15 matches a year ago.
The Spartans have strong young players to build around in sophomores Delaney Bombei and Kylee Flynn and a pair of experienced upperclassmen in seniors Kennedy Bombei and libero Sydney Langenberg who ranked second on the team with 253 digs last season.
Maddie Manifold and Camryn Keith each appear ready to make a jump as juniors after posting 50 and 75 kills last season respectively.
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