Prep Volleyball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) released their fifth edition of this year’s volleyball rankings and one of our local teams has been knocked out of the top 15.
Class 2A
West Burlington remains at #10 after a successful weekend at the Lisbon Invitational. The Falcons, who are 24-5 on the season, dropped one match at the invitational and it was a gritty three-set thriller against Class 3A’s newly ranked #14 Anamosa that ended 15-9 in the final set.
This senior heavy team will be looking to make it back-to-back years of being crowned SEISC champions as Taryn Snodgrass has eclipsed 1,500 assists for her career will look to feed the two-headed monster of Brenna Beggs (221 kills) and Madelyn Hamelton (183 kills). Jayonna Hiley has produced as well with 160 kills and 22 aces.
Class 1A
#4 Holy Trinity Catholic appears to have put their early season woes in the rearview mirror, going 11-3 since their losses to Central Lee and Wilton at the Wapello tournament. Their three losses have come at the hands of West Burlington and Anamosa twice.
The Crusaders are looking for a rematch from last year’s SEISC championship game against the Falcons, who they defeated earlier this season in five sets. Presley Myers has found her groove in the middle with a team leading 133 kills and 41 blocks.
Head coach Melissa Freesmeier has kept their two-setter system from last year with Elizabeth Griffin stepping up nicely with 132 assists on the season.
Burlington Notre Dame was on a roll, rising in the rankings to #11 last week. That momentum was dashed in one fell swoop at the Springville Invitational. The Nikes fell to three unranked teams in Easton Valley, Cascade, and Jesup, winning only one set in the process.
Resulting in the Nikes being unranked heading into the conference tournament. Notre Dame has youth on their side with three of their top four attackers being juniors and Emma Elmore, their setter, notching 385 assists in just her freshman campaign.
Chloe Wenzel has made life difficult at the net for opposing attackers with 45 blocks on the season, a mark that ranks 3rd in Class 1A and first in the SEISC.