Class 2A state volleyball preview: Team capsules, stat leaders and predictions

CEDAR RAPIDS — Capsules for the Class 2A qualifiers at the Iowa high school state volleyball tournament, which runs Tuesday through Friday at the U.S. Cellular Center. Teams listed in bracket order.

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (47-3)

Nickname — Wolverines

Coach — Diane Harms (15th year at DNH, 570-96; 24th overall, 835-190)

Tournament history — 28th appearance, and 11th consecutive. 3A champion last year, the school's 12th title.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

2 Madison Hedges 5-7 Sr. S

7 Morgan Weber 5-11 So. OH

8 Sydney Petersen 5-4 Sr. L

10 Allie Aalderks 5-6 Sr. DS

13 Carlee Dove 6-1 Jr. MH

16 Amber Rickert 5-7 Jr. MH

21 Baylee Petersen 5-7 Sr. OH

Wapsie Valley (21-15)

Nickname — Warriors

Coach — Heather Robinson (1st year, 21-15)

Tournament history — 5th appearance. Won 1A titles in 2006 and 2007.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

1 McKenna Miller 5-2 So. DS

2 Kinley Saulsberry 5-4 Jr. OH

4 Brandi Marticoff 5-9 Sr. MH

7 Kaci Beesecker 5-4 So. L

10 Mikenna Joerger 6-2 Jr. OH

12 MeKyley Klenzman 5-8 Jr. OH

15 Erika Jeanes 5-7 Sr. S

No. 4 Council Bluffs St. Albert (27-3)

Nickname — Saintes

Coach — Angie Lantz (14th year, 327-164)

Tournament history — 6th appearance, all since 2011. Semifinalist last year.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

1 Meggie Wettengel Jr. L

2 Jordyn Blaha So. OH

5 Sydney McLaren Sr. OH

6 Lexie Petry Sr. S

7 Kalyn Wettengel Sr. MH

9 Alesha Johnson Jr. OH

12 Bailey White Jr. MH

No. 5 Unity Christian (24-10)

Nickname — Knights

Coach — Patty Timmermans (5th year at Unity, 150-37)

Tournament history — 19th appearance, and fourth straight. A five-time champ, most recently in 2000.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

3 Corrina Timmermans 5-10 Jr. OH

6 Erin Wieringa 5-10 Jr. S

9 Danielle Kroeze 5-8 Jr. OH

10 Brooke Zevenbergen 5-8 Jr. S

11 Jori Bronner 5-11 Jr. MH

13 Janie Schoonhoven 5-10 Fr. OH

17 Haley Hofmeyer 5-8 Sr. DS

No. 2 Western Christian (37-6)

Nickname — Wolfpack

Coach — Tammi Veerbeek (19th year at Western, 817-90; 22nd year overall, 884-112)

Tournament history — 35th appearance, 17th in a row. 15-time champion, including last two 2A titles.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

0 Jessi De Jager 6-1 Sr. MH

1 Emma Bousema 5-6 Jr. L

2 Olivia Granstra 5-7 So. S

7 Madison Hofman 5-8 Jr. OH

9 Tori Wynja 5-9 So. S

10 Chandler Schemper 5-8 Jr. DS

13 Ashtyn Veerbeek 6-2 Sr. MH

No. 11 Iowa City Regina (28-8)

Nickname — Regals

Coach — Jordyn Akers (1st year, 28-8)

Tournament history — 3rd appearance, first since 2013.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

1 Alex Wiese Jr. MH

2 Emily Bonnett Sr. S

6 Ellie VanLandschoot Jr. MH

8 Alexa Lehman Sr. OH

9 Clare Dunne Sr. DS

10 Jaedynn Evans Jr. OH

18 Katrina Chambliss Sr. OH

No. 3 Grundy Center (36-6)

Nickname — Spartans

Coach — Lori Willis (3rd year, 90-32)

Tournament history — 10th appearance, including seven in the last eight years.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

1 Landry Luhring 5-7 Sr. OH

3 Brooke Flater 6-0 Jr. OH

8 Sydney Mathews 5-4 Jr. S

9 Kylie Willis 5-10 Jr. MH

12 Hailey Wallis 5-8 Jr. OH

15 Kyah Luhring 5-6 So. DS

18 Emy Kracht 5-11 So. MH

No. 6 Sidney (31-5)

Nickname — Cowgirls

Coach — Amy McClintock (4th year, 105-24)

Tournament history — 3rd appearance, and third in a row. 1A runner-up in 2015.

Starting lineup

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos

2 Olivia Larsen 5-3 So. S

4 Cassidy Hobbie 5-5 Sr. OH

6 Kelsey Hobbie 5-9 So. MH

7 Camryn McClintock 5-7 Jr. OH

10 Makenna Jarosz 5-6 So. MH

15 Maddy Duncan 5-5 So. OH

20 Jaden Daffer 5-1 Jr. L

Stat leaders

Kills per set

Ashtyn Veerbeek, Western Christian 4.87

Camryn McClintock, Sidney 4.32

Jori Bronner, Unity Christian 4.24

Corrina Timmermans, Unity Christian 4.21

Alex Wiese, Iowa City Regina 4.03

Assists per set

Madison Hedges, Dike-New Hartford 10.22

Lexie Petry, Council Bluffs St. Albert 9.24

Olivia Larsen, Sidney 8.74

Emily Bonnett, Iowa City Regina 8.36

Erin Wieringa, Unity Christian 6.53

Digs per set

Kaci Beesecker, Wapsie Valley 5.17

Clare Dunne, Iowa City Regina 4.55

Alex Wiese, Iowa City Regina 4.30

Maggie Wettengel, Council Bluffs St. Albert 4.29

Jaedynn Evans, Iowa City Regina 4.20

Aces per set

Camryn McClintock, Sidney 0.72

Landry Luhring, Grundy Center 0.69

Jaden Daffer JR, Sidney 0.60

Emy Kracht, Grundy Center 0.56

Kyah Luhring, Grundy Center 0.50

Blocks per set

Ashtyn Veerbeek, Western Christian 1.19

Kylie Willis, Grundy Center 0.89

Brooke Flater, Grundy Center 0.87

Jessi De Jager, Western Christian 0.63

Hailey Wallis, Grundy Center 0.61

Predictions

Quarterfinals

Dike-New Hartford over Wapsie Valley in 3

Unity Christian over Council Bluffs St. Albert in 5

Western Christian over Iowa City Regina in 3

Grundy Center over Sidney in 4

Semifinals

Dike-New Hartford over Unity Christian in 3

Western Christian over Grundy Center in 4

Championship

Dike-New Hartford over Western Christian in 4

State volleyball previews

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 1A

Feature: Dike New-Hartford's second-generation superstars

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com