High school volleyball 2025: IGHSAU releases its preseason rankings

Defending Class 2A state champion Denver is among the five top-ranked teams in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union preseason rankings.

Waukee Northwest (5A), Clear Creek Amana (4A), Western Christian (3A) and Fort Madison Holy Trinity (1A) join the Cyclones as class leaders.

Northwest (28-10) was the big-school champion in 2023, then was second to Pleasant Valley last season. The Wolves did not have a senior on their roster a year ago, and will be led by first-team all-stater Logan Vogt, a junior.

Pleasant Valley (35-2) brings back Elite all-state selection Isabelle Kremer, one of two returning starters for the Spartans, who open at No. 2.

Waukee, Ankeny Centennial and West Des Moines Dowling give the CIML four of the top five 5A teams. Despite a 13-18 record last season, Iowa City West is No. 8.

Clear Creek Amana (37-8) has made the state tournament three consecutive years, and brings back virtually all of its offensive firepower, led by senior Averie Lower, a first-team all-stater last season.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton, 2024 state runner-up Pella, North Scott and Norwalk round out the top five. Last year’s 4A champion, Sioux City Heelan is seventh. Cedar Rapids Xavier, a state qualifier nine straight years, is 10th.

Western Christian (33-14) appears to be a lock to reach its 25th consecutive state tournament, and the Wolfpack is favored to claim its 20th title in school history. The 3A runner-up last year, Western brings back six starters.

Carroll Kuemper is slotted as the Wolfpack’s chief challenger. Davenport Assumption, Mid-Prairie and West Delaware are third, fourth and fifth. Each of the top five reached Coralville last season.

Reigning champion Mount Vernon is No. 8.

Denver (47-3) leads a pack of nine North Iowa Cedar League teams in the 2A top 15. Five starters are back for the Cyclones.

Hinton, expected to have a healthy Bailey Boeve back, is No. 2. Then it’s Union Community, Iowa City Regina and Grundy Center.

Union is down from 3A; Regina is led by prolific attacker Reese Naeve, who led the state in kills last season with 753.

Holy Trinity (29-13) is a narrow choice over North Tama (25-16) for the top spot in 1A. The Crusaders have been the elite team in Southeast Iowa for years, have reached 17 state tournaments and welcome back five starters in an effort to increase that number.

Kruiz Ewoldt is a first-team all-stater for North Tama. Saint Ansgar, Janesville and Springville are 3-4-5. The Orioles are led by one of the area’s top senior athletes, 6-foot-2 middle hitter Rowan Jacobi.

Ankeny Christian, winner of the last three 1A titles, is No. 15.

IGHSAU PRESEASON STATE VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS

Class 5A

1. Waukee Northwest (28-10, 5A state runner-up)

2. Pleasant Valley (35-2, 5A state champion)

3. Waukee (18-15, 5A state quarterfinalist)

4. Ankeny Centennial (32-5, 5A state semifinalist)

5. West Des Moines Dowling (26-10, 5A state semifinalist)

6. Cedar Falls (33-7, 5A state quarterfinalist)

7. West Des Moines Valley (13-21, 5A regional finalist)

8. Iowa City West (13-18, 5A regional finalist)

9. Ankeny (36-5, 5A state quarterfinalist)

10. Bettendorf (18-16, 5A regional finalist)

11. Iowa City High (17-13, 5A regional finalist)

12. Iowa City Liberty (15-21, 5A regional finalist)

13. Dubuque Senior (16-22, 5A regional semifinalist)

14. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (15-24, 5A regional semifinalist)

15. Johnston (18-18, 5A regional semifinalist)

Class 4A

1. Clear Creek Amana (37-8, 4A state quarterfinalist)

2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (22-14, 4A state semifinalist)

3. Pella (41-8, 4A state runner-up)

4. North Scott (30-5, 4A state semifinalist)

5. Norwalk (28-14, 4A regional finalist)

6. MOC-Floyd Valley (16-14, 4A regional finalist)

7. Sioux City Heelan (44-3, 4A state champion)

8. Sioux Center (29-6, 3A state quarterfinalist)

9. Ballard (20-17, 4A regional semifinalist)

10. Cedar Rapids Xavier (28-5, 4A state quarterfinalist)

11. Nevada (30-12, 3A regional finalist)

12. Bondurant-Farrar (16-19, 4A regional semifinalist)

13. Dallas Center-Grimes (22-19, 4A regional finalist)

14. Adel ADM (19-8, 4A regional finalist)

15. Knoxville (23-17, 4A regional semifinalist)

Class 3A

1. Western Christian (33-14, 3A state runner-up)

2. Carroll Kuemper (37-4, 3A state quarterfinalist)

3. Davenport Assumption (25-9, 3A state quarterfinalist)

4. Mid-Prairie (33-9, 3A state quarterfinalist)

5. West Delaware (39-7, 3A state semifinalist)

6. Humboldt (23-10, 3A regional finalist)

7. Roland-Story (30-5, 3A regional semifinalist)

8. Mount Vernon (45-4, 3A state champion)

9. Wilton (32-8, 3A regional finalist)

10. Clarinda (32-10, 3A regional finalist)

11. Red Oak (20-19, 3A regional quarterfinalist)

12. Cherokee (28-8, 3A regional finalist)

13. Center Point-Urbana (19-13, 3A regional semifinalist)

14. Anamosa (32-8, 3A regional finalist)

15. Charles City (22-10, 4A regional finalist)

Class 2A

1. Denver (47-3, 2A state champion)

2. Hinton (22-7, 2A regional finalist)

3. Union Community (37-12, 3A regional finalist)

4. Iowa City Regina (24-15, 2A state quarterfinalist)

5. Grundy Center (25-16, 2A regional finalist)

6. Dike-New Hartford (30-16, 2A state semifinalist)

7. Dyersville Beckman (36-7, 2A state semifinalist)

8. Jesup (27-12, 2A regional semifinalist)

9. Oakland Riverside (39-4, 1A state semifinalist)

10. Aplington-Parkersburg (36-7, 2A state quarterfinalist)

11. Wapsie Valley (26-17, 2A regional finalist)

12. Sumner-Fredericksburg (25-18, 2A regional finalist)

13. Treynor (22-13, 2A regional quarterfinalist)

14. Hudson (27-11, 2A regional semifinalist)

15. Emmetsburg (25-6, 2A regional semifinalist)

Class 1A

1. Fort Madison Holy Trinity (29-13, 1A state quarterfinalist)

2. North Tama (25-16, 1A state quarterfinalist)

3. Saint Ansgar (27-7, 1A state quarterfinalist)

4. Janesville (25-18, 1A state semifinalist)

5. Springville (26-9, 1A regional semifinalist)

6. Dunkerton (25-12, 1A regional semifinalist)

7. East Mills (26-10, 1A regional semifinalist)

8. Conrad BCLUW (33-11, 1A state runner-up)

9. Fremont-Mills (26-11, 1A regional semifinalist)

10. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (23-21, 1A regional finalist)

11. Sidney (27-10, 1A regional finalist)

12. Southeast Warren (27-20, 1A regional finalist)

13. Don Bosco (20-16, 1A state quarterfinalist)

14. Boyden-Hull (19-13, 2A state quarterfinalist)

15. Ankeny Christian (40-5, 1A state champion)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com