IGHSAU preseason volleyball rankings: Liberty, Marion, Mount Vernon among No. 1 teams

If lofty preseason rankings equate to long postseason runs, expect big things from three of the Gazette-area volleyball teams in the first state tournament in Coralville.

Iowa City Liberty (Class 5A), Marion (4A) and Mount Vernon (3A) have been tabbed as preseason No. 1 teams Monday by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

Two-time defending champion Dike-New Hartford is a heavy favorite in 2A; Fort Madison Holy Trinity leads the 1A list.

Liberty (34-5) entered the state tournament as the 5A top seed last year but was upset in the first round by Johnston. Four starters are back for the Lightning, including Elite all-state pick Cassidy Hartman and 5A first-teamer Shelby Kimm.

Cedar Falls (32-9) is second in 5A; defending champion Pleasant Valley (33-4) is No. 3. PV swept Cedar Falls in the championship match last year.

First-team all-state pick Avery Van Hook headlines a cast of five returning starters for Marion (37-9), which advanced to the 4A semifinals last season.

Sioux City Heelan (20-17) and Cedar Rapids Xavier (29-5) are second and third; 2021 3A champion West Delaware (43-5) is back in 4A and sits at No. 4.

Marion, West Delaware and Mount Vernon will make up a stacked East half of the Wamac Conference. Mount Vernon (33-13) brings back three starters, including first-team all-state setter Madeleine Miller and Chloe Meester, one of the state’s top sophomore attackers.

Des Moines Christian (36-7) is No. 2 in 3A, then it’s 2021 runner-up West Liberty (39-5) at No. 3.

Led by the second set of Petersen twins, Dike-New Hartford (54-1) is a heavy favorite to win its third straight 2A title. The Wolverines can make a strong argument as the state’s top team in any class.

Western Christian (40-6), again, is DNH’s chief 2A competition. Lisbon (36-7) is up a class this year and is ranked No. 5.

The small-school class probably has the highest number of state-championship contenders. The Union went with 2021 semifinalist Fort Madison Holy Trinity (33-11) as its preseason favorite, with North Tama (31-11) and Springville (35-5) as the Crusaders’ top challengers.

After 31 years in Cedar Rapids, the state tournament moves this year to Xtream Arena in Coralville, Oct. 31-Nov. 3.

Class 5A

1. Iowa City Liberty (34-5)

2. Cedar Falls (32-9)

3. Pleasant Valley (33-4)

4. Johnston (28-12)

5. Ankeny (40-6)

6. Waukee Northwest (17-20)

7. Urbandale (33-9)

8. Bettendorf (16-14)

9. Cedar Rapids Prairie (22-14)

10. West Des Moines Dowling (27-13)

11. Ankeny Centennial (30-10)

12. Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln (17-25)

13. Sioux City North (22-18)

14. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (24-11)

15. Iowa City High (20-15)

Class 4A

1. Marion (37-9)

2. Sioux City Heelan (20-17)

3. Cedar Rapids Xavier (29-5)

4. West Delaware (43-5)

5. Bondurant-Farrar (32-8)

6. Humboldt (29-7)

7. Clear Creek Amana (27-12)

8. Waverly-Shell Rock (44-8)

9. Decorah (28-7)

10. North Scott (31-5)

11. Lewis Central (19-16)

12. Western Dubuque (34-3)

13. Knoxville (23-15)

14. Indianola (26-15)

15. North Polk (26-11)

Class 3A

1. Mount Vernon (34-13)

2. Des Moines Christian (36-7)

3. West Liberty (39-5)

4. Davenport Assumption (35-5)

5. Sioux Center (25-9)

6. Unity Christian (28-5)

7. Sheldon (27-6)

8. New Hampton (24-11)

9. Davis County (31-11)

10. Osage (28-10)

11. Nevada (21-11)

12. Atlantic (17-20)

13. Union Community (20-23)

14. Mid-Prairie (16-14)

15. Benton Community (25-15)

Class 2A

1. Dike-New Hartford (54-1)

2. Western Christian (40-6)

3. Eddyville EBF (31-5)

4. West Burlington (30-4)

5. Lisbon (36-7)

6. Sumner-Fredericksburg (34-7)

7. Missouri Valley (28-7)

8. Underwood (19-12)

9. Carroll Kuemper (26-11)

10. Wapsie Valley (25-12)

11. Hinton (20-8)

12. Grundy Center (28-16)

13. South Central Calhoun (22-18)

14. Dyersville Beckman (33-12)

15. Denver (37-8)

Class 1A

1. Fort Madison Holy Trinity (33-11)

2. North Tama (31-11)

3. Springville (35-5)

4. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (29-14)

5. Dunkerton (27-7)

6. Ankeny Christian (33-4)

7. Le Mars Gehlen (25-6)

8. Burlington Notre Dame (38-8)

9. Sidney (24-16)

10. Janesville (25-16)

11. Ackley AGWSR (19-17)

12. Stanton (21-11)

13. Tripoli (16-21)

14. Tri-Center (27-11)

15. Winfield-Mount Union (22-11)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com