Area Volleyball News

March 21, 2005 – Indianoplis, IN – Iowa Rockets 17-R Captures 1st at Mideast National Qualifier.
The Iowa Rockets 17R team triumphed at the 2005 Mideast National Qualifier in Indianapolis, IN by capturing 1st place overall in the 17 Club division.  The Rockets were 18th seed going into the 3-day event that attract over 700 teams from 30 states.  Rockets 17R went a perfect 11-0 in match play in their 100 team division. 

This major win qualifies the Iowa Rockets 17R for the USAV National Championship Tournament in Salt Lake City, UT.  The USAV Championships bring the best teams in the nation for the 4-day event, July 3-6, 2005.

March 21, 2005 – Denver, CO – Iowa Rockets 18-R Captures 4th at Crossroads National Qualifier.
The Iowa Rockets 18R turned the heads of many teams and coaches by climbing from 37th seed to finish 4th place overall at the Crossroads National Qualifier tournemant.  The 3-day tournament hosts more that 750 teams from 35 stated.  Rockets 18R rolled through day 1 with a 3-0 record, pushed thru the power pool on day 2 with 3-0 records and went on to dominate SF 18s Roshambo in the cross-over match.  In bracket play on day 3 the Rockets handled Performance 18 United and Nebraska Elite Iowa.  The Rockets lost to Central Calif 18 Gold in the semi-finals and finished 4th place overall out of 112 teams in the 18 Club division.

September 15, 2004 – Des Moines, IA – Iowa Region Names Iowa Rockets VBC Club of the Year.
The Iowa Rockets VBC has been named the Iowa Region “Club of the Year” for the second time in 4 years.  Since it’s inception, the Iowa Rockets VBC has been a powerhouse and respected club throughout Iowa and the nation.  This past year the Iowa Rockets VBC qualified and sent 5 teams to the USAV National Championship Tournament in Houston, TX.  Rockets teams finished well at the Iowa Region tournament – with 2 first place finishes, 3 second place finishes, 1 fourth place finish and 1 fifth place finish.  See additional articles below for information about Iowa Rockets teams at Nationals.

Below is the nomination for this award submitted by an Iowa Rockets parent:                                                               “I would like to nominate Iowa Rockets as the Youth Volleyball Program of the Year.  I have a daughter in the Iowa Rockets program.  We are so pleased with the professionalism and caring attitude throughout the club.  When we first joined the Rockets a few years ago, there were just a few teams - now there are 15 teams that include over 140 girls and 25 coaches.  They have expanded the participation threefold and greatly improved the visibility of volleyball in the Iowa City area and beyond.  One of the things the Rockets offers that we have not seen other places is the wide range of opportunities.  Because of the closeness of the coaches, girls have the opportunity to attend other team's practices, specialty practices and small group practices.  Another great thing is the opportunity and encouragement players receive when they attend tournaments with other teams.  Because the coaches and players are already close with each other, they fit together and get along so well with other teams.  My daughter and her team have had a great season - they did their share of winning, but coach is always quick to point out that you don't measure a successful season on the number of wins - you measure it on the fun you've had, the improvement you've made and the friends and teammates you've picked up along the way.  I fully agree with that attitude and I think that kind of attitude actually brings out the best in the players - there must be something to it because they have the success to send 5 teams to Nationals this year.   We are so pleased to be a part of the Iowa Rockets club; they care so much about each individual girl, I think they are deserving of the Youth Program of the Year for 2004.”

August 20, 2004 – Eastern Iowa - Iowa HS 2004 Volleyball season packed with Iowa Rockets players
 Nationally recognized PrepVolleyball.com has released their pre-season outlook for the 2004 Iowa HS season.  The line-up of teams boasts the best of the best throughout Iowa.  These teams are known in the state, with a few holding national rankings.  Eastern Iowa is showing a wealth of talent with 7 of the top 10 teams calling Eastern Iowa home.  PrepVolleyball.com ranked Iowa City City HS as the number 2 team in the state, behind perennial powerhouse Dubuque Wahlert.  Noted from Iowa City City High were Iowa Rockets players Senior OH Liz Ingram, Sophomore MH Katie Kennedy and Sophomore Setter Brynja Rodgers, with Sophomore Signe Mueller and Sophomore Shelby DeNeice.  Number 6 on the list is Regina HS – small but loaded with Iowa Rockets players: setter Maureen Knepper, powerful 6-1 MH Jessie Ambrisco, 5-11 MH Lauren Michael, 5-10 OH Erin Wagner and Andrea Hartley plays left and adds tremendous ball control for this team.  Davenport Central ranked number 8  which includes Iowa Rockets players Junior Emily DeVore, and seniors Ashley Mitchell and Lindsay Manning.  Iowa City West HS holds the number 9 spot and includes Iowa Rocket players senior setter Katie Buettner, senior MH Allison Dirks, senior RS Heidi Hochstrasser, Senior Ashlyn Whetstone and Junior DS Cheslea Joslyn. Other teams in the top 20 include Wilton HS with Iowa Rockets senior Kayla Grunder and Junior OH Peggy Riessen.   Mid-Prairie HS is loaded with Sophomore Hannah Boehmer, Sophomore Katie Herington, Junior Dani Boyd, Senior Amy Boehmer, Senior Stef Shalla, and Senior Katie Watkinson.

July 4, 2004 - Iowa City - Iowa Rockets teams take 11th, 33rd and 37th at Nationals
The Iowa Rockets teams fought hard at the USAV National Championships in Houston this June.    With tough competition across each age group Rockets teams were put to the test and came out winners against very tough competitors.  Iowa Rockets 17 Black captured first place in their flight to capture 37th place overall.  Iowa Rockets 16-R was 7-0 before dropping a tough challenge match to land in the Silver bracket and finishing 11th place overall.  Iowa Rockets 15 Black started slow, but heated up over the course of the 4-day tournament to win 4 of their last 5 matches to finish first place in flight 4 – 33rd place in their division.
 
June 16, 2004 - Iowa City Iowa Rockets Lands Record 5 teams at 2004 USAV Nationals in Houston
The Iowa Rockets VBC is setting the standard for growth and performance in the Iowa Region.  In it’s 5 year history the club has grown from 3 teams to 15 teams.  In the first year sending 1 team to the 1999 USAV National Championships tournament to sending a record 5 teams to the 2004 tournament in Houston, TX this year.  Of the 7 age divisions, Iowa Rockets teams captured first or second place in 5 age divisions at the Iowa Regional tournament.  Attending the 2004 USAV National tournament in Houston, TX will be Iowa Rockets 14 Black, Iowa Rockets 15 Black, Iowa Rockets 16 Black, Iowa Rockets 16-R and Iowa Rockets 17 Black.  Congratulations and best of luck in Houston!

November 20, 2003 - Iowa City - Iowa Rockets players named to Iowa City Press-Citizen All Area Team
The recently announced EIHC all conference volleyball player selection was loaded with Iowa Rockets volleyball players. 13 of the 19 all area players were members of the Iowa Rockets VBC this past season. Players selected to the All Area first team include: Sam Black, West Liberty;Megan Gatens, City High; Tarrah Berg, Mid-Prairie; Katie Buettner, West High; Brynja Rodgers, City High. Congratulations to all players for helping your teams to successful high school seasons.

Congratulations Iowa Rockets 14 Black take 29th at USA Junior Olympic Championships.                                 Iowa City, IA - The Iowa Rockets 14 Black recently competed in the USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Tournament in Atlanta, GA. The Rockets captured 1st place at the Iowa State tournament in order to qualify for the national tournament. Only the top 64 teams in the nation out of over 4000 teams in this age division are invited. “We are already ranked in the top 2% in the country. If our young team can finish in the top half of the tournament it will be a great accomplishment,” said Coach David Rodgers.

On the first day the Rockets were on fire with strong outside attacking from Signe Mueller and middle attacking from Katie Kennedy with sets from Hannah Boehmer and Kyla Yoder. They defeated First State Tiggers 14s (Baltimore, MD) (25-10, 25-16), and Southwest Minnesota Jrs 14-1 (Marshall, MN) (25-13, 21-25, 15-10) with key blocks from Katie Herington, before falling to the #15 seed of the tournament, Dayton Jrs 14 HA (Dayton, OH) (25-15, 21-25, 9-15). The second place pool finish advanced the Rockets to Division 1 competition for the second day. On day two the Rockets fought hard with outstanding defense from Kelsey Beck and libero Tara Knock but ended up losing 3 close matches against Club Yahoo! 14-1 (San Francisco, CA) (26-24, 19-25, 12-15), Sunset 14-1 (Omaha, NE) (19-25, 20-25) and Mizuno Long Beach 14-1 (Long Beach, CA) (25-22, 22-25, 15-17). On day three the Rockets got back on track with strong attacking from Erin Wagner and Shelby DeNeice winning their match against Nova 14-RK (Los Angeles, CA) (25-27, 25-19, 15-10) and losing against Seal Beach 14-1 (Long Beach, CA) (23-25, 16-25). In the fourth day’s single elimination play-offs, the Rockets lost to a strong City Beach 14 Green (San Jose, CA) (22-25, 24-26) team to capture 29th place overall.

“We played very well most of the time and beat some very talented teams. Finishing 29th in the country with a team that has only 1 player with previous National Championship experience is a great accomplishment.” said Coach Rodgers. The Iowa Rockets 14 Black had a remarkable season, finishing 1st in 5 tournaments, 2nd in two tournaments and 3rd place at the 80-team President’s Day Festival. The Iowa Rockets 14 Black team members are: Erin Wagner, Katie Kennedy, Kelsey Beck, Shelby DeNeice, and Signe Mueller (Iowa City), Hannah Boehmer (Riverside), Katie Herington and Kyla Yoder (Kalona), and Tara Knock (Williamsburg) and are coached by David Rodgers and Nikki Salvo.

Congratulations Iowa Rockets 15-R that finished 3rd Place Overall at USA Junior Olympic Championships.

Iowa City, IA - The Iowa Rockets 15-R volleyball team, comprised of 14 and 15 year old girls from eastern Iowa, captured 3rd place overall at the USA Junior Olympic National Volleyball Championship held in Atlanta, Georgia. The top 64 teams, out of over 3,500 teams nationally, are brought together for the 4-day National Tournament. Iowa Rockets 15-R, as well as their younger Iowa Rockets 14 Black team, both captured first place in the Iowa Regional Tournament to qualify for the event.

This was the first trip to a national tournament for many of the girls. Coach Kyla Rodgers said, “We have a great team, but fairly inexperienced at the national level compared to many of the teams we played against. Going in, we thought finishing in the top half would be a great accomplishment for this young team.” Of the 9 players, this was the first year of club volleyball for some and only 2 players had previously attended the USA Junior Olympic National Tournament.

On the first day of competition, Iowa Rockets 15-R looked like a veteran team as they rolled over each of their opponents. They defeated Memphis Metro 15s (Memphis, TN) (25-15, 30-28), Front Range 15 Cardinal (Colorado Springs, CO) (25-12, 25-20), and #14 ranked SW Ohio Thunderbirds (Toledo, OH) (21-25, 26-24, 18-16). They kept up the momentum on the second day defeating Palm Beach Volleyball Academy (Palm Beach, FL) (25-22, 26-24), Golden Bear 15 Blue (Oakland, CA) (25-23, 25-20), and #6 seeded MAVS 15 National (Kansas City, MO) (25-19, 21-25, 15-4). The Rockets needed to finish first or second in their day 3 pool to make the Gold Medal bracket. But, day 3 started out with disappointing losses to High Country 15-1 Navy (Salt Lake City, UT) and Wisconsin Power 15 Red (Madison, WI) and the dream of a Gold Division finish was all but gone. Then a crowd of former competitors, Golden Bear 15 Blue and Mizuno M-1 15s (Minneapolis, MN), got behind the underdog Iowa Rockets to cheer as they defeated Mizuno Long Beach 15 Elite (Long Beach, CA) (25-16, 26-24) to force a 3-way tie for 2nd in the pool. In the play-offs, the Rockets watched and waited as Long Beach rolled over Wisconsin Power to claim a rematch with the Iowa Rockets. The new-found friends also waited to cheer, and watch the little team from Iowa rise up and defeat the #12 ranked Long Beach team (15-10). The crowd cheered and players cried as the Rockets secured a spot in the Gold Division as one of the top 8 teams in the country.

In the Gold Division single elimination round on the fourth day the Iowa Rockets faced Team Complete Athlete 15-1 from Orange County, CA on center court. The stands were filled as curious onlookers waited for the #46th ranked Rockets to take on the powerhouse from Southern California. During pre-game the momentum was already leaning toward the Rockets as 20 players from other teams joined them in their pre-game warm-up dance. Coach Rodgers later commented, “I can’t think of a better warm-up than dancing, singing and getting fired-up with 30 of your closest friends.” The lead changed hands 15 times as they battled for each point. The Iowa Rockets eventually prevailed in the 2-game match (26-24, 28-26) to advance. The semi-final matched up the young Iowa Rockets against the #3 finisher from the 2002 tournament, Cajunland. The experience and depth of the Cajunland 15-1 team (New Orleans, LA) proved too much for the Rockets as they fell (16-25, 18-25) to finish 3rd place nationally.

During the medal ceremony the Rockets were introduced and received individual bronze medals. The crowd chattered about the little known team from Iowa that came into the tournament ranked 46th and made it within 1 match of the national championship. In addition, the Junior Olympic committee selected two players, Julianna Klein and Brynja Rodgers, from the Iowa Rockets onto the All Tournament team. The Iowa Rockets 15-R completed an amazing season starting out a bit shaky but finishing 3rd in the country. Coach Rodgers commented, “We exceeded our expectations! The team has come so far this season. They have a lot of talent and confidence, but mainly they have fun and they have each other.”

Iowa Rockets 15-R team members are: Andrea Hartley, Brynja Rodgers, Jesicah Ambrisco (Iowa City), Peggy Riessen (Wilton), Monica Driscoll (Williamsburg), Julianna Klein (Keota), Emiley DeVore (Davenport), and Becca Goos, Shari Tompkins (West Liberty); coached by Kyla Rodgers, Adam Cress and David Rodgers.

Congratulations Julianna Klein and Brynja Rodgers for being selected to the All Tournament Team at the USA Junior Olympic Championships

November 12, 2002 - Iowa City - (Press Citizen)
West High volleyball player Abba Greenleaf was named Player of the Year in the Mississippi Division of the Mississippi Valley Conference. Greenleaf, a 6-foot-1 senior, also made the all-academic team. It was her second consecutive year to earn first-team honors. "She averages around three kills per game, and for a right side hitter, that's pretty big numbers," West coach Michele Wilson said. "Right sides normally don't get set that often. But she's done a phenomenal job." The Women of Troy open state tournament play against Sioux City Heelan at 1 p.m. Friday in Cedar Rapids. Erin O'Connor was selected as an Honorable Mention. Both players were on the Iowa Rockets 17 Black team last year and attended the USAV National Championship tournament in Salt Lake City, UT.

November 2, 2002 - Iowa City - Iowa Rockets players named to EIHC all conference teams.
The recently announced EIHC all conference volleyball player selection was loaded with Iowa Rockets volleyball players. 11 of the 19 all conference players were members of the Iowa Rockets VBC this past season and an additional three players have also played for the Iowa Rocket club. Players selected to the EIHC first team all conference include: Julie Schweinfurth, Allie Rath (Mid-Prairie), Jeni Streb, Liz Ingram (Regina), Kayla Grunder (Wilton), Sam Black(West Liberty). Iowa Rockets players selected to the second team include: Tara Berg, Kelsey TeBockhorst (Mid-Prairie), Moriah Link (Regina), Ashley Reissen (Wilton) and Kristen Soper (West Branch). Congratulations to all players for helping your teams to successful high school seasons.

September 1, 2002 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa Rocket VBC named Junior Club of the Year
Iowa Rockets Volleyball Club was named Junior Program Club of the Year for last season. This is a great achievement and an honor to receive this recognition. It's a testimonial to the players, coaches and parents that have worked so hard to create a successful club and great atmosphere to learn volleyball. The Iowa Rockets club has grown from 3 teams to 10 teams in 4 short years. It is comprised of almost 100 girls, 16 coaches and offers teams for 12 year olds through 18 year olds. We are very proud of our players at each age group and wish continued success to our graduating seniors as they pursue their volleyball careers at the collegiate level. Among our 10 teams, 5 of them placed well in the Iowa Gold Regional Tournament and therefore qualified for the USAV National tournaments in Salt Lake City and Louisville. Iowa Rockets was the only team in the state to qualify 5 teams.

September 1, 2002 - Des Moines, IA - Lisa Ingram Named Parent of the Year
Lisa Ingram, parent of Liz Ingram on the Iowa Rockets 15 Black team, was named Junior Parent of the Year. Lisa has been a part of the Iowa Rockets volleyball club since it's formation over 4 years ago. She has contributed her time and support year after year and we are very thankful that Lisa (and Liz) are members of the Iowa Rockets family. It takes many, many parents and volunteers to make a club run smoothly and successfully; we are very fortunate to have many outstanding families and parents who give so much time and energy so that their girl(s) and others can play volleyball.