WMU, Mid-Prairie ranked in week one

For Union area teams, volleyball season kicks off this week.

With the release of the IGHSAU week one rankings two area teams find themselves inside the top 15 of their class rankings.

Representing in Class 3A is Mid-Prairie.

The Golden Hawks have been selected as the No. 14 ranked team in the class to start the season.

Last season, the Golden Hawks finished with a 16-14 record, and were bumped out of the postseason by No. 3 ranked West Liberty.

Coming into 2022 they lose just four seniors and return many outstanding players.

Kills leaders, seniors Ella Groenewold and Maya Nonnenmann both return.

Groenewold led the Golden Hawks with 212 kills last season. Nonnenmann followed with 150 kills last year.

Junior Behla Schmidt and senior Landry Pacha are both back as well. Both accumulated over 50 kills last season as well.

Pacha also will be the Golden Hawks main setter once again. She led in 2021 with 614 total assists.

On the defensive side of things, sophomore Dakota Mitchell is back. Mitchell had a team high 463 digs last time around.

In Class 1A, Winfield-Mt. Union opens the season ranked 15th in the class.

The Wolves return their top seven players from the 2021 roster. They tallied a record of 22-11 last season and were knocked out by eventual state champion Burlington Notre Dame.

Bradie Buffington and Melina Oepping, both seniors, will be the Wolves main hitters once again. They led with 192 and 157 kills last year.

Fellow senior Keely Malone racked up 526 assists in 2021. She will be the main setter this time around too.

On the defensive end, Keetyn Townsley returns for her final season. She led WMU with 458 digs in last season campaign.

Also ranked inside the top 15 in Class 1A are fellow Southeast Iowa Super Conference foes Holy Trinity Catholic, who is rated first and Burlington Notre Dame, ranked eighth.

West Burlington, Class 2A, is ranked fourth.

Class 1A

No., School, 2021 Record

1) Holy Trinity Catholic 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 Catholic 25-6

8) Burlington Notre Dame 38-8

9) Sidney 24-16

10) Janesville 25-16

11) AGWSR 19-17

12) Stanton 21-11

13) Tripoli 16-21

14) Tri-Center 27-11

15) Winfield-Mount Union 22-11

Class 2A

1) Dike-New Hartford 54-1

2) Western Christian 40-6

3) Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 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) Kuemper Catholic 26-11

10) Wapsie Valley 25-12

11) Hinton 20-8

12) Grundy Center 28-16

13) South Central Calhoun 22-18

14) Beckman Catholic 33-12

15) Denver 37-8

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 20-23

14) Mid-Prairie 16-14

15) Benton 25-15

Class 4A

1) Marion 37-9

2) Sioux City Bishop 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 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) Dowling Catholic 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