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If the preseason poll is any indication, high school volleyball fans will be able to see many of the state's top programs in the Cedar Valley and Northeast Iowa this fall.

The first rankings of the 2021 season feature 16 teams from the region, including seven rated among the top five in their respective classes.

North Iowa Cedar League (NICL) East Division rivals Dike-New Hartford (No. 1) and Denver (No. 2) will start the season as the top-rated squads in Class 2A after advancing to the state championship match in 2020. The Wolverines claimed the title by sweeping the Cyclones in the final. Both teams return a strong nucleus of talent.

Five other teams from the NICL are ranked behind Dike-New Hartford and Denver in the 2A survey. They include: Wapsie Valley (No. 5), South Hardin (No. 6), Sumner-Fredericksburg (No. 8), Grundy Center (No. 10) and Waterloo Columbus Catholic (No. 14). Starmont cracked the preseason rankings at No. 15.

Another NICL team is highly ranked in Class 1A. Gladbrook-Reinbeck begins the season at No. 4 following a 2020 season that ended with a second-place finish at the state tournament. Also appearing in the Class 1A poll are Iowa Star Conference rivals Tripoli (No. 13) and Janesville (No. 15).

Three area teams -- West Delaware (No. 2), Independence (No. 11) and La Porte City Union (No. 12) are featured in the Class 3A rankings. With Union's appearance, nine of the NICL's 16-member teams are rated among the top 15 in three different classes.

Waverly-Shell Rock (No. 2 in Class 4A) and Cedar Falls (No. 5 in Class 5A) are also considered strong contenders to compete for a state title this year.

The preseason poll was released by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) late Monday afternoon.


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School

2020 Record

1

Burlington Notre Dame

19-5

2

Springville

27-5

3

New London

22-8

4

Gladbrook-Reinbeck

34-4

5

Gehlen Catholic25-6

6

Newell-Fonda27-4

7

Southeast Warren

25-1

8

Council Bluffs St. Albert

15-14

9

Holy Trinity Catholic

26-10

10

Lisbon

26-5

11

MMCRU22-6

12

Belle Plaine26-9

13

Tripoli

18-14

14

Lamoni20-5

15

Janesville28-5
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1

Dike-New Hartford

32-4

2

Denver35-6

3

Western Christian

33-10

4

Wilton33-4

5

Wapsie Valley20-7

6

South Hardin

21-15

7

Kuemper Catholic

21-11

8

Sumner-Fredericksburg

27-8

9

Osage34-2

10

Grundy Center

20-18

11

Boyden-Hull24-8

12

Beckman Catholic

29-10

13

Lake Mills25-10

14

Columbus Catholic19-16

15

Starmont

19-13

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1

Sergeant Bluff-Luton

23-7

2

West Delaware30-12

3

Davenport Assumption23-3

4

Des Moines Christian

24-14

5

Unity Christian23-6

6

Red Oak30-5

7

Sheldon

15-14

8

West Burlington

18-4

9

West Liberty

26-7

10

Mount Vernon32-7

11

Independence25-8

12

Union

32-10

13

Sioux Center22-12

14

Roland-Story

23-8

15

Nevada21-16
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1

North Scott

22-5

2

Waverly-Shell Rock38-9

3

Western Dubuque

25-11

4

Glenwood32-3

5

Oskaloosa

21-8

6

Cedar Rapids Xavier

26-6

7

Marion

21-12

8

Clear Creek-Amana

25-6

9

Pella

23-12

10

Indianola12-13

11

Bondurant-Farrar

24-11

12

Lewis Central

24-11

13

North Polk

21-13

14

Clinton

21-13

15

Norwalk

18-18

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1

Iowa City Liberty

24-3

2

Pleasant Valley21-2

3

Ankeny

22-2

4

Ankeny Centennial

16-10

5

Cedar Falls

26-6

6

West Des Moines Valley19-7

7

Johnston

19-15

8

Cedar Rapids Kennedy15-16

9

Urbandale

11-8

10

West Des Moines Dowling Catholic

22-3

11

Iowa City West

13-15

12

Sioux City East

22-7

13

Bettendorf

12-7

14

Des Moines Roosevelt7-4

15

Cedar Rapids Prairie

18-15

Class 2A State Championship: Dike-New Hartford vs. Denver (2020)

Class 1A Championship: Gladbrook-Reinbeck vs. Burlington Notre Dame (2020)

Class 5A Quarterfinals: Cedar Falls vs. Pleasant Valley (2020)

Class 4A Quarterfinals: West Delaware vs. Glenwood (2020)

Class 3A Quarterfinal: La Porte City Union vs. Mount Vernon

Class 1A Quarterfinal: Gladbrook-Reinbeck vs. Springville

Class 2A Quarterfinals: Denver vs. Boyden-Hull

2A Quarterfinals: South Hardin vs. Western Christian

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