Tour of Tournaments: Best of the Best
I think it took some time for me to really process three state tournaments in a matter of ten days. After a while, you lose track of the days, the hours during the day seem to tick by and pretty…
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Continue ReadingI think it took some time for me to really process three state tournaments in a matter of ten days. After a while, you lose track of the days, the hours during the day seem to tick by and pretty soon you are basing everything off which match you have just seen and what you are going to see. I was recently talking with some friends in the volleyball community (imagine that?), and they had some really great questions. Who was the best player you saw? Who had the best team? All extremely relevant questions and some were really tough to answer. Here is my best of the best across the three states. I’ll do my best to be succinct and not too wordy, but no promises.
Who was the best team?
I’ll start with my toughest question. I’m going to have to go with Ankeny Centennial which is maybe 15 minutes North of Des Moines. However, I can’t talk about them without mentioning West Des Moines Valley who they beat in the semifinal match just before defeating an undefeated Cedar Falls team in the championship. The most balanced team would be Champlin Park who won the big class in Minnesota. Here are a few noteworthy recruits that would be coming from these teams.
Your Class 5A state champs! pic.twitter.com/Jx54gpqdye
— ANKENY FANATIC (@AnkenyFanatic) November 9, 2018
Ankeny Centennial
Kenna Sauer – Senior – Outside Hitter – Signed with Missouri
Ari Winters – Senior – Outside Hitter – Signed with Denver
Megan Lively – Senior – Middle Blocker – Signed with Central Florida
Devyn Robinson – Junior – Middle Blocker – Verbal to Wisconsin
Champlin Park
Izzy Ashburn – Senior – Setter – Signed with Wisconsin
Lauren Clark – Senior – Outside Hitter – Signed with Penn State
Emma Schmidt – Senior – Outside Hitter – Signed with Northern Iowa
Kaitlyn Weimerskirch – Senior – Libero – Signed with Illinois State
Who was the best player?
This is tough. How do you break this down? By position? By performance? By ability? Without being too wordy, I’ll get straight to the details.
Devyn Robinson – Ankeny Centennial (IA) – Junior – Middle Blocker
Committed To Wisconsin
Robinson makes playing middle look like a dance or closing the block on the pin some type of ballet move. The perfect blend of speed, athleticism, and power. With a high reach and quick hops she gets to places with her hands that hitters are just not use to anyone being there. She is going to be so dangerous when she gets into a Badger uniform, she will be playing with Champlin Park setter, Izzy Ashburn.
Madi Kubik – West Des Moines Valley (IA) – Senior – Outside Hitter
Committed To Nebraska
Kubik not only has all the physical tools to be a primetime player at the next level, but she has all the intangibles from the positive body language, eye contact with every player on the court, and showing the same excitement for her teammates as she would if she had her own kill. She is effective on either pin and can play such a solid backrow. I can picture her being one of the Husker greats following in the steps of Mikaela Foecke, a former Iowan and current Nebraska All American. She definitely has flashes of former Husker outside and now USA National Team libero, Kelsey Robinson.
Kennedi Orr – Eagan (MN) – Sophomore – Setter/Outside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska
The casual volleyball fan probably doesn’t understand how difficult it is to be good at one skill (such as setting or being a libero), but to be one of the top players as a setter or a hitter. Orr is the type that will have 20 kills and 25 assists in a match while also being able to put up a solid block and take a hard driven ball in right back and pass it perfectly to the libero. Orr played with Robinson on the USA Youth National Team and will be a future teammate of Kubik at Nebraska.
The Best Performances
Cianna Selbitschka – North Branch (MN) – Junior – Outside Hitter
Committed To UM-Duluth
North Branch got their money’s worth for court time at the Minnesota State Tournament playing 15 sets, which in the first round it looked like it was only going to be three. After falling behind in the quarterfinals 0-2, the Vikings went on a roll behind the all around play of Selbitschka. In the quarterfinals Selbitschka had 34 kills on 85 swings and 31 digs in a five set come from behind win, in the semifinals against top seed Kasson-Mantorville her stat line was 30 kills and 24 digs. There were times where Selbitschka would dive to dig the ball and by the time she got up the ball was already being set to her. In the 5th set alone she had 8 kills. In the championship the Vikings as a team really stepped up and were scoring points from everywhere with Marshall keying in on the Junior outside hitter. However, Selbitschka still managed 25 kills and 20 digs. 15 sets total, 1 state championship. All worth it.
Tayler Alden – Oconomowoc (WI) – Junior – Setter
Committed to Northern Iowa
I’ve seen Alden play throughout her club career and a few matches for Oconomowoc over the past couple years and she is definitely the type that can just take over a game. She plays with a fire and intensity that is tough to match. Oconomowoc was down to their final point in set three to River Falls in the semifinals, but rallied to win set three 32-30 and the match in five sets. Alden had 15 kills and 33 assists, every time she jumped there was a chance she was going to swing with her left hand or dish to one outside Maleah Howe or middle Elle Shult. Shult had quite the stat line herself collecting 17 kills, zero errors on 25 swings for a .680 hitting percentage.
The Best Match
I saw a lot of really solid matches, five set matches like Kimberly vs. Burlington in the first round of the quarterfinals of D1 in Wisconsin, any match that North Branch played in Minnesota, and the championship match to end the season between Champlin Park and Eagan to end the season in Minnesota. However, this match just kind of sticks out to me when I think of the back and forth, tug and pull, and continuous momentum swings that I honestly had no idea until the final point who would win which would be in Iowa, a Class 4A quarterfinal between Dubuque Wahlert and Independence.
Like I said before the top spin jump serve is making a comeback. @IndeeVolleyball wins set two 29-27 pic.twitter.com/APv6A6umLx
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 7, 2018
Dubuque Wahlert (IA) 25-27-25-16-17 over Independence (IA) 17-29-17-25-15
The volleyball in this match was just so great, I didn’t want either team to lose. Extremely long rallies, players in every position for both teams stepping up in big moments, but in the end it was the Golden Eagles, a traditional power in the state of Iowa who came away with the victory. The match was highlighted by the play of Aliyah Carter, a 2020 recruit who has committed to K-State. She is a high flyer that has such a spark on the court. She led Wahlert with 31 kills, but behind her was a Freshman stepping up big time in the middle. Carolyn Conlon had 18 kills on 40 swings with only one error. Not bad for a state tournament debut. On the other side of the net, Madison Laurson led all teams with 34 kills, hitting .370 on the outside, she will be heading to Winona State. The Mustangs also had stellar play from setter Holly Cooksley and their libero, Sydney Hearn, was lights on serve receive while also having 28 digs. I also have to point out that Independence is still sporting the top spin jump serve, a lost out to the jump float, it was very effective. Great match by both teams.
Such a great match all around. @WCHS_GirlsVBall advances to the Class 4A semifinals pic.twitter.com/koGfvJNZp2
— Prep Dig Iowa (@PrepDigIA) November 7, 2018
The Cinderella Team/Storybook Endings
Medford High School (MN)
The Cinderella team of any of the state tournaments has to be Medford out of Minnesota. The Class A (small school class) came into the tournament unseeded, first time at state, and found itself playing on Saturday for the championship trophy. Medford, which is known for their outlet mall right off Interstate 35 brought a huge crowd every match. They were defeated by an incredibly talented and scrappy Minneota team who has a storybook ending to their season, but for now Medford is more than just a quick shopping stop on the Interstate, they are one of the top small school volleyball teams in Minnesota.
Cinderella gets to dance again. Unseeded @MedfordTigers advance to the Class A State Title Match! pic.twitter.com/2j7ijzIr4x
— Prep Dig Minnesota (@PrepDigMN) November 9, 2018
Burlington (WI)
Everyone knew they had a shot to win it, there is just something about this team come tournament time. It might just be the tie dye bright orange t-shirt jerseys, but it may also be the gritty defense this program is known for. They are led by their fearless leader in Kentucky recruit Maddie Berezowitz who will be a DS in college, but plays outside for the Demons and will hit spots all night. They also have a lethal setter/middle combination in UW-Milwaukee recruit Kaley Blake to Sophomore Camryn Lukenbill and Junior Emily Alan. The other X-factor in this equation is Sophomore libero Sam Naber who has already committed to playing at Marquette. This is a tradition that is tough to top in the state of Wisconsin. Nothing flashy, just simple volleyball, executed at an extremely high level.
Congratulations to all the teams this year as we wrap up the high school season in Wisconsin. Big dreams always start small, little girls already looking up to the big kids. Thank you for a wonderful season from the writers at Prep Dig! ???????? pic.twitter.com/6rjAtt6ko5
— Prep Dig Wisconsin (@PrepDigWI) November 4, 2018