What Did College Coaches Notice At Triple Crown?
Opening weekend of the live period. Talking to college coaches, seeing college coaches, and just being a neutral party at the Triple Crown NIT Presidents Day Tournament, there were coaches of all levels joining in the fun at one of…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOpening weekend of the live period. Talking to college coaches, seeing college coaches, and just being a neutral party at the Triple Crown NIT Presidents Day Tournament, there were coaches of all levels joining in the fun at one of the top club tournaments in the country. There were probably some bright eyes for some players, seeing the jackets of coaches you see on the sidelines on ESPN or the Big Ten Network, but at some point athletes just have to stick to their game. What were some of the highlights that coaches may have noticed? More than enough, but here are a few that stand out and will be ones to watch throughout this club season.
Big Time Players Came To Play!
Mckenna Wucherer continues to solidify herself as one of the top Class of 2022 outside hitters in the county. She was a key part of the elite eight run for Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold (where Wucherer could technically play 15s). She is playing with such a high contact point and is continuing to find creative ways to score from all spots on the court. Even when four hands are in her face, she finds a way to tool the block. If there’s a split – forget it. She also had fellow 2022 prospect and future teammate Carter Booth at the tournament as well. Booth was part of M1 which is out of the Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota, but has moved to Colorado and now playing for Colorado Juniors. At 6’7, and continuing to develop her talent she is going to be dangerous. Minnesota also had from the Class of 2021 Anna Wolf of MN Select 18-1, Emme Bullis of Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold, and Skylar Gray of MN Select 16-1.
A new Class of 2022 prospect
Off the net, no problem for @GopherVBall commit Mckenna Wucherer @stingvb1988 pic.twitter.com/4DYZVuvbh9
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 17, 2019
Hayden Kubik of CIS 15M was definitely one to watch the whole weekend. CIS 15M wasn’t supposed to advance out out of their Challenge Pool on day 1, but just kept winning, and winning against some of the top teams in the country. The girls from Iowa just played clean volleyball, and with a hitter like Kubik your team always has an outlet. Coaches on Sunday afternoon flocked to her court from Northern Iowa, Nebraska (where her older sister Madi will play), K-State, Illinois, Washington, and more. She handles herself with such maturity and poise and was a joy to watch the whole weekend as well as the rest of their team.
Absolutely loooved watching @MadiKubik play, but Hayden Kubik is not the future, but the NOW! Having such a strong tournament for @CISvolleyball pic.twitter.com/g2VkCKVUFl
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 18, 2019
The Fire and Intensity of Nebraska Premier
Nebraska Premier was such a joy to watch at the 15s division and was at the top of the podium after three days. The tempo they play with – Wow. There isn’t anyone physically imposing where you look across the net and just might have the fear of what they will do once they swing or block. However, the scrappiness, the fundamentally sound skill set, intensity, and energy they demonstrate overcomes any size disadvantage they might have.
That set and tempo tho…@Premier_VB – 15s semifinal is rolling! pic.twitter.com/6odnYqWgmM
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 18, 2019
What a Difference a Year Makes
Watching Elise Goetzinger of Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold this past weekend, it was hard to imagine where she was a year ago. The 6’3 middle heading to Kentucky came into the club season last year a bit of a secret, not a lot of national club experience, and was extremely raw. Watch out. She is a force at the net and so physical offensively and defensively. The ceiling for Goetzinger is so high and she will be a tremendous player to watch progress into the next level for the reigning SEC Champions.
Elise Goetzinger of @stingvb1988 has evolved so much in the past year. The @KentuckyVB recruit has a bright future! pic.twitter.com/PQK9hTFwld
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 17, 2019
Legacy Shows Their Strength
How much athleticism can you fit into one team. Legacy came back to make it to the 18s final and this year ended up on top after defeating Texas Image. They dropped some sets along the way, but to snag a two out of three set against this team is going to be tough. They have five athletes who will be playing for a Big 10 university next season and five athletes who are touching ten feet or higher on their approach. This team just has an explosiveness that is tough to match and as long as they continue to play clean volleyball they will be a heavy contender to win the USAV 18s Championship at the end of April.
Championship courts at @triplecrownspts with @LegacyLvc vs. @tximg and @Premier_VB vs. @CISvolleyball pic.twitter.com/3TREdaU6fd
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 18, 2019