MEQ Madness: The Cinderella Teams, Under The Radar, and Top Players
What’s not going on this weekend? With the NCAA Tournament kicking off for Men’s and Women’s Basketball, MEQ is madness in itself with 100 plus courts and 900 teams there are bound to be plenty of Cinderella teams, players who…
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Continue ReadingWhat’s not going on this weekend? With the NCAA Tournament kicking off for Men’s and Women’s Basketball, MEQ is madness in itself with 100 plus courts and 900 teams there are bound to be plenty of Cinderella teams, players who will make a name for themselves, and bids to be earned. Here is a bit or a Prep Dig MEQ Madness guide:
The Cinderella Teams:
Eastern Iowa Xtreme 17 Teal
With a handful of Division 1 commits, this team is so fun to watch with multiple hitters who can put the ball on the floor and a future Big Ten libero in Class of 2021 Iowa commit Sydney Dennis. This past weekend they locked up an American bid at Iowa Regionals, but will be looking for more as they compete in Open this upcoming weekend. MEQ is a Gauntlet of a National Qualifier, but can this team led by Aliyah Carter (K-State) and Kacia Brown (Mississippi State) on the pin win the key points and matches to punch their ticket at the open level? They definitely have the tools to get there.
FC Elite 16 Navy
Two solid setters in Brooke Bolwerk and Kirsten Kraus, a go to outside in Cora Behnke, middles and right sides which include Emma Mans and Brianna Geurts (middle Hattie Bray will play up on the 18s), and an up and coming Libero in 2023 Saige Damrow, FC Elite will be hungry to face some high level competition. They’ve hung with Sting 16 Gold, defeated MN Select, won the JVA Jam in Milwaukee, and have secured the Badger Region National Bid. This will be their first big tournament to start a month of a lot of top notch competition.
Iowa Rockets 15-R
Balanced, athletic, and a few star players sprinkled in, Iowa Rockets has a team that can compete against some of the best. Macy Daufeldt will be a key go to player, who might just be one of the most athletic and explosive players in the Class of 2022 in the state of Iowa. Setter, Kora Ruff can set and swing on the right side, really solid all around players Calia Clubb also presents a mismatch for opposing team with a big block and swing on the right side as well.
Macy Daufeldt can put the ball on the floor from either pin. Rising prospect out of @WestLibAthletic and @IowaRockets pic.twitter.com/4cZExf30io
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 24, 2019
The Blue Bloods
Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas are the “Blue Bloods” of college basketball. On the women’s side you have Baylor, UCONN, and the Southeastern Schools who always seem to be at the top. The Prep Dig Network definitely has some of those top teams who are looking to make a statement to claim their spot at the top.
Legacy
Legacy 18 Elite out of Michigan is at the top looking down on the rest of the field. With a number of big tournament wins over the past couple years this team has the number one seed going into the weekend. With power five commits such as Jessica Robinson (Michigan), Desiree Becker (Northwestern), Celia Cullen (Michigan State), Jessica Mruzik (Michigan), and Hannah Grant (Michigan State) along with a roster full of other Division 1 athletes, there really isn’t a glaring weakness for this team. Legacy 17 Elite will also walk in as a contender for an Open bid with the second seed heading into the weekend.
Milwaukee Sting
Sting 17 Gold and Sting 16 Gold both finished in the elite eight of triple crown and Bluegrass, 17 Gold was runner up at Bluegrass. These two teams have a chance to compete for a bid at MEQ and Northern Lights. Sting 17 Gold has Aubrey Hamilton (Notre Dame), Kiara Reinhardt (Creighton), and Elsie Goetzinger (Kentucky) leading the way with Kaley Blake (UW-Milwaukee) Running the show as a setter. For Sting 16 Gold there are plenty of athletes who have not yet made their college decision, but they do have a pair of Minnesota commits in Emme Bullis and Freshman Phenom Mckenna Wucherer, one of the most dominant outside hitters in the Class of 2022. Libero Anna Holland is a Seton Hall commit.
Uncommitted Players To Watch:
Kelsey Carrington – Sting 17 Gold – 2020 – Middle/Right side
Wow, if you have a spot for a 2020 middle/right side Carrington has been tearing it up. She is really athletic from pin to pin, can be very terminal off one foot, and puts up a mean block
Julia Bishop – MiElite 16 Mizuno – Setter – 2021
Bishop makes running a 5-1 at a high level look really easy. Great court awareness, solid defender and an extremely high volleyball IQ. Her hands are high and neutral which allows her to really dish in a variety of ways to her teammates.
Kora Ruff – Iowa Rockets 15-R – Setter/Right Side – Class of 2022
Smooth operator. Ruff, who can set and swing will probably head the setting route collegially, but that doesn’t take away from her all around skills. Just shows her athleticism and ability to adjust.
Morgan Yenter – Sting 16 Gold – Setter – Class of 2021
Yenter is nearly six feet tall and left handed, a dynamic athlete who can set or swing on second on second contact and can be used in a variety of ways.
Sarah Luong – Mizuno M1 18-1 – Setter – Class of 2020
Not everyone on a 18s team is committed or even graduating this year which is exactly where Luong falls. A Class of 2020 setter, she has an incredible volleyball IQ as well has top tier ACT scores which puts her in a new category of schools that very few can get into. A setter with smarts on and off the court is a true gem. Luong is on point with her placement and knows when to catch the defense off guard to score points on her own.
Brianna Geurts – FC Elite 16 Navy – Middle/Right Side – Class of 2021
Geurts has gone from being an undersized middle to a strong, athletic, versatile from row player who can terminate from either pin or from the middle. The FC Elite 16 Navy team has a lot of players who can do a little bit of everything. Having a player like Geurts allows them to be creative with lineups and be deadly in tight situations.
Ellie Tisko – Mi Elite 16 Mizuno – Outside/Middle/Right Side – Class of 2021
Tisko can score from any position in the front row. After seeing her play at Triple Crown and her connection with Bishop setting, she has routes where you have to identify her in all rotations. She is extremely terminal off one foot with a high contact point.
Addie VanderWeide – Michigan Volleyball Academy 17 National – Outside Hitter – Class of 2021
VanderWeide has always played up for MVA, she’s been a solid go to for her club and a high caliber prospect ever since 8th grade. A physical player at the net, VanderWeide brings a high IQ and scorers mentality to the court.
Committed Athletes You Need To Watch
Rylee Fay – Eastern Iowa Xtreme – Class of 2020 – Setter – Committed to Missouri State
Watching Fay at Iowa Regionals, she is a physical and athletic setter who just commands the show. EIX has a lot of options to score and Fay puts them all in position to score. She also brings a presence to the net, especially defensively as a strong blocker.
Maddie Koch – FC Elite 17 Navy – Class of 2019 – Outside Hitter – Committed to Purdue
Koch’s older brothers have a bit of March Madness being on the Northern Iowa men’s basketball teams that went to the NCAA Tournament and Sweet Sixteen. However this weekend, Koch will be playing in her future home state as she has signed on at Purdue. The Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year brings a lot of power to the pin and is always a threat out of the back row.
Kendall Murray – Legacy 17 Elite – Class of 2020 – Outside Hitter – Committed To Michigan
Murray can flat out fly. At Triple Crown, Legacy ran into Skyline twice who knocked them out of the elite eight. This weekend they will be one of the favorites. Murray just plays so high and can score from anywhere on the court, not to mention she has others on her team who can score which gives me more open looks.
So much fire power from this @LegacyLvc team – fun to watch. Crazy close match with Skyline. pic.twitter.com/6xjMIdOBD5
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 18, 2019
Anna Wolf – MN Select 18-1 – Class of 2021 – Middle Blocker – Committed to Minnesota
Elizabeth Juhnke of Mizuno M1 18-1Wolf is a new addition to MN Select and will be finishing her Sophomore year. An early commit to Minnesota, she is getting some solid experience playing up two levels on the 18s. Touching 10’5 and now adding new routes and tempos to her repertoire, she just keeps getting bettereach time she steps on the court.
Elizabeth Juhnke – Mizuno M1 18-1 – Class of 2019 – Outside Hitter – Committed to South Dakota
Juhnke is just a smash mouth type player. There is no shot she can’t hit and she’s not afraid to split the seam or be aggressive when it matters most. She was one of the top outside hitters in Minnesota across all classes the past few years and has led M1 to an Open Bid which they secured in Chicago. This 18 Open division is going to be a prelude to what the Open national tournament will be like.
As an athlete, what will Prep Dig do to help with your exposure for the Motor City Madness Showcase?
💥Personalized tweet welcoming you to the event
💥Before, during, and post event coverage
💥Your name sent to college coaches informing them of your attendance at the event pic.twitter.com/70HxQeHAAR
— Prep Dig Michigan (@PrepDigMI) March 6, 2019