Top Teams From Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin Ready To Take On Asics Challenge
Prep Dig is taking on the Asics Challenge this weekend in Chicagoland and will be providing coverage on social media along with plenty of content following the event. As a new name in Illinois, we do have experience in plenty of surrounding states with a little glimpse of some programs from Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin who will be bringing some of their top teams to one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country.
From Nebraska
Skutt Catholic – Omaha
Berk Brown, Prep Dig Nebraska Writer on Skutt Catholic
Skutt Catholic of Omaha comes into the ASICS Challenge this weekend with a record of 14-3 and a #2 ranking in Class B – the second-largest class in Nebraska. Skutt Catholic had been without Nebraska outside hitter recruit Lindsay Krause until this past week when she returned from Egypt after competing for the Gold-medal winning USA Youth National Team. She promptly came back and broke the school record for kills in match with 28 against St. Teresa’s Academy of Missouri. Skutt also features Arizona State recruit Allison Gray at setter and Creighton recruit Megan Skovsende as an outside hitter. Skutt Catholic has won four consecutive state championships in Class B.
From Iowa
Dubuque Wahlert
Aliyah Carter of Wahlert Catholic is a K-State commit.
Wahlert Catholic has won the past three state titles in Class 4A (Iowa’s second largest Class), and a lot of their recent success has come at the swing of Aliyah Carter, the Kansas State commit who brings an electric style to the court with her high flying ability on the pin. The Golden Eagles are currently ranked 4th in Class 4A. Another athlete to keep an eye on is Lauren Montgomery, the Junior setter who is running the show averaging just over eight assists per set as well as Ella Pettinger, another Junior who is hitting over .300. Wahlert is in one of the top volleyball conferences in the state in the Mississippi Valley Conference where they will see a familiar opponent in Cedar Rapids Xavier at the Asics Challenge.
Cedar Rapids Xavier
The Saints are the topped ranked team in Class 4A and have taken on some of the top teams across the state of Iowa. Xavier fell just short of a state title in 2018 where they fell to conference rival, Dubuque Wahlert in four sets. Eve Magill, the 6’4 pin hitter is a Creighton commit and has really improved her all-around game to be a big presence at the net defensively as well as the backrow. Xavier brings a strong Junior class along with Magill with attackers Elyse Winter and Katy Garrison. Junior setter, Jaz Yamilkoski, is a returning All State athlete that is averaging just over eight assists per set.
From Wisconsin
Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) – Milwaukee
DSHA is one of the more tradition-rich programs in Wisconsin. The all-girls Catholic school is out of the Milwaukee area where they are one of the tops when it comes to academics and athletics. The Dashers are currently ranked 5th in the Prep Dig Wisconsin rankings where the name to their game is balance and efficiency. Rachel Roberts is a do it all type setter who attacks in the front row and sets when she goes to the back. One of the top all around players in the area. Libero, Jalie Shemanski provides quite a motor for this team in the backrow. They will be joined by familiar opponents in Catholic Memorial and Kettle Moraine at the Asics Challenge, who also come from the Milwaukee Area.
Catholic Memorial – Waukesha, WI (West Milwaukee)
Rebecca Siedenburg of Kettle Moraine.
Catholic Memorial has trophy cases full of state championship hardware. The Crusaders are one of the more well-known programs in Division 2 (Wisconsin’s second largest class). With a team that is relatively young this year with only two Seniors on the roster. Two of their middle blockers in Carly Clausen and Katilyn Riley provide an athletic spark offensively and defensively at the net as well as Junior libero, Bella Halcomb.
Kettle Moraine High School (West Suburbs of Milwaukee)
Kettle Moraine has been building bit by bit for this year where they are one of the top teams in Wisconsin’s largest class. Their size and physicality has been tough to matchup with at some of the top tournaments in Wisconsin. This team also features three sets of sisters starting with the Grocholski’s. Haley Grocholski is the senior middle blocker who brings a heavy swing and strong block to the net, where Freshman outside, Grace Grocholski is a dynamic all-around athlete who scores a lot of points from the outside. Kettle Moraine has already faced DSHA in a tournament earlier this year, where DSHA won 2-1 (22-25, 28-26, 15-11).