What Can a Class of 2023 Athlete Gain From an Expo/Showcase?
The volleyball world has been shifting a little when it comes to recruiting. Let’s rewind two years and there were athletes who were having some serious conversations with some of the top college programs in the country when they were 13 or 14 years old. Some were making decisions about where they were attending college before they entered high school.
Now, with new recruiting rules preventing any potential student-athletes from having a chance to have a recruiting conversation with college coaches until after June 15 of their Sophomore year it changes the game a little bit. The purpose is to slow down the recruiting process for these athletes when it comes to making the decision on where they will play at the next level.
So why would a Class of 2023 prospect who is in their Freshman year of high school attend an event like the Prep Dig Expo? Competition and Coverage!
In order to get better, athletes have to play against top competition. For someone in the Class of 2023, they will get to play against top talent from all classes. They will get a chance to be on the court with some of the top athletes in the Class of 2023 as well as athletes up to the Class of 2020. This is a great way to see where their game is at in comparison to others who are looking to play at the next level. To have the top players across the state playing alongside and against each other at the same event is something that doesn’t happen very often. To see a top Junior or Senior play at the state tournament and a month later you get to play alongside them at this event is a powerful experience as a Freshman.
At the Wisconsin Prep Dig Top 250 in 2018, some of the Freshmen stole the show. Karissa Kaminski was coming off an All State campaign for Howards Grove as an outside hitter and was able to showcase her all around ability. Brianna Cantrell and Berkley Mischler had the top vertical jumps in the whole expo, followed closely by 2019 graduate Maddie Crowley who is now a Freshman at Northern Michigan. We also had a Class of 2021 and 2022 All Expo team that featured Claire Ammeraal (Madison LaFollette/Capital Volleyball Academy), Josie Halbleib (Sun Prairie/Capital Volleyball Academy), Brianna Cantrell (Appleton North/FC Elite), Lizzie Binder (Sheboygan North/Milwaukee Sting), Jordan Berglin (Pewaukee/Midwest Penguins), Lindsay Krznarich (Arrowhead/Milwaukee Sting), Monica LaFleur (Arrowhead/Milwaukee Sting), Kourtney Wollner (Kettle Moraine Lutheran), and Robyn Kirsch (Wausau West/Wisconsin Ice).
This is a really low-pressure setting for athletes to compete against the best. For athletes who will be entering their 15s year of club, there is an urgency to get onto the court and start dabbling in the recruiting process. With club approaching tournaments approaching less than a month after the Expo season, this is a great way to get in touches against some really strong competition.
Here is a layout of what athletes will be doing at the Top 250 Expo:
Intro/Welcome |
Dynamic Warm-Up/Ball Control |
Stations – Each court with some type of competitive game to show overall athleticism and all-around play (split court 2 on 2, queens, etc), will also incorporate a testing station for approach touch, reach, and height. |
Positionals |
Position Combinations (setters work with hitters, incorporate defensive players) |
Competition |
Cool Down/Recruiting Questions (athletes cool down/stretch with court coaches with some time to chat recruiting questions) |
Closing |