Recruiting Classes of All Divisions Come Together At NLQ
With one month of the club season in the books, there are plenty of athletes who have popped up on the radar, but I’ve also seen recruiting classes from various parts of the Midwest that I know will make great…
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Continue ReadingWith one month of the club season in the books, there are plenty of athletes who have popped up on the radar, but I’ve also seen recruiting classes from various parts of the Midwest that I know will make great combinations in the next year or two. The Northern Lights Qualifier is always a strong tournament, but there are athletes from all divisions of play who will soon call each other teammates at the next level. This is always an exciting time as we can start to see a glimpse into the future as well as what future teammates and friends will look like at the collegiate level.
Michigan Tech
Lauren Richard of Impact going to Michigan TechMichigan Tech has built themselves into a top Division 2 program, coming off a national tournament appearance and will have a really strong recruiting class coming in. I actually saw I believe four of their incoming athletes just hanging out and talking between matches and got to see most of them play. Katherine Walch of FC Elite is one of the top liberos out of the Class of 2020 in Wisconsin. Middle blockers Lauren Richards of Impact VBC out of Appleton brings a lot of athleticism to the front line as well as Kaycee Meiners who was part of a Capital 18 Adidas team who brought home a bid. MN Select 18-2 outside Lindy Oujiri will bring another athletic element to their roster. A Class of 2021 athlete who has played middle, but was able to bring a heavy swing on the pin was Riley Stichter of MN Select 17-1.
Upper Iowa
Upper Iowa is a small town gem in Northeast Iowa that competes in the NSIC and is bringing in top talent across the Midwest after finishing the season ranked 19th in the country. Their 2020 Class had a few top athletes in the NLQ field including two Milwaukee Sting athletes in Nicole Pozorski and Maddy Rettler. Pozorski is an extremely crafty setter who can dish and also attack with a knack for the open spot where Rettler provides a big arm where she can swing from both sides of the pin. Zoe Semelroth of Six Pack is a really physical middle along with another Six Pack athlete who is relatively new to the recruiting class in Kaci Beesecker who is a dual sport athlete that will play volleyball and basketball at Upper Iowa.
Minnesota State – Mankato
A lot of athleticism here for Minnesota State – Mankato with a 2020 commit as well as two really strong athletes in the Class of 2021. Emilee Terry was a big time standout at Kasson-Mantorville High School (MN) where she gaining valuable experience on the outside playing for M1. Class of 2021 commit Brooke Bolwerk of FC Elite (WI) is incredibly solid as a setter with how she can put everything on point for her attackers. She will make a really solid combination with Kiya Durant who once again showed her physicality and athleticism out of the middle for MN Select 17-1
Omaha (UNO) (Title Photo)
Omaha was going through a coaching change around this time, but two Class of 2020 athletes who are going to be big time impact players are Jordan Stalpes of MN Select 18-1, a really strong all around athlete. She knows how to win and compete in big time situations as a really solid six rotation outside that can serve receive, pass, and attack with multiple angles. Olivia Curry of Club Ignit 18 Blue (Des Moines area) was a standout for West Des Moines Valley and is a swiss army knife type player who can hammer on the right side or run the show as a setter. The Summit League continues to pick up some big recruits.
North Dakota State
Middleton attacking for Iowa Power PlexNorth Dakota State is building a really strong Class of 2021 recruiting class to go along with their Class of 2020. Morgan Middleton was in action for Iowa PowerPlex and is an extremely athletic and strong outside hitter who can score a lot of points. Across the net was Alexis Boling from Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold who recently committed to NDSU and packs a mean punch with her swing from any spot on the front row. She is coming back from a knee injury and will be back in action at the end of February. From 2020 Ali Hinze is a 6’0 outside hitter for MN Select as well as Taylor Quan, the MN Select 18-2 DS/L.
Marquette
Marquette had plenty of athletes on various courts from the Class of 2021 this weekend. Ella Foti is full strength for Capital 18 Adidas as a setter and right side. Her versatility will be a welcome addition to the Marquette program. Hattie Bray is a 6’2 middle blocker who continues to get better each time she steps on the court. She is a member of the FC Elite 18-Elite squad that is comprised of plenty of underclassmen playing up. Sam Naber, a libero and Kaitlyn Riley were part of the Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold squad that snagged a USAV 17 Open bid.
Tjernagel with the blockNorthern Iowa
UNI is always one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference as well as a perennial top 25 team as well. The Panther staff has had great success recruiting Minnesota where this past weekend Olivia Tjernagel was playing for Synergy 18-1 and one of the more recent commits to UNI is outside hitter Kira Fallert, a really solid ball control outside who is extremely high IQ. Tjernagel is so graceful along the net with her ability to play so high as well as get to the ball extremely quickly, these two athletes will definitely add to the UNI volleyball tradition.
UW-Oshkosh
UWO is building quite the recruiting class from the Class of 2020 that includes some of the top instate recruits. Nikki Censky of Motion Volleyball out of Milwaukee was playing middle this weekend, but can be used on both pins, an extremely dynamic athlete. Maddy Pearson is another swiss army knife player who was on the FC Elite 18 Navy team where she can set and play on the right side. Her triplet sister, Courtney Pearson will be joining the Titans and in attendance on Saturday was another future UW-Oshkosh athlete in Abby Larson of Kokoro VBC/River Falls High School.