“We’re Feeling 22” – 22 Athletes To Watch In The Class of 2022
Is that too cliche to include Taylor Swift lyrics on the Class of 2022 – “Feeling 22”? I digress. So far this club season we’ve been focusing a lot of time on the Class of 2020 and 2021, but with…
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Continue ReadingIs that too cliche to include Taylor Swift lyrics on the Class of 2022 – “Feeling 22”? I digress. So far this club season we’ve been focusing a lot of time on the Class of 2020 and 2021, but with the live period approaching and more national events coming up, the Class of 2022 will be a heavily watched class for multiple reasons. Many of the athletes were in communication with college coaches until the rules changed May 1, 2019 where college coaches were not allowed to communicate with athletes in regards to recruiting until June 15 after their Sophomore year. These athletes can send updates, emails, etc. but even though they will be recruited, the communication really can’t take off until June 15. No worries, at Prep Dig we have you covered with a variety of athletes in our network who will ones to watch this weekend at Presidents Day events in Kansas City, Omaha, and St. Louis. This is an exciting class that will once again, make a great fit at the next level across all levels. I have seen all these athletes play live in the past year and the progress they have made from their 15s to 16s year has been extremely impressive and exciting for what is next to come.
My phone died as this tweet was loading….what a night.@anorth_vb wins in five and earns a spot at the state tournament pic.twitter.com/sL3cS5zGkP
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 3, 2019
Brianna Cantrell – FC Elite 18 Elite (WI)
Kansas City
Cantrell is playing up two age groups on the FC Elite 18 Elite team. This is one of the rising top outside hitters in the Class of 2022 in Wisconsin who has come on extremely strong this past fall earning All State Honors and was the POY in her conference. She can contact high, touch ten feet, and is a huge weapon out of the backrow with attacking. The upside on Cantrell is huge, her development playing against high level competition will really benefit her during the recruiting process. In the clip above was the kill to send her Appleton North team to state which she had 30 plus kills in a five set match.
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
Hayden Kubik – Club Ignit 16 Blue (IA)
Kansas City
Kubik took the Triple Crown Tournament by storm last year on the pin and is the top outside hitter out of the Class of 2022 in Iowa. Her older sister Madi was the top freshman in the country this past season for Nebraska and Hayden is on track to be a prized recruit out of her class. She definitely has the offensively skills to overpower, but has really developed an all around game to be highly effective in the backrow defensively as well as a big block at the net.
BeckettAvery Beckett – Six Pack 17U (IA)
Kansas City
Beckett plays for Six Pack 16U, but will be heading to KC with the 17s as this also happens to be the start of regional playoffs for basketball in Iowa which Six Pack 17U has plenty of top basketball athletes as well. Beckett is a high flyer on the pin – she’s quick, she’s dynamic, she can do some really fun things. Will be fun to see her compete against some high level competition and see how she can manufacture points.
Maddie Converse – Northern Lights 16-1 (MN)
Kansas City
Converse is a new addition to Northern Lights this year and will put up a great ball as a setter. She’s quick, athletic, and has played in big matches in her two seasons as a top prep player in SE Minnesota. She will be one of two setters getting the ball to a high powered offense which one of the top targets on hand will be 6’5 middle Kendal Kemp, another big time Class of 2022 recruit.
Haley Graetz – Kokoro 16-1 (MN)
Kansas City
Graetz has spent most of her career as a middle blocker, but at the end of last club season she started playing on the pin and she definitely has the makings to be a six rotation outside that contribute at a high level. Graetz comes from an athletic family with her older brother playing football at NDSU and her gamer like attitude and ability to make easy adjustments makes her someone you want on your side of the net.
Gabrielle Schroeder – Iowa Rockets 16R (IA)
St. Louis
Rockets has a ton of power with their attackers and one of the top setters in the region with Kora Ruff, but their libero Gabrielle Schroeder is so efficient. She anticipates well, knows when to push the tempo on her first contact and is rock solid in serve receive. Iowa Rockets 16R will head to St. Louis and be looking to play in some big matches come Championship Monday.
MehaffyElise Mehaffy – Iowa Rockets 16-1 (IA)
St. Louis
The Class of 2022 in Iowa is extremely deep across the state. Mehaffy is another Iowa Rocket who can do a variety of skills from setting to taking swings on either pin. Steady, under control, and a great feel for the game, Mehaffy and another all around setter/pin Ella Caffery will be a great duo this weekend in STL.
Street #18Meredith Street – CIA 17 Black (IA
Kansas City
Lightning in a bottle – Street really can do anything her team needs. She can play on the pin and has a huge swing, she’s played on the right side for her high school team, or she could be a libero at the next level. She’s had success as an individual and with every team she’s been on. She is also a really strong beach player at CIA.
Chloe Largent – Club Ignit 16 Blue (IA)
Kansas City
Largent is full of athleticism and is another one who has played mostly out of the middle, but will see some time on the pin. She will be part of Club Ignit 16 Blue squad which many of the same athletes from this team were on the CIS 15M team that finished second overall last year in 15 Elite last year. The team has some positional switches as well as some other key additions in Ava Reynolds, another pin hitter from the Class of 2022.
So dynamic. Claire Ammeraal of @CapitalVbAll can jump and swing as a left handed setter. Huge upside to her game! pic.twitter.com/DocOjEAGC5
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 8, 2020
Claire Ammeraal – Capital 16 Adidas (WI)
Omaha
I love Ammeraal’s style, she’s nearly 6’0 tall left handed and can set and swing for Capital 16 Adidas who will be playing in Omaha this weekend. Her ability to jump and swing or set in the front row puts a ton of pressure on the other side of the net. She is definitely one to keep tabs on in the Class of 2022 group of setters in Wisconsin.
Lily Lutz – Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold (WI)
Kansas City
Lutz is like a water beetle with how quickly she moves around the court. Great feet, great hands, and with her quickness she can get to the ball to set it up to multiple attackers for Sting 16 Gold. Sting 16 Gold is a real scrappy group who will wear you down with ball control and a strong middle attack from Morgan Daugherty and Haley Koch.
Big swing by Annie Stotlar @iowaselectvbc and put away from Hannah Copeland pic.twitter.com/lkIml4BXnC
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 25, 2020
Hannah Copeland – Iowa Select 16 Mizuno (IA)
Omaha
Copeland really came onto the radar at the Prep Dig Tour of Iowa Showcase as a really strong and athletic middle blocker. She has a great blend of speed, power, and athleticism to get from pin to pin while also being available in transition to make a swing. Iowa Select 16 Mizuno has had a lot of early season success and will be fun to see how they match up with other top 16s teams in Omaha.
Sydney Lewellin – Milwaukee Sting 16 Black (WI)
St. Louis
Left-handed, on point with her setting placement, and can block and swing – Lewellin has all the tools she needs to be extremely successful. She is coming off a breakout high school season and carrying her momentum into club with Milwaukee Sting 16 Black. What is great about Lewellin is that she finds ways to contribute and create positive touches no matter what rotation she is in.
Sydney Lewellin is so money as a setter for @stingvb1988 16 Black. Left handed, can swing, jump set, defend, fun athlete and Sting 16 Black is super gritty as a squad.
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 8, 2020
Kenzie Roettger – Kokoro 16-1 (MN)
Kansas City
Roettger will join Graetz with the 16-1 squad of Kokoro out of the St. Paul, MN area. Roettger hits the ball hard and square making it really tough to defend out of the middle. She’s the type of athlete who can hurt you in multiple ways. She has played primarily of the middle, but has the athleticism where she could score points from anywhere in the front line.
Piper Kirchhoff – Iowa Power Plex 17 Black Elite
Kansas City
Kirchhoff plays a year up on the 17s team from Power Plex and brings a lot of firepower from the right side. This past December, Kirchhoff was a major standout at the Iowa Top 250 with her aggressive attacking and violent arm swing. Fun athlete to watch, positive body language with her teammates, and she has a huge upside that will be fun to see develop over the club season.
Piper Kirchhoff had one heck of a day! She was scoring a ton of points from both jobs. Not afraid to take a big swing and really go for it! pic.twitter.com/6bkgfhhMkJ
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) December 7, 2019
Cynphany Henderson – Synergy 16-1 (MN)
Omaha
Henderson brings an element of athleticism to the setter position. After a really successful high school season with STMA outside of the Twin Cities, Henderson brings a ton of quickness for Synergy which is a club on the rise out of the Northwest suburbs (Champlin Park). All of their teams will be in Omaha this weekend and will be contenders right away.
Alayna Finucan – Club Ignit Select 16 Blue (IA)
Kansas City
Finucan will be one of the defensive specialists for Club Ignit. She’s been on the radar since she stepped on the court and is one of the top defenders out of Iowa from the Class of 2022. If Club Ignit can get in system for Denver commit Lauren Carter to dish to multiple setters they will be extremely dangerous and will look to make another run into bracket play Sunday and Monday.
Multiple connections on the right side between Courtney Baele and Carly Puffer. Puffer is an up and comer in the Class of 2022 MB/RS pic.twitter.com/AoxaH2lUZz
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 25, 2020
Carly Puffer – Iowa Rockets 16-1 (IA)
St. Louis
Puffer can play out of the middle or the right side, hitting a heavy ball and putting up a big block. She is dynamic in a way where she has a big window to hit from and also adjust to what the set and defense is giving her. Her presence at the Iowa Top 250 and Tour of Iowa Showcase was felt as one of the top 2022 attackers to take note of with her versatility to do a lot of skills extremely well.
Madison Geise – IPVA 16 Black (IA)
Omaha
Geise is another setter who brings a ton of athleticism to the court and can contribute in multiple ways for her team. Again, Iowa is incredibly deep in the Class of 2022 and Geise is another setter to add to the mix who will be getting some solid looks this club season from college coaches.
Emma Goerger – MN Select 17-1 (MN)
Kansas City
Goerger will be playing up on the MN Select 17-1 squad who has some solid commits from the Class of 2021, but with Goerger being 6’4 out of the middle she can get a touch on plenty of attacks as well as find the open spot herself. Her presence will be huge along with connecting with 2021 setter Teagan Starkey who is the orchestrator of the offense with crazy fast hands.
Cassandra Alsum – Milwaukee Sting 16 White (WI)
St. Louis
Throw a dart on the map in the Midwest and there is going to be a really strong tournament along the way over Presidents Day. Sting will be sending teams to St. Louis and with Milwaukee Sting 16 White, Cassandra Alsum will be a really key point scorer from the outside. With high level training and competition, Alsum is one who is definitely on the radar in the state and continuing to rise with her momentum she finished her high school season with her ability to hit a variety angles and see the open court.
Abby Jandro – Northern Lights 16-2 (MN)
Omaha
I saw Jandro play in a high school tournament at in SW Minnesota this past fall and I was really surprised to see that she was a Sophomore. She handles herself with composure, solid all the way around, and set her high school team to a state tournament in a really loaded sectional that included the top large schools in the state. This 16-2 squad will definitely be one looking to claim some hardware in Omaha. Keep tabs on Class of 2023 attacker Ella Christ on this squad as well.