Who And What I Need To Watch When Play Resumes
I miss volleyball. *Ditto*. For those reading Prep Dig we are all suffering through a major volleyball withdrawal. The social media helps with how clubs are keeping their skills sharp, online or virtual workouts, as does any form of facetime…
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Continue ReadingI miss volleyball. *Ditto*. For those reading Prep Dig we are all suffering through a major volleyball withdrawal. The social media helps with how clubs are keeping their skills sharp, online or virtual workouts, as does any form of facetime chat, but it’s just not the same – let’s be real. I am choosing to be optimistic during this time of getting back on the court, being with the volleyball community, and doing what I love to do which is be a part of the game by giving a voice to some of these athletes (whenever that time comes). I do have plenty of players and teams I want to watch when play resumes. Here is a quick peak at what I’m looking forward to seeing when that first whistle blows and play resumes!
Kokoro 18-1The Class of 2020
I’m going to be a little sappy, but especially for the Wisconsin Class of 2020 I feel like I’ve seen this group grow up when I started seeing some of them play while I was coaching their Freshman year, and then with Prep Dig from their Sophomore or 16s year on. Seeing them go through the recruiting process, getting to the state tournament, winning state titles, finding their college, getting to know some of the families – I feel like I’ve been telling their story since they were 15 and 16 years old. This is such a hard time for these athletes with the unsettledness of not only their volleyball lives, but what does this look like for monumental moments such as prom, graduation, and all the other “lasts”.
More Illinois
I feel like I was starting to really get a grasp on Illinois during the month of February and was excited to see more at MEQ and Windy City. The 16s in Illinois are so strong, I am so excited for this class.
Teams
Sky High 16 Adidas
1st Alliance 17 Silver
Uno – ALL of their teams
Epic United 16 Elite Rox
All The 15s
Players
Tabytha Toelke – VC United 181 – What an arm and this is his first year playing for a national level club. Really excited about her ability and raw talent. When she continues to develop her overall skill she is going to be a major steal!
Anne Marie Remmes – Adversity 16 Adidas – A middle blocker who is climbing up on the radar in the Class of 2022 is going to be a dominant force the rest of her club season that is drawing the attention of some bit time programs.
Iowa Teams At Full Strength
Iowa Select 17 MizunoI was so sad when Iowa Regionals was cancelled, I love the balance across the state with all the different metros coming together. This would also be the first weekend where most of the Iowa teams would be at full strength. A good problem to have with a lot of these Iowa athletes is they succeed in multiple sports and for a lot of athletes the past month they were making their postseason run to the state basketball tournament. A lot of January and February I saw teams play, but they weren’t necessarily at full strength. The top Iowa teams always come on strong in February and continue their ascend through Nationals.
The Hidden Gems
April is when I usually start finding new courts and new teams to watch. There are so many hidden gems out there who might not be playing for the top national club team. At Prep Dig we cover players at all levels – it might not be all in the same tournament, but over the course of the season we see hundreds of players. This helps develop our rankings as well as even give a glimpse into the high school season. There are 15s and 16s who might have been on their Freshman of JV team during their high school season that are really starting to find their own during the club season. Seeing flashes of greatness is so exciting!
The Class of 2022 and 2023
Again March is usually the time where we really start looking at new athletes from the class of 2022 and 2023. The amount of improvement in this age group is so exciting seeing them at the beginning of the club season towards the end, the countless repetitions are starting to click and those athletes who were barely making contact, paint brushing the ball are now hitting the ball square and solid. Hang in there 15s and 16s, the reps you are putting in will click, stick to the course!
Highlight videos are welcome! Email chris@prepdig.com to keep me posted on your progress!