Class of 2022 Rockin’ Volleyball Eve (June 15) Edition
Here is a look at three Premier 16 Gold players in Prep Dig’s Top 15 Ranking for 2022 whose phones were buzzing at 12:01 on June 15th and kept on ringing and buzzing as the players were FaceTiming and Zooming…
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Continue ReadingHere is a look at three Premier 16 Gold players in Prep Dig’s Top 15 Ranking for 2022 whose phones were buzzing at 12:01 on June 15th and kept on ringing and buzzing as the players were FaceTiming and Zooming with potential schools and coaches. It felt a little like New’s Year Eve! Let’s take a closer look at where they are in the recruiting process and how that process has gone and some potential advice for those getting ready for recruiting.
First I will start off with a commitment to the Creighton Bluejays from a #7 ranked 5’9” outside hitter Gretna’s Skylar McCune Skylar McCune 5'9" | DS/L Gretna | 2022 State #53 Nation NE led her team to the Class A Championship game and lost in a 5 set thriller to Papillion LaVista South. She finished the season with 420 kills with a hitting percentage of .241. She had 456 digs on the year averaging 3.8 digs per set. Skylar also chipped in 46 service aces for the Dragons.
When I asked her how the whole process was going she commented, “It’s been very exciting, but overwhelming! I had a few schools I knew I really wanted to talk to, and many I did not have interest in. It was an extremely emotional day, but in the end it all played out for me and I’m very excited about my decision!” McCune said that BYU and Creighton were the top two choices.
Being 5’9” McCune is super athletic and plays bigger than that. I asked her for what position she was mainly getting recruited for. “All the schools that reached out on June 15th were looking at me as a straight defense player. Though in club and high school I play six rotations, I’m realistic with my size and understand defense is my way to a D1 program, ” McCune commented.
When looking at contributing factors in deciding on a school Skylar emphasized, “Coaching, culture, and the volleyball program in general have always been my main priorities while looking for a school!” Her advice for other recruits going through or getting ready to go through the process, “Calls are exciting when you’re hearing the things you want to hear, but don’t get too caught up in the moment and take your time!! When it feels right, you’ll know.” Great advice Skylar and we will be excited to watch you continue your career with the Dragons and then follow your journey as a Creighton Bluejay!
Next up is #9 ranked Elkhorn South’s 5’8” Libero Estella Zatechka Estella Zatechka 5'8" | DS/L Elkhorn South | 2022 State #54 Nation NE . Estella racked up 677 digs this past season averaging an astonishing 6.2 digs per set. She chipped in 30 service aces for the Storm as well. Zatechka is so quick and has such good instincts in the back row. She seems to make impossible balls playable and reads her hitters so well.
I asked her how the whole process was going and she said, “My experience started at 12:01am on June 15th so that was super exciting. I received emails and texts from many schools requesting phone calls so I had back to back calls and zooms from morning to night the first couple days. It has been busy, but really fun and exciting! Now I’m looking forward to the next steps in the decision making process and many follow up zooms. Zatechka said she did calls with teams in the following conferences: Big 12, Big 10, Pac 12, SEC, ACC, Big East, and Summit. When I asked her what some of the contributing factors are in deciding on a school that is best suited for her she said, “I am looking for a strong culture with like minded values, open communication, and supportive relationships between coaches and players. A coaching staff and program that values the role of the Libero and all they contribute to the team means a lot to me. A great team chemistry with trust and a solid connection is also important not only for success on the court but also for the teammates that will become my life long friends after volleyball.” Estella’s advice for other players is to keep an open mind, be very honest and transparent, and enjoy the process. She said her parents have been a huge support system during this process and she is also grateful for her club director/former coach and the club recruiting coordinator at Premier Nebraska for all their help and support too. It will be exciting to see how the next couple of months unfold for the standout Elkhorn South Libero!
The #15 Prep Dig ranked player is 5’6” setter Maisie Boesiger Maisie Boesiger 5'5" | S Norris | 2022 State #198 Nation NE from Norris High School. Boesiger led the young Class B Titans to the semi finals this past fall with 999 set assists, 91 kills, 226 digs and chipped in 50 aces with her hard to handle running jump float serve. Maisie has a high volleyball IQ and great court awareness. She works very hard to continue to raise her game to the next level.
When I visited with Maisie about how the whole recruiting process has been going she said, “My experience started at 12:01 a.m. on June 15 with my first text message to set up a zoom meeting. I then woke up everyone in my house. I got a few more shortly after that, and then when it turned midnight in the different time zones other schools started reaching out. I had my first Zoom meeting at 10:10 a.m. (after my morning workout) and talked to coaches until about 6:15 p.m. I have quite a few spread out throughout this week yet. Some calls were with the whole coaching staff on zoom, some were phone calls, and Facetime. After this week I am going to go through all of the notes, look at some virtual things they have sent me, and start to narrow down my list.”
Boesiger mentioned the conferences that have reached out to her are the Big 10, Southeast Conference, West Coast Conference, Western Atlantic Conference, PAC 12, Mountain West Conference, MIAA, Summit League, Missouri Valley, Summit, Lone Star, Ohio Valley, Sun Belt Conference. She has heard from about 30 schools.
I talked to her about what she was primarily being recruited to play and she commented that, “Right now schools are recruiting me as a setter, libero, and defensive specialist. I have always set on my club team and high school team, but have tried to get as many reps and train at the libero position as well. I am pretty open to playing either position in college. I just want to play at the highest level possible where I will contribute.”
When looking for a potential school fit Maisie said, “Some of the things I am taking into consideration when deciding on a school is a successful program. I want to play for a program that has been successful. After playing volleyball at Norris and Premier, I love the culture I have been around. Volleyball has always been a big deal. I want the program/team/coaches to have a family feel. Especially, if I am going to be going away from home, that would be really important to me. I also want a strong academic program where when I graduate I know I will have received a good education.”
Her advice to other players getting recruited is to enjoy it and really take the time to listen to what the coaches are saying. I have tried to take a lot of notes. I also think it is important to not rush into anything, since it is such a big decision.
Maisie said her biggest supporters and help through the whole process have been Shannon and Michelle at Premier. They have a lot of knowledge and experience with girls going on and playing college volleyball. My mom, being my high school coach, has also helped me get to this point. Gwen Egbert, who I started training with in 4th grade, has put in a lot of extra training hours with me. She has helped me be a versatile player where I can be recruited for multiple positions. It will be exciting to see where Maisie chooses as she gets ready to lead a very talented Titan team to a state championship run this fall!