Omaha Summer Bash: Some of the Best Setters!!!
I was so glad to see so many talented players this weekend at the Omaha Summer Bash. Let’s face it, we all love to talk and read about the hitters after an event like this, but I want to talk…
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Continue ReadingI was so glad to see so many talented players this weekend at the Omaha Summer Bash. Let’s face it, we all love to talk and read about the hitters after an event like this, but I want to talk about the athletes that set it all up out on the court and direct their teams to victory. Let’s talk about some great setters I saw this weekend!
Hannah Allick (Setter, 2022, Waverly)
Wow, she is good! That does not seem to be enough to say about this setter. She is fantastic. That doesn’t seem to cover it either…with all of the weapons available to Waverly this year, this is the athlete that runs it all. She is setting her sister, Bekka Allick (MB, 2022), Whitney Lauenstein (OH, 2021), Mackenzie Scurto (OH, 2021), Abby Carter (MB, 2022), and Mady Banitt (MB, 2023). Last year playing at Lincoln North Star she accumulated 38 kills, 40 aces, had a serve efficiency of 86.2, 6 total blocks, 2.0 DPS, and 4.3 APS. This player is an all-around great athlete that seems ready to explode this fall.
Maren Palmer Maren Palmer S Des Moines Roosevelt | 2021 State IA (Setter, 2021, Des Moines Roosevelt)
I have watched Maren play for over a year now and she just keeps getting better. She has one of the top new hitters out of 2024 to set every match now so her responsibilities are even greater than last year when she was setting studs Precious Daley and Rachel Galluzzo, graduates in 2020. Last year she had 7.9 APS, 21 solo blocks, over 1 kill per set, and was the best overall server for her team with a serve efficiency of 92.1% with 56 aces. What I saw this weekend was her turning it up a notch, or more, to set her team’s newest killer, Kenzie Dean, along with Sarah Galluzzo (2022, OH), Tabby Keith (2021, MH), and Emma Wagler (2021, MH). She sets her back row as well, in particular, Ally Whatley (2022, DS/OH). This season will be outstanding for Des Moines Roosevelt if this weekend was any indication of things to come.
Peyton Cook Peyton Cook 5'8" | S Underwood | 2021 State IA (Setter, 2021, Underwood)
Peyton is a setter with great parity and a high volleyball IQ for Underwood High School. Last season she had 9.0 APS, 29 total blocks, 87.7% serve efficiency, and 39 aces. She is setting some great hitters this year in Macy Vanfossan Macy Vanfossan OH Underwood | 2021 State IA (OH, 2021), Zoe Rus Zoe Rus 5'10" | OH Underwood | 2021 State IA (OH,2021), and Brianna Justsen (MH, 2021).
Molly Romano (Setter, 2024, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln)
I have no prior stats on Molly since she is a freshman. I did catch the video above of her setting this weekend. The one thing I can tell you so far is that she is super sweet, has a huge amount of determination, and works really hard. Molly will be setting at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln this fall for Jillian Shanks (OH, 2021), Kayla Schliefman Kayla Schliefman MB Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln | 2021 State IA (MB, 2021), Baylie Girres (OH, 2022), Azaria Green Azaria Green 6'0" | MB Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln | 2023 State IA (MH, 2023), and Zoe Lutz Zoe Lutz OH Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln | 2021 State IA (MH/OH, 2021). She is on my watch list already and I expect to see some great things this year! Go get ’em, Molly!
Olivia Poppert Olivia Poppert 6'0" | S St. Paul | 2022 State NE (Setter, 2022, St. Paul)
St. Paul setter, Olivia Poppert Olivia Poppert 6'0" | S St. Paul | 2022 State NE , is prepping for her junior year and looks ready to go. She is smart, resourceful, and made saves at times I didn’t think she would be able to pull off. She will be setting Josie Jakubowski (OH, 2021), Teegan Hansel Teegan Hansel St. Paul | NE (MH, 2021), and Abby Elstermeier Abby Elstermeier 5'10" | OH St. Paul | 2021 State NE (MB, 2021). This is not her first year as setter so it looks like it is a year for her to really take charge and put on a run to state again.
Addison Heidemann (Setter, 2021, Diller-Odell)
Addison Heidemann is the real deal. Her stats last fall were 1.2 KPS, 9.1 APS, 94.4% serve efficiency with 118 aces, 37 total blocks, and 2.5 DPS. Whoever needs to play this team on their way to state better look out as they will be really hard to beat. Addison gets to set Madelyn Meyerle Madelyn Meyerle 5'11" | OH Diller-Odell | 2022 State NE (RS/OH, 2022), sister Karli Heidemann Karli Heidemann 6'1" | OH Diller-Odell | 2023 State #124 Nation NE (OH, 2023), Elecea Saathoff (MH, 2023), Kennedy Belknap (RS, 2022), Rachel Stanosheck (OH, 2022), and Lilly Swanson (MH, 2024).
Annabelle Costello Annabelle Costello 5'8" | S Assumption | 2021 IA (Setter, 2021, Assumption)
Annabelle is a really good setter. She is quick and gets to the ball to set up her hitters. Last fall she had 5.6 APS, 2 blocks, 2.4 DPS, 91.9% serve efficiency with 32 aces. She will be setting Ava Schubert Ava Schubert 6'1" | RS Assumption | 2023 State #153 Nation IA (RS, 2023), Maggie Johnson (MB, 2024), Claire Smith (MB, 2021), Emma Schubert Emma Schubert OH Assumption | 2021 State IA (OH, 2021), Anna Quijas Anna Quijas 5'8" | OH Assumption | 2021 IA (OH, 2021), and Amelia Quijas Amelia Quijas 5'8" | OH Assumption | 2021 State IA (OH/RS, 2021).
Sydney Sayles (Setter, 2022, Millard South)
Sydney is a really good setter. I just reviewed more video from the last weekend and wanted to add her to this list so I am updating my story. I missed you on my first review, Sydney, but I shouldn’t have. You are really good and I see great things for your coming season.