Tri-State Special: Sneaky 2023s You Can’t Sleep On
There are the top ten prospects in the Class of 2023 that will be on everyone’s radar. However, there are plenty of top athletes who can have a major impact at the next level and are building a lot of…
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Continue ReadingThere are the top ten prospects in the Class of 2023 that will be on everyone’s radar. However, there are plenty of top athletes who can have a major impact at the next level and are building a lot of momentum heading into their national tournaments. Whether its Orlando or Vegas, they will have one final opportunity with their club team to end on a positive note and build some momentum heading into the rest of the summer where they will head to camps or high performance opportunities. Here are a few to take note of from Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Wisconsin
Solid combo for @CapitalVbAll 16 Adidas with Evin Jordee and Ellie Gustafson Ellie Gustafson 5'10" | OH Monticello | 2023 State WI . #pdgauntlet pic.twitter.com/GH8xNbVBVR
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) May 30, 2021
Ellie Gustafson Ellie Gustafson 5'10" | OH Monticello | 2023 State WI – Capital Volleyball Academy 16 Adidas
Orlando – 16 Premier
Gustafson has really evolved this past club season where she was a standout at the Prep Dig Gauntlet where CVA took home the 16s title with a three set thriller over FC Elite 16 Navy. Gustafson is a six-rotation outside who packs plenty of power. She can serve receive and transition to attack with relative ease being a major point scorer for a team who is red hot heading into Orlando.
Myla Glaser Myla Glaser 5'11" | MB Kettle Moraine | 2023 State WI – Midwest Penguins 16 Black
Vegas – 16 American
Glaser is out of the middle and plays with plenty of athleticism and physicality at the net. This is a gritty, scrappy team out of the Milwaukee area and they will be ones to watch in Vegas. Glaser is a fast twitch middle who has plenty of hangtime and is deceptively quick with her swing and how she can move along the net. She can score off a variety of tempos and knows how to find the open spot.
Kennedy Schmitz Kennedy Schmitz 5'2" | DS/L Fox Valley Lutheran | 2023 State WI – FC Elite 16 Navy
Vegas – 16 National
FC Elite has been one of the top teams out of the Badger Region and has been a team that is deep and athletic. Schmitz has been a solid and consistent DS for this team along with libero Paige Miller Paige Miller 5'10" | DS/L Kaukauna | 2023 State WI . She knows how to play at a high level and knows how to take pace off a hard driven swing. She is under the radar, but plays big for her squad.
Elena Dragani Elena Dragani S Catholic Memorial | 2023 State WI to Rylee Duessler Rylee Duessler 5'9" | OH Waterloo | 2023 State WI . 2023 combo. @stingvb1988 16 Black will be another top team at the Prep Dig Gauntlet. pic.twitter.com/whrpg6W9Jd
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) May 16, 2021
Elena Dragani Elena Dragani S Catholic Memorial | 2023 State WI – Milwaukee Sting 16 Black
Vegas – 16 USA
Dragani has been a breakout player for 2021 and is skyrocketing on the radar of the Class of 2023. She is running a 5-1, and her hands have improved so much in her quick release to run a variety of tempos. A major standout at the Prep Dig Gauntlet, Dragani will be leading a really athletic 16 Black squad who has plenty of experience playing tight matches.
Myakel Kapalko Myakel Kapalko 6'0" | OH Notre Dame | 2023 State WI – Impact 16 National
Orlando – 16 Club
Kapalko is a swiss army knife player where she started as a libero and is now pushing six feet tall where she can be used in a variety of positions. She can play libero or can be a six rotation right side. She will also make the transition to the sand following the club season and get plenty of beach repos over the summer.
Illinois
Delaney Grevengoed – Michio 16 National
Vegas – 16 American
I was so impressed with Grevengoed who plays for Michio 16 National out of the Chicago area. Long, athletic, and a huge upside to her game, Grevengoed is a pure point scorer on the pin. She has a really solid all around skill set where she can pass to attack and can swing from the left or right side. She would will be a huge pick up at the next level.
Grace Ulatowski – 1st Alliance 16 Black
Orlando – 16 Premier
Take time to watch this 1st Alliance 16 Black squad. They play with a fierce energy and intensity where it’s contagious, you feel it from the court. Like most outside hitters from 1st Alliance, Ulatowski is well trained to play all the way around. She has an aggressive approach and violent swing where she is a major catalyst to her team’s energy and success.
Hallie Neill – Sky High Adidas 16 Red
Orlando – 16 Premier
I was able to be courtside for Sky High Adidas 16 Red in Omaha for the Northern Lights Qualifier and I was so impressed with their team as a whole. Their setter, Hallie Neill has a quiet confidence and swagger on the court that I love to see in a setter. She leads her attackers, has command, and does a nice job of getting her middles involved. This team will be a tough out when they start competition in Orlando this Saturday.
Kaitlyn Thick of @NewWAVEVBC is a long, athletic pin who has a major upside. Some major hidden gems on this squad who always comes to compete.
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) June 11, 2021
Kaitlyn Thick – NEW Wave 16 Tsunami
Vegas – 16 USA
I spent quite a bit of time on the NEW Wave 16 Tsunami court. This team is sneaky good where they don’t let the ball drop, keep the rally going, and will grind out the wins. They have a star studded libero in Ava Falduto Ava Falduto 5'7" | DS/L IC Catholic Prep | 2024 State #10 Nation IL out of the Class of 2024, but outside hitter Kaitlyn Thick who is 6’2, long, and plenty of raw athleticism where her game at the next level is going to be scary good. She can jump, contact high, and has a lot of untapped potential that is so close to bursting on to that next level.
First matches of wave two getting close to finishing up. More performances to note:
Lucy Arndt Lucy Arndt 5'11" | OH Aquin Catholic | 2023 State IL @wearevcunited
Madison McCubbins – @circlecityvbc
Macy Hinshaw – @circlecityvbc
Alayna Tessena – CVC pic.twitter.com/0BPGyJohef— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 30, 2021
Lucy Arndt Lucy Arndt 5'11" | OH Aquin Catholic | 2023 State IL – VC United 161 Elite
Vegas – 16 National
Playing for VC United , you know athletes are going to have a really broad base of skills. Arndt demonstrates just that with her ability to play on the outside, right side, and backrow. So solid and steady. Her hand contact and high contact point allows her to do a variety of things with her swing. She can go down the line, over the block, or a sharp cross. She can take what the defense gives her and will score points in a variety of ways.
Iowa
Madelyn Norton Madelyn Norton 5'8" | S Dike-New Hartford | 2023 State IA – Six Pack 16-1
Vegas – 16 National
Norton can set and play on the right side where her long, left handed swing allows her to score points on the right or take a swing on the second contact. She won a state title last fall as a setter for Dike- New Hartford High School, and with her ability to compete at a high level while also knowing what it takes to win are one of those intangibles that are tough to measure. There is something to be said about being on a team that always wins.
Jessie Julius Jessie Julius 5'7" | OH Williamsburg | 2023 State IA – Iowa Rockets 16R
Vegas – 16 USA
This is a really dangerous Iowa Rockets squad who will be a big contender in 16 USA. They won the Colorado Crossroads USA Division and have been on fire the past two months. Julius is one of the many attackers for Rockets who can play all the way around and also provide an outlet in the backrow to score points. She can be used in a variety of ways to contribute on her side of the net.
Kameron Brand – Adrenaline 16 Marty
Vegas – 16 American
This Adrenaline team out of Cedar Rapids has had a big season placing high in multiple qualifiers and will be a well balanced team with attackers in Anika Ivester Anika Ivester 6'3" | MB Xavier | 2023 State IA and Delaney Bombeii. The first contact is key with libero Kameron Brand. She has been part of a successful high school program in Mount Vernon High School and has such a solid fundamental base where she can serve receive and take pace off the ball in tight situations.
Amelia Duggar a 2023 middle having a huge day for @ClubIowa 17 Black. Typically on the 16s team. Moves well, fast arm, point scorer out of the middle. pic.twitter.com/Kp4oM3qEY1
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 6, 2021
Amelia Dugger Amelia Dugger 6'0" | MB Decorah | 2023 State IA – CIA 16 Black
Orlando – 16 Open
Dugger comes from Northeast Iowa where she has a major physical presence in the middle. She has great hand contact and can hit the ball square on all the tempos. She is still relatively new to high-level club and has a big upside to her game. CIA 16 Black will be heading into Open level competition where they will see top competition. They know how to compete against top teams where they knocked off Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite, an Open bid team at the Northern Lights Qualifier.
Stella Winterfield – Kairos 16 Adidas
Orlando – 16 Premier
Kairos out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota has picked up some top players from Northwest Iowa and SW Minnesota. Winterfield is part of the most tradition-rich high school program in Iowa in Western Christian. With 350 kills as a Sophomore and plenty of accolades, she will be a heavily recruited athlete in the land of some of the top NAIA schools in the country. Her athleticism, ability to score points, and the fact that she just knows how to win will be welcome in plenty of college gyms.
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