Must Watch Athletes At The Asics Challenge
Texas, Minnesota, Michigan, Central Florida, the list goes of athletes who are coming to the Asics Challenge that have committed to national powers at the collegiate level. With games occurring at Palos Courts, Brother Rice, and Mother McAuley, there will…
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Continue ReadingTexas, Minnesota, Michigan, Central Florida, the list goes of athletes who are coming to the Asics Challenge that have committed to national powers at the collegiate level. With games occurring at Palos Courts, Brother Rice, and Mother McAuley, there will be plenty of fireworks to start a big month in high school volleyball. Here is a quick glance at athletes who are going to be coming to Chicago this weekend.
Prep Dig will be in attendance with Chris Fitzgerald providing updates on Twitter @PrepDigChris and stories, video, and photos to follow next week.
Sydney Heimers – Assumption (Kentucky)
Class of 2023 – Committed to Texas
Heimers is a treat to watch. Her athleticism and physicality fits right in with her future college program at Texas. At 6’4, her physical presence speaks for itself, but she moves so well and is violent in her attack. Assumption out of the Lousiville area is always one of the top programs in the country producing plenty of college players. They will kick off the weekend with a dual match tonight against Mother McAuley who is currently sitting at 17-3. The perfect opening ceremony for the weekend.
Alexis Crossen – St. Charles East (Illinois)
Class of 2023
Crossen is an outside hitter with a big, aggressive approach. She generates plenty of power with her athleticism and spring where she can go with any angle to score points. St. Charles is a local Chicagoland team who is accustomed to playing top tier teams in Illinois. Another outside to keep tabs on from SCE is Kate Goudreau who is a solid combo on the pin with Crossen.
Sylvie Zgonc – Sussex Hamilton (Wisconsin)
Class of 2024
I recently wrote about Zgonc as a high level Class of 2023 pin hitter who is on the rise. She is nearly 6’0 and has to be touching nearly 10 feet considering a year ago she was maybe 5’9. She has the athleticism, physicality, and hammer of an arm. Susses Hamilton was the 2020 state champion of Wisconsin’s largest class. Two uncommitted Class of 2022’s that would be high on my list of available players would be setter, Tatum Baldwin and middle, Rylie Dahlquist. These two are accustomed to high level training and competition and would be a steal for the next level.
Ellie White – Mother McAuley (Illinois)
Gigi Navarette – Mother McAuley (Illinois) – Committed to Northwestern
Class of 2024
White has been off to a blistering start for the Mother McAuley where she has nearly 250 kills and averaging nearly 6 kills per set. White is an all around player who can also set too. Another top athlete to watch on this team is the first contact from Gigi Navarette. The Junior libero is staying to play for Chicago’s Big Ten team at Northwestern who is looking to breakthrough in the Big Ten.
Mckenna Wucherer – Brookfield Central (WI)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Minnesota
Morgan Daugherty – Brookfield Central (WI)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Marquette
Brookfield Central is one of the top teams in Wisconsin’s largest class and in the same conference and section as Sussex Hamilton. The Lancers have not played with their team at full strength this season aside fro a few matches. Daughterty is a middle who has a major offensive and defensive presence, especially when she can attack off one foot. She was out the first few weeks of the season while Wucherer has been playing with the USA U18 National Team that earned a Bronze Medal at the FIVB World Championships in Mexico where she was one of the top attackers in the whole tournament.
Sydney Nolan – Notre Dame (Kentucky)
Class of 2023 – Uncommitted
Nolan is electric. She does it all when it comes to scoring, blocking, passing, and doing it with authority. At 6’3, Nolan can play from the pin or out of the middle. With her 10’5 touch, she can hit some wild angles and knows how to adjust in order to score points. Notre Dame is across the river from Cincinnati where she has had major success for her club in NKYVC. Notre Dame is another program that competes against some of the nations best where they have plenty of big time match ups from the catholic schools from Louisville.
Abby Schomers – Skutt Catholic (Nebraska)
Class of 2022 – Committed to UCF
Morgan Burke – Skutt Catholic (Nebraska)
Class of 2023 – Committed to Michigan
Like all great programs, Skutt Catholic out of Omaha reloads. After having the top high school team in the nation from 2020, they graduated stars like Lindsay Krause (Nebraska) and Rylee Gray (Arizona State), but still have players in line waiting for their chance to make an impact at the varsity level. Schomers was a right side in 2019 where she has the length, athleticism and physicality to battle as an attacker, but this year is setting for the Skyhawks. Morgan Burke is heading to the Big Ten and brings a powerful style to the frontline. This team is always well prepared, well trained, and eager to compete against the best.
Riley Hungate – Joliet Catholic (IL)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Culver-Stockton
Crystal Galaviz – Joliet Catholic (IL)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Georgia State
Joliet Catholic has scored some big wins over some of the top teams in Illinois and will be eager to see some new competition this weekend. They are led by two Senior attackers in Hungate and Galaviz. Hungate is springy pin who has a way of finding points for her side of the net, while Galaviz is heading to Georgia State to play beach and indoor. At 6’3, Galaviz has a high contact point, but also has the ball control skills to make her a threat in multiple ways.
Emily Clausen – Catholic Memorial (WI)
Class of 2023 – Uncommitted
Clausen plays for Catholic Memorial out of Waukesha, WI – a western suburb of Milwaukee. CMH always plays a gauntlet of a schedule where they are not afraid to go against the best teams. Clausen is a really dynamic middle blocker and right side where she’s very dynamic with how she can be used in the offensive scheme. The Crusaders also have top tier setters in Lily Lutz who is committed to Belmont and Elena Dragani who will definitely be a prospect to watch now and in the 2022 club season.
Ava Jackson – Paul Laurence Dunbar (Kentucky)
Class of 2022
Jackson is the big point scorer for Dunbar who will be coming from Lexington, KY. She has over 200 kills so far on the season as well as over 150 digs. A smooth, athletic six rotation outside. She is averaging four kills per set and a blistering .301 hitting effciency. Campbell Gash is their Senior floor general as a setter where she is averagiing over 11 assists per set.
Mia Kunnert – Dubuque Wahlert Catholic (Iowa)
Class of 2022
Kunnert is the libero for Dubuque Wahlert who has plenty of history with multiple state titles in Iowa. Most recently they have alums playing at a high level with Aliyah Carter (Kansas State) and Mac May (UCLA). Kunnert is quick and finds herself in the right spot where she can provide a solid first contact and be a nice pick up at the next level.
Madison Quest – Divine Savior Holy Angels (Wisconsin)
Class of 2025
Quest is the top freshman in Wisconsin and has taken the state by storm. DSHA is out of Milwaukee and is another top-tier program with multiple state tournament appearances and state championships. Quest is next in line of great players out of the Milwaukee area at 6’3 and the ability to swing and score from both pins. She is also solid in the backrow and is a scoring threat out of middle back. The Dashers have a solid all around team that prides itself on ball control where they will be a threat heading into the weekend.
Gillian Grimes – Nazareth (Illinois)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Michigan State
Katie Hurta – Nazareth (Illinois)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Indiana
Naz has two athletes who have always been at the top of their class and some of the best athletes in all of Illinois in Grimes and Hurta. They will head to the Big Ten to compete against the best in the country. Grimes is a gritty libero who is incredibly high IQ, always providing a consistent first contact. Hurta may be one of the top all around players in the state where she can set or swing. She is averaging nearly six kills and over four aces per set.
Carlie Rzeszotarski – Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (New York)
Class of 2022 – Committed to Colgate
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake will be one of the top teams out of New York coming tot he Asics Challenge where they have the top player in the state. Rzeszotarski is a 6’1 outside hitter who is extremely physical and dynamic. She brings a huge swing and can score from any rotation. So far this season, she has over 200 kills and 100 digs. The Colgate commit is the reigning New York State Gatorade Player of the Year.
Nicole Cornell – New Trier (Illinois)
Class of 2024
Cornell is part of a really talented sophomore class at New Trier who is off to an 11-3 start. One of her top attackers is another sophomore in Ana Vetter who can score from both pins. This team is athletic and physical where they can go toe to toe with the top powers in Illinois. Cornell is left handed and can be offensive when the opportunity is there.