Top "LIVE EYE" High School Teams of 2021 - IL, IN, KY, and WI

I am in a position where I am extremely fortunate to watch high school volleyball teams across the country. I have been to some of the top tournaments in the country where the top players in the country are on full display. I get to see the end to some illustrious careers and the start to some careers that will definitely have big wins, individual accolades, and a platform that will jumpstart them to their college careers. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Coverage Schedule To Finish The High School Season: 10/16 - Beast of the East (Livonia, MI) 10/23 and 10/30 - <a href="https://x.com/wiaawi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wiaawi</a> regional and sectional 11/1-11/2 - <a href="https://x.com/IGHSAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IGHSAU</a> State Tournament 11/4-11/6 - <a href="https://x.com/wiaawi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wiaawi</a> state tournament 11/10-11/13 - <a href="https://x.com/MSHSL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSHSL</a> state tournament — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1448697655421554692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> When we are talking about top teams at the high school volleyball level, the variables are all over the place. Who is playing well? What is the level of competition? Was it a conference match? Was it the fifth match on a Saturday afternoon of a long tournament? I’m talking about the top teams I’ve seen live this season. A friendly reminder, the margin of error between these teams is extremely small. I take it at face value. How did they look when I saw them play. I try and avoid the rabbit hole of common opponents with who won, who lost, margin of victory, etc. - I’m throwing out the numbers. Let’s talk top teams. <img class=" wp-image-159910 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC09676.jpg" alt="" width="515" height="343" /> Assumption - Louisville, Kentucky Seen at Asics Challenge - Chicago Assumption is traditionally one of the top teams in the country under the direction of coaching legends Ron Kordes and Anne Kordes. As a team, there is not a lot of weakness in the armour. Solid defense, clean ball control, and a discipline and mental toughness that is tough to top. Whitney Woodrow, a Fordham recruit, runs a fast paced, efficient offense. She has great feet, a high IQ, and knows how to get all of her hitters in position to terminate. At the end of the day, they have one of the top players in the Class of 2023 in Sydney Helmers who has verbally committed to Texas. Her physicality speaks for itself where she can score points at will, but mostly with her pure power. <img class=" wp-image-161388 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC09751-1.jpg" alt="" width="461" height="307" /> Notre Dame Academy - Park Hills, Kentucky Seen at Asics Challenge - Chicago This is a fun team. Real scrappy defensively and weapons everywhere that makes for a well balanced team that is tough to stop let alone slow down. Libero, and Louisville commit, Kamden Schrand can take over a match from the backcourt where she makes the routine plays look easy and has a ridiculous range she can cover. A top uncommitted Class of 2022 setter, Emily Bentley, orchestrates the offense and can also make her presence known offensively and defensively at the net. The Pandas, who are just south of the Cincinnati border have multiple weapons on offense where Bently connects extremely well with middle blocker Sydney Nolan who is so terminal off one foot and connects on multiple tempos. On the right side is a heavy left handed swing from Peyton Mast who is a Class of 2023 prospect to keep tabs on. <img class=" wp-image-161389 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC08954-300x185.jpg" alt="" width="465" height="287" /> Brownsburg - Brownsburg, Indiana Seen at Crown Point Invitational - Crown Point, Indiana I spent a day at Crown Point High School just across the Indiana/Illinois border to see some top athletes from Indiana. Brownsburg is out of the Indianapolis area where they have plenty of top athletes across the board and have some youth that are just starting their high school career. Kendall Meller is one of their top attackers where she can score from anywhere in the front line. The Colorado commit is extremely physical where she is one of their top blockers and can power through the split giving the opponents plenty of problems. Quinci Thomas is a Class of 2023 outside hitter who succeeds in multiple spots for Brownsburg. She is a long, athletic six rotation pin that plays club for Circle City. Her ceiling is incredibly high. Keep tabs on Class of 2025 setter Aysa Thomas who is running the show for a top Indiana program as a freshman. <img class=" wp-image-161391 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC08926.jpg" alt="" width="498" height="332" /> Munster - Munster, Indiana Seen at Crown Point Invitational - Crown Point, Indiana I saw Munster take on Brownsburg at Crown Point where Brownsburg definitely showed their strength in a quick 2-0 sweep, however Munster turned it around later in the day to show what they are capable of. Many of the Munster athletes play their club ball in Illinois for the likes of Michio, Epic, and 1st Alliance. The Mustangs are led by two big time outsides in Iowa commit, Haley Melby who is long, athletic, and knows how to find the open spot anywhere on the court from the front or backrow. 2023 prospect Lauren Wallace is full of athleticism and power and will be one to keep tabs on throughout the club season. Anchoring the defense is libero Sarah Morton who is an Auburn commit. <img class=" wp-image-157217 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/DSC09070.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="355" /> Oconomowoc - Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Seen at The Joust and Adidas Charger Challenge - Milwaukee Area The Raccoons look like a college team. With a full lineup of athletes who are six feet or taller, they are also fast and dynamic where they can do a variety of things offensively where Cedarville commit Haley Koch can swing on both outsides, as well as Cordelia Kearns who is a 2023 pin hitter who can play six rotations and score on the left or right side. Two top 2024s not only in Wisconsin or the country are middle Anna Bjork and setter, Lilly Wagner. Bjork has a fast, powerful arm swing while Wagner is nearly six feet tall and has plenty of physicality at the net. <img class=" wp-image-161392 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC09116.jpg" alt="" width="488" height="325" /> Appleton North - Appleton, Wisconsin Seed at The Joust and Adidas Charger Challenge - Milwaukee Area The Lightning have six division one commits: Brianna Cantrell (East Tennessee State), Bella Van Lannen (Northern Colorado), Berkley Mischler (Lipscomb), Karissa Fortune (Drake), Kennedy Martin (Florida), and Olivia Lasee (LeHigh). The Lightning also have one of the top 2024’s in Wisconsin with six rotation outside Ella Demetrician and one of the top uncommitted 2022’s in Madisen Miller at libero. They went to Omaha last weekend and competed against some of the top teams in the Omaha and Kansas City area. They will start their playoff run in Wisconsin’s largest class on Saturday, October 21. <img class=" wp-image-161393 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC09697.jpg" alt="" width="458" height="305" /> Mother McAuley - Chicago, Illinois Seen at Asics Challenge - Chicago Like most of these teams, the Macs are traditionally one of the top teams in Illinois and even among some of the best programs in the nation. Seeing them host the Asics Challenge, this program always has solid ball control and discipline where they don’t beat themselves, every point is earned by the opponent. Ellie White is a sophomore outside hitter who is putting up big numbers with her sets coming from uncommitted setter Caroline Macander, a top 2022 prospect. Gigi Navarette is a major spark as a libero, she is a Northwestern commit. <img class=" wp-image-160242 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC09670.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="283" /> Marist - Chicago, Illinois Seen at Asics Challenge - Chicago What is dangerous about this team is that they are relatively young. Mary Clare Brusek is a physical attacker out of the middle and is a Senior leader, but many of the other athletes on the squad are underclassmen. Kamryn Chaney is a heavy hitting outside hitter where it just sounds different when she strikes the ball. She is a 2023 prospect who is a top power player in the Midwest. A Class of 2025 prospects who has really provided a spark is Bella Bullington on the outside. An uncommitted libero to know would be Chloe Arteaga who always provides a solid first contact. <img class=" wp-image-161395 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC09110.jpg" alt="" width="494" height="329" /> Howards Grove - Howards Grove, WIsconsin Seed at The Joust and Adidas Charger Challenge - Milwaukee Area Howards Grove High School, with an enrollment of just under 300 students total, this is a small school hotbed of volleyball. Teams are tough to beat when they don’t let the ball hit the floor. Howards Grove has beaten Divine Savior Holy Angels twice and Oconomowoc twice so far this season. This team features 2022 commits in Karissa Kaminski (Dayton) and Emma Baierl (Truman State) and one of the top liberos in the Class of 2023 in Wisconsin commit, Saige Damrow. This team is mostly under 5’9, but their ball control is on point along with a high IQ for the game. Others To Know Crown Point - Crown Point, Indiana - Rachel Rossman (Oakland) and Kendall Schara (Green Bay) lead the way with a top 2023 libero in Vanessa Del Real Nazareth Academy - La Grange Park, Illinois - Katie Hurta (Indiana) is one of the top all around players in the country along with setter/hitter Kitty Sandt (Clemson) Divine Savior Holy Angels - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Always a top program in Wisconsin, DSHA has one of the top freshmen in the nation in Madison Quest Germantown - Germantown, Wisconsin - Liberty commit Lily Wagner can score points at will, most recently 30 plus kills against DSHA in a five set thriller Sussex Hamilton - Sussex, Wisconsin - Hamilton went three sets with Assumption at the Asics Challenge. They will take on Germantown tonight for the Greater Metro Conference Title Brookfield Central - Brookfield, Wisconsin - Mckenna Wucherer is back after spending time with the U18 Youth National Team where she was one of the top attackers in the whole tournament.