The Best of the Class of 2022 – Who Is Number One?
The Class of 2022 Illinois Rankings are UPDATED! What goes into a ranking? This all comes down to how athletes perform at the highest level of competition. We value the live eye, input from coaches across the state, writers across…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2022 Illinois Rankings are UPDATED!
What goes into a ranking? This all comes down to how athletes perform at the highest level of competition. We value the live eye, input from coaches across the state, writers across our network, and we still know that the process of our rankings is still a process that we continue to look to improve. With the 2022’s updated we will move on down to the 2023’s and then convert out 2024 class to rankings where they are now a watchlist. We will be on the road seeing these teams in multiple settings. We know rankings can get sensitive. At Prep Dig we want our rankings to be a resource for college coaches where they can see athletes who can play across all levels collegiately and note where they are committed and where they are playing club (if you need to update your club, position, or height contact info@prepdig.com). We could debate all day on who should be ranked where, we know it’s subjective, but we pride in ourselves in being one of the few volleyball resources that benefit that top tier college programs at the division one level to programs at the JUCO level who are still providing athletes with a chance to play college sports while also walking away debt free. To our knowledge we have not had an athlete be given a scholarship or been denied a scholarship due to a ranking. We are simply a resource.
The Debate For Number One
When it comes to Katie Hurta Katie Hurta 6'0" | S Nazareth | 2022 State #14 Nation IL and Ella Wrobel Ella Wrobel 6'3" | OH Plainfield North | 2022 State #10 Nation IL , we are talking about two of the top athletes in the country. If you are at the top of the state in Illinois, you have to be in the conversation among the best in the nation. Ella Wrobel Ella Wrobel 6'3" | OH Plainfield North | 2022 State #10 Nation IL is a physical and powerful outside hitter who has played her club ball at Sports Performance and will soon be following that pipeline to Wisconsin where SPRI alums such as Lauren Carlini and Molly Hagerty found success as a Badger and with Wrobel I would expect the same. She is one of the top pins in the country and will continue her upward trajectory as she competes for one of the top programs in the country.
Hurta has a different style and different path than Wrobel. Hurta was an early commit to Indiana before all of the recruiting rules changed where she knew she was going to be a Hoosier when she was 15. Hurta is the top setter in the state, but she happens to also be a terminal outside attacker. There isn’t anything Hurta can’t do. Serve at her, she’s passing threes. As a setter, she can defend her position in the front and backrow and is on point with all of her tempos. However, there is an “X-Factor” that Hurta brings when things get close. Watching her live in the state championship game, heading to set three, she completely took over, demanding the ball where she was taking big swings. Belvidere North had one of the top defenses in the tournament and she found ways to score when her team needed it the most. Katie Hurta Katie Hurta 6'0" | S Nazareth | 2022 State #14 Nation IL is the Prep Dig #1 Player in the Class of 2022. Add her to the list of greats who have come through this state.
Level Up Liberos
The libero play among these athletes is once again some of the best in the country. This past weekend at the Illinois State Tournament, I found myself saying “Wow” outloud to myself because there were multiple times where I watched and thought for sure the ball down, but not only were these liberos making the dig, they were keeping their side in system. These athletes have a presence. They are the spark, the fire, with their play, their effort and how they pull the best out of their teammates.
Big time defense by Gillian Grimes Gillian Grimes DS/L Nazareth | 2022 State #29 Nation IL of @NazarethLGP she is a gamechanger in left back at Libero. Committed to pic.twitter.com/gxhm7AwOe5
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 13, 2021
Gillian Grimes Gillian Grimes DS/L Nazareth | 2022 State #29 Nation IL of Nazareth, a Michigan State recruit, right along with Hurta may have been the MVP ‘ last=”] of the state championship with 35 digs. Watching the match, the scheme was apparent to shutdown the line, take away the tip from Belvidere North and leave the whole left side of the court to Grimes. She was everywhere. She was getting clean touches against a very high IQ Belvidere North team and each time she would get a dig, it would just lead to more momentum for Naz, especially in a set three victory to clinch the title.
On the other side of the net, Grace Betke Grace Betke DS/L Belvidere North | 2022 State #127 Nation IL who is all of 5’5 or 5’6 played big all weekend. Betke will head to Texas Tech as a DS/libero, but she is so sneaky good with how she can find the open spots. Yes, she is a six rotation outside for Belvidere North where she scores points from the service line, the pin, and takes points away with controlling the backcourt as well.
@MorganRank of @meteagirlsvb just making it happen in the @IHSA_IL Class 4A state championship. She’s heading to @AlabamaVBall #espntop10 pic.twitter.com/J3bPcgXmTw
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 14, 2021
Morgan Rank Morgan Rank 5'5" | DS/L Metea Valley | 2022 State #98 Nation IL of Metea Valley had moments of flash where she was just making a highlight video. She brings such an athletic and physical style to the court where she covers plenty of ground. Metea Valley had her cover left back and middle back when the outside who take the line. And she owned it. She is a special player. She will head to the SEC to play at Alabama with her final high school match ending with holding a state championship trophy.
Reeghan Boyer Reeghan Boyer 5'5" | DS/L Montini Catholic | 2022 State IL of Montini Catholic is another libero who controls the court. Montini Catholic made it a routine by jumping out to early leads in both of their matches at state where they put relentless pressure from the service line and never looked back. They did have a battle with Pleasant Plains in set two of the championship title, but Boyer’s backcourt was too much for the Cardinals.
St. Thomas More has a team of athletes who can play multiple positions, but two gritty ball control athletes are Colleen Hege Colleen Hege 5'6" | DS/L St. Thomas More | 2022 State IL and Anna McClure Anna McClure 5'8" | DS/L St. Thomas More | 2022 State #182 Nation IL . Hege is committed to UIC, while McClure is heading to Ohio State. The two provide a solid first contact for Tennessee commit, Caroline Kerr Caroline Kerr 5'11" | S St. Thomas More | 2022 State #75 Nation IL to run to show to multiple attackers. McClure is a left handed right side who is extremely dynamic
@STMVolleyball1 holds off a late Southeastern rally.
Libero Colleen Hege Colleen Hege 5'6" | DS/L St. Thomas More | 2022 State IL , a @UIC_Volleyball commit, was a gamechanger. Lot of touches to keep the rally going.
One more set…. pic.twitter.com/VQN2K0HvG2
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 13, 2021