Prep Dig Resolution: The New OR Improved
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What I love about the Prep Dig Resolution is with it being a season opening tournament for our coverage, we get to see the improvement of plenty of athletes as well as new athletes who are going to be ones…
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Continue ReadingWhat I love about the Prep Dig Resolution is with it being a season opening tournament for our coverage, we get to see the improvement of plenty of athletes as well as new athletes who are going to be ones to watch throughout the club season. This weekend featured plenty of top players, teams who are going to be extremely competitive, but also ones where as closely as we follow these athletes as scouts, we really see improvement and get very excited about new athletes we will be able to watch this season!
@TNTechVball commit Jordan Karlen Jordan Karlen 5'9" | S Milton | 2022 State WI and @MarquetteVB commit Natalie Ring Natalie Ring 6'1" | OH Edgewood | 2022 State #177 Nation WI having a day. @CapitalVbAll 18 Adidas outlasts @FCEliteVB 17 Navy 19-17 in three sets. Love it! #pdresolution pic.twitter.com/iidxUYTq2R
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 22, 2022
Jordan Karlen Jordan Karlen 5'9" | S Milton | 2022 State WI and Natalie Ring Natalie Ring 6'1" | OH Edgewood | 2022 State #177 Nation WI Combo
I have not seen Karlen play since the fall of 2020 when she teamed with some club friends to play in Prep Dig Fall Tournaments while some high school seasons were postponed to the fall. Karlen has always been a playmaker, she is fun to watch, makes things happen out of nothing, but this past weekend she was on a new level with outside hitter Natalie Ring Natalie Ring 6'1" | OH Edgewood | 2022 State #177 Nation WI . Karlen was extremely physical at the net, got her hands to the ball, and was extremely creative in how she would get her attackers in position to score. Ring is a Marquette commit where she showed the strength and overall power as an attacker who will be heading to the Big East. The two were a highlight film and will be fun to see throughout the season. Karlen will be heading to the Ohio Valley Conference and play at Tennessee Tech.
Mackenzie Anderson – FC Elite 17 Navy
FC Elite 17 Navy has some new pieces to this group and one of them is Mackenzie Anderson out of Winneconne. Anderson played mostly on the right side and showed that she is a major presence at the net where she has a heavy arm and very strong block. This team has a lot of firepower and had an epic match with Capital 18 Adidas where Capital won 19-17 in set three. This squad travels to Omaha to compete in the Northern Lights Qualifier this season.
Addison Schmotzer Addison Schmotzer 6'2" | MB Edgewood | 2023 State WI – Capital 17 Adidas
Schmotzer is a 2023 middle blocker committed to St. Thomas. She has always been a presence along the net with plenty of length and athleticism, but this weekend was a new version of Schmotzer. She was playing with a high motor and covers so much ground with her length. From our event highlight video, Schmotzer is featured with plenty of big blocks, but is also becoming a bigger threat offensively where she is hitting all the angles and thumping balls on the ten foot line.
2023 middle Sierra Pertzborn Sierra Pertzborn 6'3" | MB Middleton | 2023 State WI of @CapitalVbAll 17 Adidas is at a whole new level this year. Long, athletic and physical out of the middle.
CVA 17 looking strong this weekend
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 23, 2022
Sierra Pertzborn Sierra Pertzborn 6'3" | MB Middleton | 2023 State WI – Capital 17 Adidas
Pertzborn also came out as a new player compared to where she was last spring. She was connecting extremely well with setters, Andi Spies Andi Spies 5'10" | S Fort Atkinson | 2024 State #135 Nation WI and Evinae Jordee Evinae Jordee 5'9" | S Middleton | 2023 State WI . They run a quick tempo and Pertzborn makes herself available even when the setters get pulled off the net. Her athleticism is something that has an extremely high ceiling. She has to be touching close to ten feet and based on the progress she has made since last spring, its going to be an exciting recruiting process this club season.
Ella Kern Ella Kern 5'8" | OH New Berlin West | 2023 State WI with a huge kill for @stingvb1988 17 White to hold off a late Ice rally. Sting advances 15-13 in set three pic.twitter.com/6bT8B5T0rM
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 23, 2022
Ella Kern Ella Kern 5'8" | OH New Berlin West | 2023 State WI , Samantha Kohl Samantha Kohl 5'9" | OH Kettle Moraine Lutheran | 2023 State WI , and Kenna Kornely Kenna Kornely 5'8" | OH Burlington | 2023 State WI – MKE Sting 17 White
These athletes are high flyers where they can swing, score, and defend. Kern was a standout for New Berlin West this fall and came up with some big swings at crucial times for Sting 17 White this weekend. Kornely and Kohl aren’t afraid to take a big rip. They had big time performances throughout the weekend. This Sting 17 White team is going to sneak up on plenty of opponents. Plenty of balance, length, strong defenders, and depth. Will be a fun season for this squad.
Emily Brenner Emily Brenner 5'10" | OH Stanley-Boyd | 2023 State WI of @WisconsinIce keeps getting better each time I see her play.
No idea who she was last year.
Class of 2023 six ro pin that is 📈📈📈#PDResolution
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 23, 2022
Emily Brenner Emily Brenner 5'10" | OH Stanley-Boyd | 2023 State WI – Wisconsin Ice 17 National
Brenner is continuing to impress. Really positive body language, solid in all rotations, big time swing on the outside, and plays with an extremely high motor. This Wisconsin Ice 17 National squad has a ton of potential and having an outlet like Brenner will be key all season. She can score out of system and will open things up for De Paul commit, Meghan Scholz Meghan Scholz 6'3" | MB Tomahawk | 2023 State WI in the middle.
Big swing and kill by 2026 (yes, she’s an 8th grader) Peyton Carlson to send @FCEliteVB 16 Navy to the championship over Capital 18 Adidas #PDResolution pic.twitter.com/5tHypDy5TN
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 23, 2022
FC Elite 16 Navy
In their first tournament, 16 Navy picked up wins over the likes of Wisconsin Premier 18 Teal, Capital 17 Adidas, and Capital 18 Adidas. They did this behind a really balanced offensive attack with setters, Emerson Van Lannen Emerson Van Lannen 5'10" | S Appleton North | 2024 State #144 Nation WI and Kamryn Kaminski Kamryn Kaminski 5'7" | S Howards Grove | 2024 State WI leading the way. Some key additions to this team are right side Madison York Madison York 6'1" | RS Manitowoc Lincoln | 2024 State WI who provides a huge block and eighth grader Peyton Carlson. She’s going to be a special athlete to watch playing two levels up and making it look routine.
Natalia Farrugia Natalia Farrugia 6'0" | MB Mukwonago | 2024 State WI – 262Attack 16 Savage
Extremely athletic. Farrugia was a key player for 262 last spring, and she is doing it again out of the middle. She is a big time leaper where she gets high above the net and can really put on a heavy swing. 262 is comprised of plenty of athletes who can play multiple positions. Farrugia will be a key player throughout this season.
Impact 15 Blue off to a fast start up 6-1 in the 15 Club Championship. Home court advantage at the @ChampionCtr #PDResolution pic.twitter.com/rItfycVivG
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 23, 2022
Impact
Impact out of Appleton has continued to improve throughout all of their teams each year. This club practices out of the Champion Center and has only had national teams the past three seasons. They have really stepped up their level of difficulty with their schedule providing a big opportunity for their national teams, but have also been able to produce strong two’s teams (Impact Blue) where their 17 Blue squad made it to the Gold bracket and 15 Blue finished second in 15 club.
Alicia Burgos Alicia Burgos 6'1" | MB Dominican | 2023 State WI – I AM VBC 17 Red
Another middle blocker who I had not seen play live before. Burgos is from Dominican High School and is a really solid addition to the I AM VBC 17 Red team who had a Gold Bracket weekend. I saw Burgos block, transition, and hit some sharp angles. She loves to hype up her team, great body language, and is a next level player.
Elise VanHimbergen has been coming up big all weekend for Wisconsin Premier 15 Teal – her kill seals the set one win #PDResolution pic.twitter.com/6qzgqOrReJ
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 23, 2022
Kylee Altendorf Kylee Altendorf 5'10" | OH West Bend West | 2025 State WI and Elise VanHimBergen – Wisconsin Premier 15 Teal
Wisconsin Premier 15 Teal was dominant all weekend with plenty of athleticism throughout their lineup as well as a tall front line. Altendorf and VanHimbergen are two outside hitters who can pack a punch. They both have plenty of length and are very fundamentally sound where they are able to get a solid contact on every swing. They were extremely key in their 15 Club Championship.
Kinlee Grattan – Elite Alliance 16-1
Elite Alliance comes out of the La Crosse/Holmen area and they just played solid all weekend, Grattan was the catalyst behind their success as a 5-1 setter who played with a high IQ and always seemed to put her attackers in a position to score. They had a very dramatic championship 16 Club match with a three set win 26-24, 23-25, and 15-13.