Great Lakes Power League Preview: Wisconsin Clubs 17/18 Super Open

The Great Lakes Power League, held in Aurora, Illinois at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center, home of Sports Performance, is one of the top club volleyball leagues in the country.  Coaches will come from all over to see what talent the Midwest has with club teams coming from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin  to do battle five times throughout the club season.  

The morning session on Saturday and Sunday will host the top 48 teams that will compete in the “Super Open” division.  Other teams will compete in the afternoon in Aurora as well as Marengo and Warrenville. The weekend of January 6 and 7 will kickoff the 17/18s, January 13 and 14 will be 13/14s, and January 20 and 21 will be the 15s and 16s.

Prep Dig Wisconsin will be covering the Super Open Division this weekend and keeping an eye on all Wisconsin teams involved.  Check for updates on Saturday.  We will also be taking a look at the 15/16s Super Open Division as well in two weeks!

Previews are all based on results of clubs of last year, what club websites have provided, and input from Wisconsin club coaches.  

Teams are in order of what their seed is in the pool.

* represents clubs from Wisconsin.

Pool A

Uno 18 Girls 18 Elite

FaR Out 17 Black

Energy 18U

*Milwaukee Sting 17 White

This will be a tough draw for Sting 17 White with Uno 18 Elite.  There are two 18’s teams for Uno, but there are 8 players from the Class of 2018 playing for Uno that have committed to play at Division One schools.  FaR Out from Grand Rapids, MI is always a competitive club.  Sting 17 White does have height with four athletes over 6 feet tall in Tessa Christopherson, Claire Bresser, Katelyn Bliesner, and Coley Haggard.  They will also have four players who are part of Burlington’s dominant high school program that will bring an intense and winning attitude in Haggard, Grace Peyron, Alexis Hill, and Taylor Wegand.  

Pool B

*All Out Of Region Teams

Pool C

Michio Chicago 18 National

*WVA 17 Black

*Wisconsin Premier 18 Teal

Cyclones 18 Black – Adidas

WVA 17 Black is a two seed in this pool and will have a legit chance to come out on top of this pool with Northern Colorado recruit Cece Huhn and another top prospect in Gabby Murray and Rachel Aasbury in the front line.  WVA will have to depend on solid ball control to run the middle and get the ball to setter Olivia Olson.  Wisconsin Premier 18 Teal will have two highly ranked prospects out of Wisconsin in Abby Neidinger who has committed to Oakland and Ari Miller who has committed to UW-Milwaukee.

Pool D

*All Out Of Region Teams

Pool E

Sky High Adidas 18 Black

Sports Performance 18 White

*Milwaukee Sting 17 Black

Ultimate G18 Gold

Sky High actually has some Wisconsin prep players go across state lines to play and Sports Performance always has Division One talent and this year they have players heading to Washington, Tennessee Tech, Michigan Tech (D2), and South Florida.  

Milwaukee Sting 17 Black will be competitive in this pool, with six athletes over 6 foot and Alayna Jansky who is a Western Illinois commit and Mckenna Packer who is committed to D2 powerhouse, Lewis University.  Sting Black also has Sierra Lee who is a versatile athlete and pin hitter, Jessica O’Keefe who is coming off a state title with Lake Country Lutheran.  

Pool F

*Out of Region Teams

Pool G

Sports Performance 18 Kahl

Fusion 17 Red

1st Alliance Silver 16 Silver

*WI Juniors 18-1

With the fourth seed in Pool G, WI Juniors will be no slouch with a handful of players committed to Division One schools.  Erica Grant and Morgan Hunt are both athletic, front row players with Grant heading to Tennessee Tech and Hunt to North Dakota.  However, Sports Performance Kahl is always one of the top teams in the nation with six players committed to a Division One schools.  

Pool H

-Out of Region Teams

Pool I

Fusion 18 Black

Sky High Adidas 17 Black

Michio Chicago 18 Prem

*Capital 17 Adidas

Capital 17 Adidas will be lead by Creighton recruit, Kiana Schmitt, but will also feature dynamic athlete Sopheea Mink at 6’1 and is approaching at over 10 feet.  Sarah Malone is also a solid libero prospect that will lead the backrow.  This team may have a tough pool, but will be competitive throughout the winter with solid defense and ball control which will allow Schmitt to be aggressive in the middle.

Pool J

*FC Elite 17 Navy

1st Alliance 18 Black

*Capital 18 Adidas

*Motion Volleyball 17 Blu

There is quite the Wisconsin flavor in this pool with FC Elite, Capital, and Motion all making their way to Aurora.  FC Elite was consistently in the “A” Bracket of last years 15/16s league which is always the top bracket with the best teams.  With much of the same team back with seven players going D1 they will look to stay at the top, however this year they will have a huge target on their back.  Capital is led on the outside by Claire Chaussee who is heading to Louisville and Amber Rowoldt, who is going South to NCAA D2 qualifying Palm Beach Atlantic.  They also have Kaitlyn Gehler, and Green Bay commit, who is one of the top Class of 2018 liberos.

Pool K

Illini Elite 18 Cardinal

*Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold

*Motion Volleyball 18 Blu

Fusion 16 Red

Illini Elite 18 Cardinal were national champions in the 17 Open Division last year at AAU’s in Orlando,  Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold finished in the final four of the 16 Open Division at AAU’s last year.  Lots of talent in this pool.  Sting Gold has the defense to beat any team at GLPL.  Motion will have unsigned, Class of 2018 talent Katy Kluge, who is a high flying outside who is extremely dynamic with a variety of shots to select from.  

Pool L

*Out of Region Teams

Teams will finish pool play on Sunday morning, with challenge matches in the afternoon before new pools are made based on results.  The next GLPL for 17/18 is January 27/28.