5 Things To Watch: 17s Badger State AAU Super Regional
With most of the 18s having finished their season at nationals in California a couple weeks ago, the 17s are the big kids on the block. This weekend Milwaukee Sting is hosting the AAU Super Regional with the likes of four Sting teams, Royal, Revolution, Illini Elite, SportingMKE, Motion, WI Juniors, and Next Level. Prep Dig will be there on Sunday covering bracket play which starts at 9 AM. Here are a few things of what we are looking for on Sunday at the Milwaukee Sting Center.
Rankings! – I will admit, of all the age groups the 17s are the ones that I need to be on the lookout which means I’ll be evaluating Sunday as well as NJC in Rosemont over Memorial Day weekend. These athletes will be heading into their Senior year and most will be looked upon to lead their teams this upcoming high school season. There have been some big time commits for the 17s this past club and will be fun to see them in action Sunday. This will also be a chance to see some of the top athletes in the Class of 2019 compete against each other in some very meaningful matches which always brings out the best with fierce competition. Our next rankings update will come out this summer after nationals with plenty of notes over the club season to reflect on.
How Far Will 16 Gold Go? – Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold has top recruits going to Creighton in Kiara Reinhardt, Notre Dame in Aubrey Hamilton, and most recently Elise Goetzinger heading to Kentucky. Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold has big dreams when it comes to their finish at AAU Nationals in Orlando this summer and playing against some top notch 17s teams will be key to their improvement. What I’m taking a closer look at are some of the role players for 16 Gold. Kaley Blake has proven her game is top notch and can win at the high school level and is leading Sting 16 Gold as a setter, but the other role players on the team will be key to a deep run at Nationals.
WI Juniors, Revolution, and Motion Player Prospects – I have seen all of these teams play at some point throughout the year, but more information, the better. These teams are competitive and are full of solid athletes. They have college level athletes and it will be essential to take take another look to see where they will fall in the rankings and again how they will help out their high school teams this fall. When I see club tournaments and start piecing together various athletes who will be coming together in the fall, I start to see what teams will be making a strong push in October with dreams of playing in November.
The Depth of Burlington – Speaking of teams who will be making a deep tournament run Burlington will be heading into the Fall season as one of the favorites in Division 1, looking to repeat their state title from 2017. There are spots to fill, but one of the keys to Burlington for years has been their depth. For Sting, there is Maddie Berezowitz, Coley Haggard, Grace Peyron, and Alexis Hill on the 17s while Kaley Blake plays for 16 Gold. Burlington has other athletes at the younger levels and other clubs that have been playing all winter and spring improving their game to make another title run in the fall, but for some of these athletes they will be looking to get the starting line up.
Peaking at the Right Time – The club season can get long, but for teams who are winning, having fun, and finding success with however they measure it the balloons at the end of the finish line are looking pretty bright. With only a couple tournaments left, what can this tournament do for a team that building towards national. With their be a match, a set, or even a point that can change things for the better, or bring things down. Body language impact from everyone from players to coaches to even parents is escalated at this point. We’ll be looking for great plays and the sparks that could be breakthrough points or even wins that will send these teams with momentum heading into the final month of the season.
*HIGH SCHOOL COACHES – Please contact chris@prepdig.com with any summer schedules in regards to open gyms, high school leagues, or team camps. We will continue our coverage of prep volleyball all year long! We would love to come visit your team and get a sneak peak at what we will see this fall.