Dame’s Duo: Risi and Chinn give Irish outstanding 1-2 punch

[caption id="attachment_15847" align="alignright" width="244"]<a href="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/NDP-vs-North-Branch-45.jpg"></a> Natalie Risi[/caption] Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball coach Betty Wroubel has been blessed with some tremendous talent over the years. From All-Americans to Miss Volleyballs, Wroubel has seen it all. However, it may be tough to say she’s had a better pair of hitters on the same roster than the Class of 2019 pair of Madeline Chinn and Natalie Risi. Chinn, a Purdue commit, and Risi, a Ball State commit, helped lead the Irish to the Class B state championship in 2017 behind more than 1,100 kills combined. Both are currently ranked in the top 10 of our <a href="http://bit.ly/2GYAeq4">2019 player rankings</a>. “Both have always shown a real desire to get better. They ask questions and want to be coached. They don’t think they have all the answers despite being such great players at this stage,” Wroubel said. “They are usually the first ones to the gym and the last ones to leave. They work on every detail of their game and their example really impacts everyone else on the team. The other kids know how good those two are and see how much they work on it, it let’s them know that they should probably be working too. Those two just really have the whole package.” Coming into their senior season in 2018, the Irish are definitely one of the favorites to win the new-look <a href="http://bit.ly/2EmbE0v">Division 2</a> championship. You can also expect to see both among the finalists for the 2018 Miss Volleyball honor. “It can be hard to be on a competitive team where the spotlight is shared somewhat, but those two really embrace it and they just want the best for the team,” Wroubel said. “They know they each takes the pressure off the other and each makes the other better. If one is having an off day, it’s nice to know they have the other to pick them up. They really understand each other and know when it each person’s time to step up. They just grasp the game so well and have a deep knowledge of team volleyball.” It wasn’t hard to see Chinn as a rising star when she first stepped on the court as a freshman. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter was dominant from the start, racking up 532 kills and 117 blocks as a freshman. She turned that into 682 kills with 146 blocks as a sophomore while strengthening her all-around skills and producing 423 digs with 90 aces. This past fall, Chinn had a junior year that finished with 660 kills, 12 blocks, 313 digs and 79 aces. “Maddie was always tall, but once she really grew into her tall body, she just became such a strong player,” Wroubel said. “Maddie wasn’t one to just rely on her size. She really committed to improving each aspect of her game.” Risi stands just 6-0, but her size hasn’t limited her impact. She had a freshman season in 2015 that saw her post 322 kills with 51 blocks, 441 digs and 69 aces. As a sophomore, Risi tallied 282 kills with 66 blocks, 343 digs and 79 aces. Her junior season was her best by far, as Risi racked up 473 kills, 91 blocks, 455 digs and 171 aces. “Natalie always had those basic fundamental skills and she has always continued to work on them and improve on them. I think she has the best fundamental skills around,” Wroubel said. “She doesn’t have Maddie’s height, but Natalie has it all in terms of skillset. Watching her develop over the years has truly been one of the great joys I have had as a coach.” Their dominant partnership was on full display in Battle Creek this past fall. In a sweep of Fruitport in the Class B semifinal, both Chinn and Risi racked up 19 kills. Risi hit .486 while Chinn hit .621. In the final against Lakewood, Chinn has seven kills as Lakewood focused their defense on her. That just opened the door for Risi to showcase her skills, which she did by amassing 17 kills while hitting .471. The two don’t get enough of each other in prep season, as they are teammates for Michigan Elite 17 Mizuno in club season. “They really love playing with each other. Some kids get away from their teammates during club season, but they stick with one another. I think that really speaks to the bond that they have,” Wroubel said. While Risi and Chinn played a major part in 2017’s state title, the Irish were loaded all around and finished as one of the best prep volleyball teams in the country. The 2018 squad will have to deal with the loss of middle blocker Gabrielle Schilling (Rhode Island) and setter Lauren Burnick (Lake Erie) to graduation, while fellow hitter, 2020’s <a href="http://bit.ly/2H5ylZw">Taylor Raiola</a> transferred to Bloomfield Hills. “We had such a dynamic team in 2017 where literally all six players could fill any position and we had a setter that really knew how to balance our attack between all our hitters,” Wroubel said. “I don’t know if the hunger will be there like it was a year ago. You see that happen sometimes after winning a title that the drive isn’t quite as strong and players can go into cruise control.” It will be up to Risi, Chinn and fellow senior hitter Morgan Verheyan to provide that leadership for the Irish in 2018. The signs are already showing that they will handle that role just fine. “I tend to leave the kids alone and let them do their thing in the offseason, but I know I have seen Natalie and Maddie and Morgan in the gym and the weight room all the time,” Wroubel said. “I know that being able to be good leaders is important to them. They had great leaders before them and they want to carry that on in the program.”