Future Teammates, Wisconsin, and Big Ten Connections at NLQ

Over the past four months I have been watching tournaments and teams all across the Midwest.  Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago to name a few and with those cities - a lot of talent has come from all across the country.  In keeping up with college commits, I start to see what the future holds to some of these programs when I see future college teammates playing for their own clubs.  This past weekend at Northern Lights I was able to make plenty of Wisconsin connections where athletes from Wisconsin will be playing those from some very high power clubs.  Here is a look into the crystal ball of what the future holds for some of these athletes from Wisconsin and the possible teammates and even rivalries to be had.

Wisconsin 

Wisconsin has a solid crew of in state recruits coming in for the Class of 2019 with Dru Kuck (Sting 17 Gold) and Liz Gregorski (FC Elite 17 Navy), but I also got to see Anna MacDonald of A5 at libero, the younger sister to Amber MacDonald who is a fan favorite for Badger volleyball fans.  MacDonald is incredibly smooth and has a high volleyball IQ. She is also playing on one of the top club teams in the nation as well as one of the best high school programs in the Southeast. Devyn Robinson of Iowa Power Plex 17 is a 6'1 middle blocker Badger fans will absolutely love to watch. She has the smile, the spark, the athleticism in the middle.  Dana Rettke is the thunder in the middle, but Robinson will bring a dose of lightning. Badger fans will have to wait a little longer for Robinson as she is from the Class of 2020.

Ohio State

Mia Grunze of Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold will be heading to Ohio State this upcoming Fall.  The outside hitter from Waterford is extremely physical and strong on the pin and by taking a look at some incoming recruits, they will be too.  A5 out of Atlanta has two athletes that will be heading to Ohio State in Reilly MacNeill, a 6’2 springy and athletic middle from the Class of 2019 as well as outside, 6’4 Gabby Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is pure power, a home run hitter. With the combination of Gonzalez and Grunze on the pin that makes for an extremely strong and physical Ohio State team for the next few years.

Iowa 

Coach Bond Shymanksy has been starting to build a pipeline from Northern Lights to Iowa City starting with Brie Orr who had 1,000 assists for Iowa in her Freshman campaign is the older sister to current Northern Lights setter, Kennedi Orr (Nebraska).  Shymansky is the former coach at Marquette University and had three future Hawkeyes playing at Northern Lights.  Kyndra Hansen was a standout player for Northern Lights on the outside, incredibly efficient and high IQ shot maker.  Blythe Reints is a dynamic middle blocker who also plays for Northern Lights and a 2019 Iowa Recruit.  The third in this bunch is Grace Tubbs, the tall, yet physical 6'4 middle blocker out of Clinton, Iowa that plays for Adrenaline 17 Rox out of Cedar Rapids.  Adrenaline 17 Rox also has a top recruit in Aliyah Carter, an outside hitter from the Class of 2020 that is pure dynamite on the pin and has yet to make a college decision. 

The SEC

Wisconsin athletes Maddie Berezowitz and Elise Goetzinger heading to Kentucky, a program on the rise, or should I say at the top of the SEC after their past season.  The SEC is steadily improving and becoming a more balanced conference and this past weekend I saw some athletes that Berezowitz and Goetzinger will be competing against in the future.  Missouri will have 6’4 middle Claudia Dillon from Colorado Juniors and Kenna Sauer, a high flying springy outside from Iowa Power Plex. Both are extremely athletic, and are extremely strong on defense.  Sauer is a 6’0 outside who is able to block with the best of them and is also able to dig and serve receive in any rotation. They will join former Wisconsin prep, and Illinois transfer Annika Gereau for Mizzou.  Samarah Hill of OT out of Tampa was also a player to note with her athleticism and vertical and her commitment to LSU will add another powerful hitter in the conference.  Maggie Cartwright will be another 2019 outside from FC Elite 17 Navy to make her way to the SEC when she plays for Arkansas.

Northern Colorado Connection

Northern Colorado is in Greeley, Colorado and part of the Big Sky Conference of schools in Idaho, Montana, Arizona, and California.  The conference was dominated last year by Cal-Poly. Cece Huhn of Wisconsin Volleyball Academy is a 2019 Middle heading to play for the Bears.  Huhn is strong, athletic, and is definitely touching over 10 feet. She will be teaming up with Colorado Juniors setter, McKenna Sciacca, a 5’11 Class of 2019 recruit who will be coming in with Huhn.  I had the chance to see Sciacca at NLQ and she definitely commands the court and is an offensive threat. She is a fearless attacker on the second contact, very comparable to Tayler Alden of Oconomowoc.  Sciacca and Huhn will be quite the setter/middle combination at Northern Colorado.

Dayton Flyers

Mikaylah Van Lanen, a two time All State outside hitter for Appleton North will be heading to Dayton this fall to play for the Flyers, part of the Atlantic 10 Conference and always a program that is competing for an NCAA Tournament bid.  Van Lanen will be joining Rockwood (St. Louis) setter, Livia Sandt, a 5’10 pure athlete. Sandt could swing on the right side as well, but her release is so smooth and can run a fast tempo offense. Sandt and Van Lanen could be quite a duo in the A10 in two years.

UNI Panthers

Tayler Alden, a 2020 setter from Oconomowoc committed to play at the University of Northern Iowa this past month.  UNI is consistently in the NCAA Tournament and always in contention to win a championship in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Two of Alden’s future teammates were in the NLQ 17 Open Division in Maizy Jackson from MN Select and Kaylee Donner from Adrenaline 17 Rox (Iowa).  Jackson is an athletic outside right at six feet tall that is an all around, dynamic point scoreer. Donner is pure grittiness and toughness, a sparkplug for her team.  UNI always has solid, all around athletic teams and these recruits coming in will be no different.