Classic Eight Conference Preview – Part 1
This could arguably be one of the toughest conferences in Wisconsin. This conference is full of Division 1 and 2 competitors, and 3 of them are among the top 10 teams in the state! The conference got tougher in 2017 when they…
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Continue ReadingThis could arguably be one of the toughest conferences in Wisconsin. This conference is full of Division 1 and 2 competitors, and 3 of them are among the top 10 teams in the state! The conference got tougher in 2017 when they added Oconomowoc. Oconomowoc won the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference in 2016 and was able to grab a share of the Classic Eight Conference title in 2017.
Catholic Memorial has won 13 conference titles, but there are a lot of teams in the mix for a conference title in 2018. This conference contains players being trained at top clubs, such as FC Elite, Midwest Penguins, Milwaukee Sting, Motion Volleyball, and VC United. There are also many players leaving the conference and committed to playing at the next level this fall at Austin Peay, Bemidji State, Murray State, Stony Brook, and UNC Greensboro.
2017 Final Standings:
1st Oconomowoc 7-1
1st Arrowhead 7-1
3rd Mukwanago 6-2
4th Catholic Memorial 5-3
4th Waukesha West 5-3
6th Kettle Moraine 3-5
7th Waukesha North 2-6
8th Muskego 1-7
9th Waukesha South 0-8
2018 Title Contenders:
These teams have all lost some big names, but they are also returning quite a few players that have been playing varsity for a couple years now. Don’t count any of the other teams out because this is one tough conference with so many good matches through the season. This conference has players already committed to Notre Dame, Portland State, University of Northern Iowa, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Western Illinois. You may want to start marking your calendar if you want to see some good teams playing this fall!
ARROWHEAD:
Arrowhead’s only conference loss in 2017 was to Oconomowoc in a 5-set barn-burner, and their season ended with a loss to Mukwanago in 4 sets Arrowhead finished the 2017 season ranked #7 in the state of Wisconsin with a 38-13 record.
Arrowhead will be losing 5 big pieces from its 2017 roster:
Emma Selby – 6’1” – Right Side
Selby earned 1st Team All-Conference in 2017 and ended her career with 138 blocks and had a .275 hitting percentage in her senior season.
Karli Graham Karli Graham 6'2" | MB Arrowhead | 2018 State WI – 6’2” – Middle Blocker – Austin Peay
Graham lead the conference with 64 solo blocks in 2017, helping her earn 1st Team All-Conference. Karli tallied 213 total blocks in her career at Arrowhead, which led to Honorable Mention All-State honors, as well as the opportunity to play for Division I, Austin Peay, in the fall. Graham will get to continue her winning ways competing in the Ohio Valley Conference with a team that had a 30-6 record in 2017.
Greta Paszek Greta Paszek 6'0" | OH Arrowhead | 2018 State WI – 6’0” – Pin/Middle Blocker – Bemidji
Paszek earned 1st Team All-Conference, as well as Honorable Mention All-State honors. Paszek will continue her playing career with Division 2 Bemidji State and hopefully make an immediate impact with the ability to play as a six-rotation player for the Beavers.
Claire Mann – 5’6” – Libero
Mann earned Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2017. She contributed 279 digs in 2017, which gives her a total of 581 digs in her career with Arrowhead.
Abby Bartelson – 5’7” – Defensive Specialist
Bartelson will be missed behind the service line. She lead Arrowhead with 57 aces in 2017 and kept almost 92% of her serves in play.
You might be wondering, with losing all these contributors, how could Arrowhead POSSIBLY be a contender next year? Well, let’s take a quick look at some of the key returners for 2018:
Aubrey Hamilton Aubrey Hamilton 6'0" | OH Arrowhead | 2020 State WI – 2020 – 6’0” – Pin – Notre Dame
Hamilton may know where she will be going after she graduates in 2020, but she still has 2 more seasons to make a mark with Arrowhead. She plays with some of the best on the Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold team and was a standout with Arrowhead during her sophomore season. Hamilton was named the 2017 Conference Player of the Year and led the conference with a .319 hitting percentage and tallied over 500 kills to be selected as a 1st team all-state selection.
Elise Schneider Elise Schneider 6'0" | RS Arrowhead | 2020 State WI – 2020 – 6’0” – Middle Blocker/Right Side/Setter – Wofford College
Schneider was a 2nd Team All-Conference selection in 2017 and was 2nd in conference with 60 solo blocks. She is a highly efficient attacker, getting kills on 49% of her attacks and hitting a .365. She was also teammates with Hamilton on the Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold, and any time those two are on the court together can result in gains!
Emma Ruckstadter – 2019 – 5’7” – Setter
Ruckstadter led Arrowhead with 694 assists and was 3rd in Conference in assists earning her Honorable Mention Honors. She is one of the top available setters in the 2019 class after a solid season with Midwest Penguins 17 Black.
Jade Stefan Jade Stefan 5'8" | S Arrowhead | 2021 State WI – 2021 – 5’8” – Setter/Defensive Specialist
Stefan served an impressive 95% of her serves in play and tallied 212 digs and 535 assists. She ranked 5th in conference which, as a freshman in a tough conference, is impressive. Stefan will be a rising player in the 2021 class rankings in no time.
MUKWONAGO:
Mukwonago finished 3rd in conference with a 6-2 record in 2017. Their only 2 conference losses were to Waukesha West and Arrowhead, and with a 33-7 record, they finished ranked #2 in the state (Maxpreps state rankings). Mukwonago’s state run ended against Burlington in the Division 1 Quarterfinals.
Mukwonago lost 3 big playmakers to graduation:
Maddie Bader – 6’1” – Middle Blocker/Right Side
Bader was a 2nd Team All-Conference selection and led her team with 331 kills hitting an impressive .314.
Makenzie Vertz Makenzie Vertz 5'7" | S Mukwanago | 2018 State WI – 5’7” – Setter
Vertz was on the Division 1 All-State Tournament Team, Honorable Mention All-State, and 1st Team All-Conference. She led the conference with 64 aces and ran a 5-1 this season, accumulating 981 assists.
Katie Schoessow Katie Schoessow 5'8" | DS/L Mukwanago | 2018 State WI – 5’8” – Libero – Marquette
Schoessow was the 1st Team All-Conference Libero and 3rd Team All-State selection. She led her team with 540 digs in 2017, giving her a career total of 1,954 digs. Schoessow will be continuing her playing career for Marquette this fall.
Mukwonago may be losing 3 BIG pieces, but they have quite the returning squad.
Alayna Jansky Alayna Jansky 6'0" | OH Mukwonago | 2019 State WI – 2019 – 6’0” – Outside Hitter – Western Illinois
Jansky led her team with 331 kills to earn 1st Team All-Conference and 3rd Team All-State. Jansky will be just one of the keys to a conference title for Mukwonago.
Erin Powers Erin Powers 5'8" | DS/L Mukwonago | 2020 State WI – 2020 – 5’8” – Outside Hitter
Powers earned 2nd Team All-Conference honors by tallying 272 kills, 47 aces, and 342 digs as a solid competitor.
Hannah Powers Hannah Powers OH Mukwonago | 2019 State WI – 2019 – 5’9” – Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist
Powers contributed 102 digs, 45 kills, and 31 aces, while keeping 92% of her serves in play to earn Honorable Mention All-Conference.
Dru Henning – 2020 – 5’10” – Middle Blocker/Right Side
Henning led Mukwonago with 47 total blocks. She also contributed 117 kills and will take on more with the loss of Bader.
Nicole Pozorski Nicole Pozorski 5'8" | S Mukwonago | 2020 State WI – 2020 – 5’8” – Setter/Right Side
Pozorski saw playing time as a defensive specialist and right side in 2017 and contributed 191 digs. She will most likely step in with the graduation of Vertz.
WAUKESHA WEST:
Waukesha West is on the rise. After 3 conference losses last season to Arrowhead, Oconomowoc, and Catholic Memorial to give them a 4th place finish, West is on a mission. West ended with a 22-12 record and a #23 state ranking.
Waukesha West lost 4 to graduation, including 1 big contributor that is headed to Murray State in the fall.
Emily Matson Emily Matson 5'11" | OH Waukesha West | 2018 State WI – 5’11” – Outside Hitter/Right Side – Murray State
Matson earned Honorable Mention All-Conference and will join a Murray State program that went 22-9 in 2017.
West has a number of returnees, but there are a few big key pieces that are coming back.
Anna Nerad Anna Nerad 6'1" | MB Waukesha West | 2019 State WI – 2019 – 5’11” – Middle Blocker – UW-Milwaukee
Nerad is set to start her final high school campaign. In 2017 she was 2nd in the conference with 40 solo blocks and earned 2nd Team All-Conference honors.
Darragh Dixon Darragh Dixon 5'10" | S Waukesha West | 2019 State WI – 2019 – 5’10” – Setter
In 2017 Dixon was 4th in conference with .5 aces per set, 5th in conference with 5.4 assists per set and will run the offense for the Wolverines with some wicked weapons.
Alexis Boling Alexis Boling 6'0" | OH Waukesha West | 2021 State WI – 2021 – Middle Blocker
Boling has a high school season under her belt now and a solid season with the Midwest Penguins. This could be a breakout season for Boling.
More to come on this tough Classic Eight Conference…