5 Lessons Learned at the Germantown Invite
Ten teams competed in the Germantown Invited on September 1, 2018. They are now a few weeks into their season and competition is continuing to grow. A wide range of teams played in the event from Division III school Kenosha…
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Continue ReadingTen teams competed in the Germantown Invited on September 1, 2018. They are now a few weeks into their season and competition is continuing to grow. A wide range of teams played in the event from Division III school Kenosha Christian Life to big time Division I teams such as Germantown High School and Sheboygan North High School. Here are some lessons learned from this event:
Serving Rules All: Teams won and lost games based on serving. Even in the championship match, Sheboygan North missed six serves in the first game alone. Germantown ended up outplaying North by only a few points and their missed serves had a definite impact.
Liberos Control the Back Court: We may know this already but liberos impressed across the board on Saturday. Kaukauna libero Taylor Wegand (Class of 2019, Uncommitted) covered the court well and provided a consistent and electric energy for her team. Germantown’s defensive specialist Dani Mark made a huge impact on the court with extremely consistent serve receive and a natural ability to read hitters. Their libero, junior Amber Bischel (Prep Dig Rank #21, Uncommitted) covers her hitters with quick speed and digs confidently. On Sheboygan North, libero Dru Kuck (Class of 2019, Committed to Wisconsin) was a true leader on their team providing focus, drive, and unmatched talent in the back court.
A Setter’s Speed Makes a Difference: SWCHA setter Chloe Epker (Class of 2020, Uncommitted) was the epitome of making a difference. The speed of her reaction and her hands were awesome and she seemed to be all over the court yet consistently setting her hitters up for success. Senior Annie Hopp (Uncommitted) from Sheboygan North is a six rotation setter who has a massive defense behind her and a huge offense in front of her. She orchestrates the court and makes quick and impactful decisions in an instant. Whitnall’s Lilly Lutz (Class of 2021, Uncommitted) was quick and smart for such a young setter. She had a hand on almost every ball and made tough sets playable for her hitters. Germantown’s setters orchestrated their offense confidently and were major players in their tournament win.
Big Hits + Big Blocks = Big Points: Hitters came out swinging this weekend and the blocks didn’t disappoint either. It seemed like Germantown’s entire roster could pound a ball ten foot line over any block put up. Sophomore outside hitter Taylor Catalano (Prep Dig Rank #6, Uncommitted) was the perfect mix of powerful and smart, and contributed 7 kills in the championship match alone. She could place a ball with some massive speed behind it. Their other outside, junior Nikki Censky, was quick and could consistently hit a great line shot. In the middle, senior Hannah Brown, could hit the 10 foot line easy, seemed to fly through the air giving her any number of shots, and put up a nearly impenetrable block. Middleton’s Hannah Flottmeyer (Class of 2019, MB, Uncommitted) was their go to hitter and was a fast blocker, consistently getting to the pins and putting up a solid block. Sheboygan North’s six rotation outside hitter, Lizzie Binder (Class of 2021, Uncommitted, Prep Dig Rank #2), made an immense impact both on offense and defense.
A Home Team Win is a Good Win: Germantown won their own home tournament, but not without a fight. The first game of the championship against Sheboygan North was a back and forth battle with Germantown losing 27-29. Going into the second game, Germantown found their fire, starting the match off with a 9-1 lead. They kept that lead throughout the game and despite a late comeback attempt by Sheboygan North, won it. The third game was a point for point battle with an incredible score of 20-18.
This was truly an awesome tournament with some fierce competition. The SWCHA Saints took third place and Whitnall fourth.