7 Top Prospects From The Joust
There was a TON of talent at the Joust Tournament held in Mequon. There were players that were already committed to Minnesota, Notre Dame, UW-Milwaukee, Marquette, Wichita, Loyola, and I could keep going, but I’m watching my word count. Of course, while…
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Continue ReadingThere was a TON of talent at the Joust Tournament held in Mequon. There were players that were already committed to Minnesota, Notre Dame, UW-Milwaukee, Marquette, Wichita, Loyola, and I could keep going, but I’m watching my word count. Of course, while there are quite a few committed to play at the next level, there are four times as many available recruits on the courts making big plays! These certainly aren’t ALL the available prospects, but here are a few from the top teams:
#1 – Neenah
Kirsten Kraus – 2021 – 5’10 – Setter/Right Side
Kraus puts up a huge block on the right side, shutting down some of the best outsides, and then gets to the back row and has these soft hands delivering the ball with great accuracy to her hitters. She’s so athletic and would be a great Division 1 pick-up.
#2 – Arrowhead
[player_tooltip player_id="33165" first="Emily" last="Larson"]Emily Larson Emily Larson DS/L Arrowhead | 2020 State WI – 2020 – 5’5 – Libero
The first word I thought of when I saw Larson play was, GRITTY. And as a player who took pride in my defense, I’m not easily impressed on defensive players. Routine plays are expected to be near perfect, digs should be routine, but being so gritty to run down shanked balls or pick up balls that everyone believes are dead is impressive. Larson adds a spark with great defensive moves and grit that comes from the heart. She would be a great addition to any program.
#10 [player_tooltip player_id="33111" first="Ryan" last="Ferch"]Ryan Ferch Ryan Ferch 5'7" | OH/DS Arrowhead | 2019 State WI – 2019 – 5’7 – Defensive Specialist/Outside Hitter
Ferch is strong in serve receive and would make a great addition as a defensive specialist to most programs, but the nice part about Ferch is that she can swing. Recruited as an outside hitter, her size would probably land her at a D3 college, but she is such a smart attacker. Ferch has a sharp cut and smart, well placed tips that keep any defense on their toes. She may be small, but she is very effective.
Katelyn Sesolak – 2019 – 6’3 – Middle Blocker
Sesolak is a beast at the net. She has a strong cut back in the middle, and when she takes a swing from the right side… well, she drops the hammer with that hard swing. Sesolak can pound a slide, put up a big block, and when her team needs it, she is clutch. In the championship match of the Joust, Arrowhead kept feeding Sesolak, and she really brought her team back to take the 2nd set. She would be a strong addition to any program.
#3 – East Troy
Katie Winkler Katie Winkler 5'11" | RS East Troy | 2021 State WI – 2021 – 6’0 – Right Side
LEFTY ALERT! Winkler has a heavy left-handed swing and is really great at using a block. She is currently operating in beast mode at the start of her sophomore year, and I can’t wait to see how far she can take it!
Emily Wendt Emily Wendt S East Troy | 2020 State WI – 2020 – 5’9 – Setter
It took me a minute and I thought I might need to go get my contact strength upped a few notches because I could have sworn I saw the setter for East Troy blocking middle for a rotation. Nope, eyes are fine because I double and triple checked. I love when coaches get creative in using their players’ strengths. Wendt would block as a middle and then turn and set, which provided great opportunities to attack, keeping the middle blocker on the opposing side to pay attention and give her hitters more opportunities against 1 blocker or a seam to pound. She was fun to watch as she had some very crafty plays.
#3 – Oconomowoc
Maleah Howe Maleah Howe OH Oconomowoc | 2022 State #190 Nation WI – 2022 – 5’8 – Pin Hitter
Howe is fun to watch because she does not play like a freshman. She plays like she’s an AAU All-American. Oh wait, she is! But it isn’t just that. She finds success on the court and the sand, and it shows in her game. Howe has a wicked swing from the right side and can swing over the block from the outside. And let’s not forget her scary cross body line shot. It is a perfect bait and switch, made you look one way and then I went the other. And it is just her 1st season on varsity! Yikes!