Class of 2019 Prospects Commit To National Powers

As cold as the winters get in Minnesota, you can still call it a volleyball hotbed. What a time to be a volleyball player in Minnesota with the thriving high school and club volleyball structure, national powers at every NCAA Division, and the NCAA Final Four in town in a couple weeks. Izzy Ashburn and Lauren Clark of Champlin Park will be playing in the Under Armour All American game Friday, December 14, at the Target Center which features the best high school players in the nation. Yes, Minnesota has over 20 players who will be heading to play for a Division 1 tournament, but there are many Division 2, Division 3, and NAIA players that will be playing for top tier programs in the state and out. Here are a few names to note that maybe were not on the rankings or were a major jump. #1 Izzy Ashburn - Champlin Park - MN Select - Setter Committed To Wisconsin A top player from Champlin Park heading to Wisconsin, seems like this is a repeat of two years ago when Sydney Hilley, who was a top player for the Rebels went to play for the Badgers and is now an All Big Ten Setter. Ashburn actually set to Hilley (Sydney played outside as a Senior in high school) two years ago when Champlin Park finished runner-up to Eagan in the championship. Fast forward two years and the result was a bit different as Ashburn and the Rebels claimed the state championship over Eagan. Ashburn is the complete all around player. She has great quickness, footwork, and hands to put the ball right where her hitters need it to terminate. At the net she is a force blocking, and is always a threat to score. Very rarely will Ashburn be standing while she sets, it's almost always a jump set with a quick tempo. Yes, she had a plethora of talented hitters around her, but she was the conductor of it all. #17 Lydia Sussner - Minneota - SWMNVB - Middle Blocker Committed to SMSU Sussner was the top Class A player for Minneota who was able to take home a state championship this year. Large expectations were on the Vikings from the start of the season, but the combination of Sussner and setter Morgan Kockelman were tough to stop for opponents at any level. Minneota was so savvy on defense, playing a clean, efficient game where they would just constantly put pressure on their opponents. Sussner will be playing for Southwest Minnesota State and will be bringing an athleticism, skill set, and volleyball IQ that is so tough to defend. #32 Dresden Pass - Minnetonka - Northern Lights - Setter Committed To Central Florida Want to play volleyball in Orlando, Florida? Ok. Pass will be heading down to play for UCF and will be joining fellow Minnesotan, McKenna Melville of Eagan, who was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. The Minnesota pipeline and connection is starting down at UCF as they host an NCAA Regional which is actually a mini Florida State Volleyball Tournament with Florida Gulf Coast, Florida, and Florida State. Kandi Elite Kandi Elite out of Willmar, MN had quite the 17s team last year and has produced some top recruits heading to Division 1 and Division 2 schools. Carly Wedel, starting setter for Willmar is a physical player at the net who is a strong presence offensively and defensively as a setter. She has committed to play at South Dakota State. Kandi Elite also has Makenna Steffel heading to Northern State, Piper Asche going to Augustana, Riley Decker going to Concordia-St. Paul, Avery Elferling to Sioux Falls, and Isabelle Roefs heading to Central Connecticut State. Future Rivals Elizabeth Juhnke and Tori Thompson of Lakeville North have been a long time force in the front row together for the Panthers, but will now be on opposite sides as they head to the next level. Juhnke will be heading to South Dakota who recently won the Summit League, earning their first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. Thompson will be heading to the rival of USD in South Dakota State in Brookings where she will be joined by Wedel of Willmar and Drew McDougall of Minnetonka. Augustana and Concordia-St. Paul Load Up on 2019 Minnesota Recruits The Northern Sun Conference (NSIC) is traditionally one of the best Division 2 conferences in the nation for volleyball. Augustana in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has four committed out of Minnesota, bringing in two of the top small school players in Piper Asche, a physical and extremely dynamic athlete who plays out of the middle will be such a force to be reckon with as well as Maddy Guetter, a 5’11 outside hitter out of Wabasso who is so dynamic on the pin. Concordia-St. Paul will have the likes of Jamie Guptil of Rush City who is one of the best athletes in the state as well as Jasmine Mulvilhill of Lakeville South who was dynamite in the state tournament a few weeks ago. The Unsigned In the Class of 2019 there are over 160 players ranked and 100 of them have yet to commit to where they will play their college volleyball. Of those left, some will have various paths next year that may or may not include volleyball, but they all have the ability, showing they are some of the best in Minnesota. There is a place for everyone to play, its only a matter of what is the right fit for the student athlete and the program.