Prep Dig Wisconsin All Freshman Team
It’s complete. Year one. Freshmen walk into their first practice of high school volleyball and even though some have played in hundreds of club matches by the time they get to this point, there is just a different feel when…
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Continue ReadingIt’s complete. Year one. Freshmen walk into their first practice of high school volleyball and even though some have played in hundreds of club matches by the time they get to this point, there is just a different feel when you are walking into varsity ball. Even after making the varsity team, there are plenty of firsts, one being the first varsity match where the student section is there, the PA announcer is calling the starting lineups, and its just a different atmosphere than any club or middle school tournament can replicate. For these Freshman, they made their impact right away. For some it may have come as a surprise, others expected, but definitely take note with these names and how they will be contributing for their programs over the next few years.
Mckenna Wucherer – Brookfield Central – Outside Hitter
Committed To Minnesota
Wucherer had the target on her back before she stepped on the court at Brookfield Central. Having made her verbal commitment to the University of Minnesota as an 8th grader and always playing a year up for the Milwaukee Sting Gold teams, it was only a matter of how much she would truly impact the game at the high school level. With almost 600 kills, just under five per set she was definitely the leader for the Lancers earning 1st Team All State Honors. Wucherer wasn’t the only Freshman to make an impact on her team, Morgan Daugherty, another impactful Freshman player, with 125 kills out of the middle in her first season of varsity play. Watchout for these two next year for BC.
Haley Graetz – River Falls – Middle Blocker
River Falls graduated Marissa Stockman who is now staring at Illinois State. Enter Haley Graetz, the 5’10 Freshman middle who was an instant impact for the Wildcats and they reloaded to make another state semifinal appearance. Graetz has a multitude of shots she can go to and sees the court extremely well with a natural knack for the game. She can swing through a split or tip to a deep corner. Graetz was an AAU All American in 2017 and will be looking to build off that in the club season playing for Kokoro out of St. Paul, MN along with teammate Dani Lien who was another Freshman on the Wildcat roster.
Karissa Kaminski – Howards Grove – Outside Hitter
If Kaminski could pass, set, and swing to herself she very well could. Kaminski was primarily an outside hitter for Howards Grove who was one match short of the state tournament with an extremely young lineup with three solid Freshmen contributors in Kaminski, pin hitter Myka Roethel and setter Emma Baierl. Kaminski had over 300 kills and 300 digs, earning 1st Team All Conference and All State honors. This past summer she set for the Badger Region High Performance Team. This upcoming season for club she will join Baierl on the FC Elite 15s team while Roethel will play up on the FC Elite 17s team.
Riley Hamilton – Hartford – Outside Hitter
Much like Kaminski, Hamilton had a major impact from the pin in her first season of varsity action with over 300 kills and 200 digs. Hamilton will join many of these players this upcoming club season Milwaukee Sting 15 Gold.
Natalie Ring – Edgewood – Outside Hitter
Really strong and athletic, Ring packs a punch from the pin and this year for Edgewood, had 382 kills and hit just under .300 which for a Freshman outside hitter, those numbers are more than above average! Ring has traditionally played up an age level for Capital out of Madison and will do so again this year with the likes of Payton Addink and Jose Halbleib of Sun Prairie and Maia Johnson out of Madison Memorial.
Haley Koch and Maleah Howe – Oconomowoc – Middle and Outside
Oconomowoc had quite the balance of age groups between upperclassmen in Tayler Alden, Elle Shult, Tessa Christopherson, Caitlin Crawford, Tahya Pozorski, and Ashley Sharkus. However, two Freshmen in Haley Koch and Maleah Howe were major impact players for the Division 1 State Runner-Ups. There was a point in the semifinal match where both student sections kept on chanting “She’s a Freshman” between Koch and Howe of Ocon and Graetz of River Falls. Howe is the high flying outside who led the team in kills with over 300 kills where Koch was the athletic and dynamic middle who could get from pin to pin so quickly, tallying 82 total blocks. Both will be playing for Milwaukee Sting 15 Gold this club season.
Brianna Cantrell – Appleton North – Outside Hitter
Cantrell has a high contact point with the ability to move so smooth around the court. The six rotation outside has a solid all around game where she had nearly 300 kills and almost 200 digs. North has a crew of Freshmen who will be a dangerous over the next couple years with many of them playing for the FC Elite 15s team this club season.
Adriana Studer – Lake Country Lutheran – Defensive Specialist
The duo of Studer and libero Rylee Vaughn (2020) in the backrow for Lake Country Lutheran was so key in the journey to defend their D3 state title. Studer would usually start serving and put LCL in their best rotation with Jennifer O’Keefe on the pin and two of the top defenders in the state in their respective classes to keep the ball in play for the Lightning to terminate. Studer is a top beach player as well and will be one of the key players for Milwaukee Sting 15 Gold this winter.
Aspen Jankowski – Cedarburg – Outside Hitter
Cedarburg has the big names in the middle with two Big East recruits in Maddie Barber heading to Villanova and Kiara Reinhardt heading to Creighton, but what really put their team in the next level with some of the top D1 teams in the state was the emergence of Aspen Jankowski who had over 200 kills and nearly 200 digs. A natural six rotation outside, Jankowski plays with such a high IQ with the ability to cut a sharp angle on a swing or swipe off the block to score points.
Gianna Vollrath – Fall Creek – Outside Hitter
In Northwest Wisconsin lies Fall Creek and a hidden gem in Gianna Vollrath who talled nearly 350 kills. Fall Creek was a rated team most of the year with a 30-7 overall record and will have their top two attackers back in 2019.