Badger Region Power League: Surprising Standouts From the 16 Elite Division

Breit Nelson April 17, 2019 @ 01:58 PM

Of the final four, two were Milwaukee Sting teams, including their 16 Black and 15 Gold squads. To eventually take on FC Elite 16 Navy in the championship match, Sting 15 Gold eliminated Sting 16 Black. Both semifinals showcased great matches with Capital 16 Adidas challenging FC Elite 16 Navy for a trip to the championship match. In the end, FC Elite 16 Navy emerged the winner. There were a lot of great matches going on throughout Center Court in Waukesha, so here are some surprising standouts from the 16 Elite Division: 16 ROYAL [player_tooltip player_id="80800" first="Clare" last="Wellenstein"] – 2021 – Middle Blocker - DSHA Wellenstein puts up a really nice block and strong press over the net to challenge her opponents. She does a nice job working the sidelines. When Wellenstein finds her flow, she is hard to stop. Capital 15 Navy [player_tooltip player_id="81297" first="Cassandra" last="Alsum"] – 2022 – 5’8 - Outside Hitter - Randolph Alsum is arguably the top point scorer for Capital. She provides power in her attacking and is definitely a go-to player on offense. Alsum will swing from front or back row to try to better every ball. Capital 16 Adidas Josie Halbeib – 2021 – 6’2 – Setter/Right Side – Sun Prairie Halbeib showed excellent vision in picking apart a defense and distributing the ball well. She handled tight passes with her height and athleticism. Halbeib shut down big outside hitters with a big block and strong seal. FC Elite 15 Navy [player_tooltip player_id="81262" first="Berkley" last="Mischler"] – 2022 – 6’0 – Middle Blocker – Appleton North Mischler is a big blocker with great timing. She is quick in transition and also has a high contact and excellent range. Mischler makes smart shot selections over and around defenders with her fast arm swing. Mischler will be a force to reckon with this fall. [player_tooltip player_id="57241" first="Brianna" last="Cantrell"] – 2022 – 5’11 – Outside Hitter – Appleton North Cantrell has a WHIP! Put her with Mischler and Appleton North will be deadly in the fall. Cantrell was definitely a go-to for Elite. She worked hard to be an available option out of system and scored consistently. Cantrell is dangerous when she gets ahold of the ball. One Wisconsin 16-1 [player_tooltip player_id="56461" first="Avery" last="Torrey"] – 2021 – 6’2 – Middle Blocker/Right Side Hitter/Setter - Kaukauna Torrey provides the hot hand when setter, [player_tooltip player_id="80806" first="Nicole" last="Norton"] (2021 – 5’9 – Southern Door), was able to set her in transition. Torrey continues to improve each time I see her, and she still has 2 years, so this kid could be scarey good. She has a high contact point and heavy swing. Torrey also has a wide range of shots and is quick, explosive, and reads well. She also puts up a big block that shuts down the opponent’s outside hitter. RVA 15 Navy Peyton Como – 2022 – 5’1 – Libero – Wauwatosa West Como is so solid in serve-receive and defense that she is downright frustrating for opponents. She showed excellent discipline in her defensive responsibilities and provided solid ball control for her team. Como is not just scrappy on defense, but also communicates well with her teammates. Sierra Studer – 2022 – Outside Hitter Studer is a crafty outside that takes a really aggressive approach and a fast swing in the split. She moves well and sees the court well to find the floor. Studer is also really solid in serve-receive. SWVBC 16 Blue Andrea Bortulin – 2022 – 5’3 - Setter/Pin Hitter – Luther Prep Bortulin is quick in transition and has great hands. She is undersized, but she plays so much bigger at the net than her height would indicate. Bortulin is smart with distribution and super scrappy. She is a great all-around player, and I’d like to see what she could do as a libero or on the beach.