The Dish: Six Setters Poised to Raise their Stock in 2019

<p>Minnesota has a long history of producing some great setters, including previous Ms. Baden Volleyball stars Samantha Seliger-Swenson (2014), who had a great college career for Minnesota, and last year’s recipient in [player_tooltip player_id="9901" first="Izzy" last="Ashburn"] (2018), now at Wisconsin. The current crop of high school setters have some notable names as well and the Prep Dig athlete rankings are riddled with additional setters in the classes of 2020 and 2021 that are poised to lead their teams to a successful 2019 campaign while raising their own individual stock as a college prospect. Here are six athletes, perhaps undervalued and overlooked, to pay attention to in the coming weeks as the new season gains momentum.</p> <p><strong>CLASS OF 2020</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57507" first="Madison" last="Hinz"] (5’7 | Yellow Medicine East | Prep Dig #70)</strong><br /> A 2018 Camden all-conference selection, Hinz distributed a great offense for YME last season. Some of their heavy hitters have departed due to graduation so Hinz and her teammates face a big challenge to fill the gaps in their point scoring in 2019. Hinz has great composure and can distribute well from pin to pin. Her floor leadership will be a key factor to YME’s success this season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="71648" first="Olivia" last="Johnson"] (5’9 | Wayzata | Prep Dig #15)</strong><br /> The floor general for a Wayzata team that has some of the most lethal pin arms in the state. She is a fluid athlete with great court awareness and footwork that gets her to the ball on balance, which allows her to effortlessly dish the ball on tempo from pin to pin. At 5’9, many will say she is undersized to play at the DI level but her athleticism helps her create a solid blocking threat at the net. She will be a key factor in Wayzata’s run towards the state tournament in 2019. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57515" first="Lida" last="King"] (6’1 | Northfield | Prep Dig #80)</strong><br /> King’s skills continue to improve and her recent club season with Northern Lights has proven to help her gain foot speed and balance that lead to consistent high hand position and delivery. She has developed better ability to set a quick tempo across a wide range of attack points. At 6’1, she has the length to defend at the net and has improved her defensive skills in the back row with improved balance, vision, and quickness. Look for King to fill a much bigger role for Northfield as they have a talented squad capable of playing deep into the postseason. </p> <p><strong>CLASS OF 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="58028" first="Karsee" last="Kampsen"] (5’9 | Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa | Prep Dig #26)</strong><br /> A 2018 Central Minnesota all-conference and all-area selection, Kampsen has amassed over 2,000 assists in her career. She led the Jaguars to a 27-6 record last season, which included a trip to the state tournament during which closed out her sophomore campaign by adding 110 assists. A multi-sport athlete she provides great leadership to compliment her athleticism and competitiveness. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="71964" first="Kelly" last="McArthur"] (6’2 | Bloomington Jefferson | Prep Dig #28)</strong><br /> Another 2021 setter that offers length and has benefitted greatly from a busy and competitive club season. As she continues to gain experience at more competitive levels she is showing growth and adaptability to the increased game speed and in consistently creating successful opportunities for her attackers across the net. Additionally, her size makes her a threat offensively when in the front row. This past year has served to also improve her skills and confidence in locating the ball when pursuing it off the net. Look for McArthur to be a key contributor for Bloomington Jefferson this season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="71949" first="Paige" last="Sheehan"] (5’9 | North Branch | Prep Dig #19)</strong><br /> Perhaps overshadowed by a teammate’s great offensive performance at the 2018 state championships, Sheehan was the distributor for the majority of those point scoring kills. An offensive-minded setter, Sheehan is aggressive at the net when the opportunity presents itself. In the Vikings’ first match this season against Moorhead she had three timely and aggressive kills of her own. She is a well-rounded athlete as exemplified by her 33 assists, eight digs, and four service aces in her team’s season-opening victory. She spent the club season as a member of the Northern Lights 16-1 team, adding significantly to her already competitive and accomplished volleyball experience.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>