New Prospects On The Rise At The SW Minnesota Challenge
New year, new names. The Southwest Minnesota Challenge provided plenty of new names on the radar throughout the weekend. Some may have been the first time we’ve seen live, others we didn’t even know about. There are hidden no longer. …
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Continue ReadingNew year, new names. The Southwest Minnesota Challenge provided plenty of new names on the radar throughout the weekend. Some may have been the first time we’ve seen live, others we didn’t even know about. There are hidden no longer. They will be fun to keep an eye on throughout the year as they start to head towards tournament time.
Clare Hilary – Elk River
Senior
Elk River turned some heads this weekend with a top ten finish after they were seeded to not even win their first match. Hilary is a setter who moves extremely well around the court and is very savvy when it comes to what the game gives her. Having a setter who can truly quarterback your team is such an x-factor.
Elle Cotton of Elk RiverElle Cotton – Elk River
Sophomore
Cotton can do a little bit of everything! An attacker in the front row and a setter in the backrow, she is the utility player that can come in the clutch with big points. With the performance of her team this past weekend, they will be a legit threat to upset some teams along the way and build some more momentum into the postseason.
Teagan Starkey – Lakeville South (Title Photo)
Junior
Starkey and fellow Junior setter, Jasmine Weidemann are two extremely solid athletes in the Class of 2021. With Weidemann out with an injury, Starkey has taken the lead of the South offense. With plenty of hitters, Starkey runs the show and is able to dish to a high powered offense.
Hannah Polk – Chaska
Senior
Hanna Thompson – Chaska
Junior
Chaska is much improved with plenty of attackers that are underclassmen, however their Senior setter Hanna Polk has been able to run the offense, especially her middle in Hanna Thompson. The two connected multiple times throughout the weekend for some big points. Chaska has had some close losses so far this season, but with this lineup, expect those close losses to turn into some big wins by the end of the year.
Huge attack by Hanna Thompson from Chaska. Big battle at the end of set one with Northfield pic.twitter.com/g9WWlP9fKW
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) September 7, 2019
Rylie Rios – Totino Grace
Senior
Rios is incredibly dynamic. Her body language on the court along with her athletic ability shows she is a major go to player for Totino Grace. The Eagles were able to advance to the top 16 over the weekend with a big win over Prior Lake on Friday night. Rios is a legit scoring threat as well as defender no matter what rotation she is in.
Sylvia Koenig – Northfield
Junior
Northfield made a major statement this weekend in taking the tournament title over Wayzata. Their lineup is athletic and long and one of those athletes would be Koenig. Koenig has a high motor along the net where she works extremely hard to get from pin to pin where she makes an impact on offensively and defensively.
Kate Bucher – Marshall
Senior
Marshall has a lot of experience coming back from last year’s state runner-up squad. They are full of hunger, grit, and there is no ball that goes unpursued. Mia Schiable is the libero who has been solid her whole career, but Bucher is a defensive specialist who fills a big role for the Tigers. Many teams are one passer away from getting to the next level, and Bucher does that for Marshall.
Abby Jandro – Lakeville North
Abby Jandro setting for Lakeville North.Sophomore
Jandro is only a Sophomore, but plays beyond her years with her ability to remain cool, calm, and collected in tense situations. She is spot on with her sets to the pin and can run the middles as well as a slide. This was suppose to be a rebuilding year for North, but behind athletes like Jandro, the Panthers are still a force to contend with.
Ireland Stassen – Minneota
Freshman
Minneota keeps the game simple, they ball control, and win with their high IQ and efficiency. They also reload and Stassen is one of the next inline to lead Minneota back to the X. An all around player who can set, defend, and swing she is solid all around.