Tournament Preview: 2019 A & AA Showcase

<p>It is always a big treat for us volleyball enthusiasts when tournaments gather together several of the best teams in one location. The <a href="https://www.swchristianvolleyball.com/showcase.html">12th annual A &amp; AA Showcase</a> taking place this Friday and Saturday at the Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville, MN is just that. Many of Minnesota’s best squads in classes A &amp; AA are set to take the court and compete in what should be a terrific preview of sectional and state playoffs in the coming weeks. Here is a list of teams and key athletes to watch for:</p> <p><strong>CLASS A </strong></p> <p><strong>Teams - </strong>This event is loaded when considering the best of the best in class A. Competing this weekend include Minnesota’s #1 (Minneota), #2 (Kenyon-Wanamingo), #3 (Mayer Lutheran), #4 (Medford), #5 (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown), #6 (Mabel-Canton), #8 (Carlton), #9 (Henning), and #10 (Barnesville) ranked teams. The top three teams receiving votes in the most recent class A poll (Kittson County Central, New Life Academy, and Russell-Tyler-Ruthton) are also set to compete. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additional teams in action include: Bethlehem Academy, BOLD, Canby, Cleveland, Fosston, Lake of the Woods, MACCRAY, Wabasha-Kellogg, Wabasso, and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley</span></p> <p><strong>Athletes -</strong> With the best teams come some of the best athletes. Here are a few rising stars to find if visiting the venue:</p> <ul> <li><em><strong>Jaime Carlin</strong></em> - 2021 | MH | Fosston</li> <li><em><strong>Emily Carolan</strong></em> - 2022 | RS | Mabel-Canton</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="71954" first="Kinsey" last="Cronin"]</strong></em> - 2021 | MH | Medford</li> <li><em><strong>Sydney Eckhoff</strong></em> - 2020 | S | Henning</li> <li><em><strong>Taylin Gosch</strong></em> - 2022 | S | Cleveland</li> <li><em><strong>Morgan LaVigne</strong></em> - 2020 | OH | Wabasha-Kellogg</li> <li><em><strong>Hailey Lerfald</strong></em> - 2021 | MH | Kenyon-Wanamingo</li> <li><em><strong>Taylor Nelson</strong></em> - 2020 | OH | Carlton</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57540" first="Morgan" last="Olson"]</strong> </em>- 2020 | OH | Kittson County Central</li> <li><em><strong>Samantha Passa</strong></em> - 2021 | OH | Barnesville</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="72056" first="Ellie" last="Ready"]</strong></em> - 2021 | S | Waterville-Elysian-Morristown</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="72809" first="Leslie" last="Snow"]</strong></em> - 2022 | OH | BOLD</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="73494" first="Ireland" last="Stassen"]</strong></em> - 2023 | S | Minneota</li> <li><em><strong>Lily Wachholz</strong></em> - 2022 | OH | Mayer Lutheran</li> </ul> <p><strong>CLASS AA </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Teams - A handful of class AA ranked teams will be on hand including #3 (Concordia), #5 (Kasson-Mantorville), #6 Belle Plaine, #7 (Southwest Christian), #9 (Watertown-Mayer), and #10 (Pequot Lakes). </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additional teams competing include: Academy of Holy Angels, Byron, Cannon Falls, Jackson County Central, Jordan, Lewiston-Altura, Maple Lake, Norwood-Young America, Nova Classical, Park Rapids, Totino-Grace, and Windom</span></p> <p>Athletes - Here is a list of some of the best athletes and rising stars competing this weekend from class AA:</p> <ul> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="72789" first="Addison" last="Bzoskie"]</strong></em> - 2022 | OH | Kasson-Mantorville</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="29817" first="Megan" last="Carlson"]</strong></em> - 2020 | OH | Maple Lake</li> <li><em><strong>Mackenzine Close</strong></em> - 2020 | RS | Southwest Christian</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57511" first="Elizabeth" last="Holscher"]</strong></em> - 2020 | Lib | Totino-Grace</li> <li><em><strong>Lydia Hubbard</strong></em> - 2021 | 2021 | Pequot Lakes </li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57499" first="Shayla" last="Hustad"]</strong></em> - 2020 | MH | Cannon Falls</li> <li><em><strong>Lauren Johnson</strong></em> - 2021 | OH | Belle Plaine</li> <li><em><strong>Ciarra McNally</strong></em> - 2020 | OH | Lewiston-Altura</li> <li><em><strong>Anna Stocker</strong></em> - 2020 | Lib | Jordan</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="10109" first="Paige" last="Thibault"]</strong></em> - 2021 | OH | Watertown-Mayer</li> <li><em><strong>Katelyn Weaver</strong></em> - 2020 | S | Park Rapids</li> <li><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="71670" first="Alaina" last="Wolff"]</strong></em> - 2020 | OH | Jackson County Central</li> </ul> <p>A lot should be learned about where these teams fare in their respective classes and this weekend will be very exciting given the depth and quality of volleyball that will be on display. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>