Deep Dive Into WAY Too Early Wisconsin D1 Top Ten Volleyball Rankings

Let’s check in with high school programs. Why not? We’ll start taking a look at the 2020 high school season starting with Division 1. This is super early, there is still volleyball left to be played this club season (I’m optimistic!) combined with summer camps and workouts. However, the time athletes are putting in right now to better themselves physically could ultimately payoff when they transition back into playing multiple days a week, including 2-3 day tournaments. Here is a look at the Wisconsin “Way Too Early” Division 1 rankings which will feature some new teams, new faces, and to be quite honest - different to not see the typical state tournament stars such as [player_tooltip player_id="56004" first="Kaley" last="Blake"] of Burlington, [player_tooltip player_id="56002" first="Tayler" last="Alden"] of Oconomowoc, [player_tooltip player_id="10329" first="Aubrey" last="Hamilton"] of Arrowhead, and [player_tooltip player_id="33253" first="Emily" last="Banitt"] of River Falls who were extremely familiar with the bright lights and success from the Resch Center. Who will be the next stars? Who will be the new teams who could punch their ticket? <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400">Brookfield Central </li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Pewaukee</li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Kettle Moraine</li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Sussex Hamilton </li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Appleton North </li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Waukesha West</li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Arrowhead</li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Burlington </li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Sun Prairie </li> <li style="font-weight: 400">Oconomowoc, Hartford Union, Germantown</li> </ol> Yes, a target is on the back of Brookfield Central...again. However the extremely talent Sophomore class from this past year of [player_tooltip player_id="22407" first="Mckenna" last="Wucherer"], [player_tooltip player_id="81253" first="Morgan" last="Daugherty"], and [player_tooltip player_id="81283" first="Tatum" last="Kebisek"] will be back with Wucherer being one of the top Class of 2022 players in the country. [caption id="attachment_87271" align="aligncenter" width="530"] Kettle Moraine at the 2019 State Tournament.[/caption] As for Pewaukee, Kettle Moraine, and Sussex Hamilton take your pick. Pewaukee is bringing back a team who is full of experience with outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="33732" first="Jordan" last="Berglin"], middle blocker Elsa Sheperd and add in two really high quality setters in [player_tooltip player_id="80765" first="Hailey" last="Boelter-Eberhardt"] and [player_tooltip player_id="35805" first="Katie" last="Gund"] and they are a complete team. Kettle Moraine is returning a lot of firepower with soon to be Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="82283" first="Grace" last="Grocholski"] who absolutely took the state by storm along with pin [player_tooltip player_id="56502" first="Robi" last="Binagi"]. They will also return a top freshman libero who was on the D1 All Tournament Team in [player_tooltip player_id="82910" first="Kyleigh" last="Coghlan"]. [player_tooltip player_id="57272" first="Rebecca" last="Siedenburg"] will most likely step in and run the show full time. Sussex Hamilton plays a rigorous schedule and has a group of athletes entering their Senior year who have been full time on Varsity since their Sophomore year in [player_tooltip player_id="80730" first="Kayla" last="Lewinski"], [player_tooltip player_id="56448" first="Janelle" last="Stuempfig"], [player_tooltip player_id="33734" first="Lakyn" last="Graves"], and [player_tooltip player_id="12996" first="Katelyn" last="Lefler"]. A program like this always has athletes in the waiting to step in for open spots. [caption id="attachment_87272" align="aligncenter" width="497"] [player_tooltip player_id="80764" first="Grace" last="Demetrician"][/caption] Appleton North got their taste of the state tournament with a heavy dose of underclassmen and will provide a lineup of front line six footers, including 1st Team All State outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="57241" first="Brianna" last="Cantrell"] who is going to be one of the top point scorers in the state with her ability to score out of the backrow as well. They also have a deep backcourt with the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="81261" first="Madisen" last="Miller"] and [player_tooltip player_id="80764" first="Grace" last="Demetrician"]. Demetrician will most likely be welcoming her sister, Ella Demestrician to the team who is a Class of 2024 6’0 outside hitter who is a force on the FC Elite 15 Navy team as a six rotation high flying outside who can put the ball away with a real high IQ. [caption id="attachment_87273" align="aligncenter" width="468"] [player_tooltip player_id="80716" first="Anna" last="Holland"] of Waukesha West[/caption] Arrowhead and Waukesha West. Oh how these teams just love to see each other across the net (I saw that with a hint of sarcasm). These teams are always playing big matches and are usually playing with or against each other all year long through club ball as well. Arrowhead loses the top player in the state with [player_tooltip player_id="10329" first="Aubrey" last="Hamilton"] going to Notre Dame, but they still return setter [player_tooltip player_id="80742" first="Jade" last="Stefan"] along with their two middles in [player_tooltip player_id="56468" first="Lindsay" last="Krznarich"] and Monica LaFluer. I am really excited to see what outside hitter Madi Tolzman has in store as being the top option on the pin. West made it to the state tournament in 2018 and still has players back from that team with a talented senior class led by [player_tooltip player_id="80716" first="Anna" last="Holland"] (Seton Hall), [player_tooltip player_id="80712" first="Alexis" last="Boling"] (North Dakota State), and one of the best ball control outsides in the state in [player_tooltip player_id="56452" first="Abby" last="Fregien"]. [caption id="attachment_87274" align="aligncenter" width="429"] Burlington at state 2019[/caption] Burlington is always going to be there. Coach Teri Little always has her team prepared, they have a standard and expectation that is clear for those athletes to rise to and a culture and tradition where those athletes are “Once a Demon, Always a Demon”. They lost two outstanding Seniors in [player_tooltip player_id="56004" first="Kaley" last="Blake"] and [player_tooltip player_id="80159" first="Emily" last="Alan"], but will return a handful of ball control with Sam Naber (Marquette), [player_tooltip player_id="80737" first="Mackenzie" last="Leach"], and [player_tooltip player_id="80741" first="Amanda" last="Viel"]. [player_tooltip player_id="57261" first="Morgan" last="Klein"] will be back for her Junior season and will be relied heavily on the pin. [caption id="attachment_87275" align="aligncenter" width="422"] Sun Prairie at state 2019[/caption] The [player_tooltip player_id="56005" first="KJ" last="McNabb"] high flying snap on her swing as well as her high flying celebrations is going to be missed by everyone. Her energy is just electric on the court and will be so welcomed at Loyola-Chicago. However, the incoming Senior class still has A LOT of talent and experience in Minnesota-Duluth commit [player_tooltip player_id="80717" first="Payton" last="Addink"], setter [player_tooltip player_id="80718" first="Josie" last="Halbleib"], and middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id="80740" first="Maggie" last="Allaman"]. They had some tough losses throughout the season, but came on strong in the latter part of the season to get back to the state tournament. [caption id="attachment_87276" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Hartford Union at Charge Challenge in 2019.[/caption] The tenth spot. This was a tough one. Here is my case for a few different teams. Oconomowoc - They lost a lot, including their D1 backcourt and setter [player_tooltip player_id="56002" first="Tayler" last="Alden"], but the cupboard is far from bare with [player_tooltip player_id="81252" first="Maleah" last="Howe"], [player_tooltip player_id="57245" first="Haley" last="Koch"], Lizzy Danelski, [player_tooltip player_id="61806" first="Cordelia" last="Kearns"], and [player_tooltip player_id="80739" first="Kaitlyn" last="Bingham"]. Replacing someone like [player_tooltip player_id="56002" first="Tayler" last="Alden"] is not done by one person with Alden’s ability to take over a match with all facets of her game. Hartford Union - This group has been building and the culture of this program is rock solid. [player_tooltip player_id="33755" first="Martina" last="McGrath"], a Viterbo commit is a force on the frontline from the middle and then high flying outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="57247" first="Riley" last="Hamilton"] with 350 kills in 2019. Germantown - Germantown lost a lot of talent from their Senior class, but they will have two big pins that can make a major difference always providing an outlet. [player_tooltip player_id="80721" first="Tatum" last="Catalano"] a UW-Milwaukee commit will be a Senior outside who has been a constant for the Warhawks, but keep tabs on soon to be rising soon to be Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="61819" first="Lily" last="Wagner"] who brings a ton of firepower and point-scoring ability. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Player profile pop-ups are now live on <a href="https://t.co/impGDLLMCE">https://t.co/impGDLLMCE</a>! When subscribers hover over a ranked player on desktop, they can quickly see her basic information, as well as her ranking at the state level. Check them out at in this video! ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/WtxmDYgQZN">pic.x.com/WtxmDYgQZN</a> — Prep Dig (@PrepDig) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDig/status/1243239133256060930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2020</a></blockquote>