Pre-Season Team Rankings For Wisconsin Alternate Fall Season

Here is a very general guide as to who will be the top teams competing in the alternate fall season for Wisconsin starting Monday, February 22 - Saturday, April 17. There is a lot of TBD (To be determined), but for these teams who spent their fall playing in whatever gym they could find, the Prep Dig Fall Events, or just hoping they would someday get to wear their school jersey - we have come a long ways. Here are some teams to watch as we head into the start of volleyball season, just in a different time of year.

[player_tooltip player_id="80719" first="Brooke" last="Bolwerk"]

1. Appleton North

The Lightning blazed through all fall competition, competing as “The Thunder” where their only losses came from one of the top teams in the nation the past couple years out of Sterling, IL. Brooke Bolwerk Brooke Bolwerk 5'6" | S Appleton North | 2021 State WI was the Prep Dig Fall League Player of the Year ans has plenty of talented attackers as well as depth in the backrow with fellow Senior, Grace Demetrician Grace Demetrician 5'7" | DS/L Appleton North | 2021 State WI and Junior libero Madisen Miller Madisen Miller 5'8" | DS/L Appleton North | 2022 State WI

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2. McFarland

This squad is coming off a 2019 state runner up finish that is filled with plenty of athletes who have found multisport success. McFarland is coming off a sectional runner up finish in basketball and many of those athletes will be on the volleyball court. Junior setter Maddy Fortune Maddy Fortune 5'8" | S McFarland | 2022 State WI will be running the show and will have plenty of attackers that include Nina Crull, Gwen Crull Gwen Crull 6'2" | MB McFarland | 2023 State WI , Avery Pennekamp Avery Pennekamp 5'11" | OH McFarland | 2022 State WI , Hannah Rounds Hannah Rounds RS McFarland | 2022 State WI , and Katie Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt will play basketball at North Dakota State.

3. Kimberly

For the past 27 years (not really) the sectional final has come down to Kimbelry and Appleton North. These two teams have found themselves battling it out for a spot in the Resch Center. Kimberly will replace a talent Senior class, but will return outside hitter Ella Buddenhagen Ella Buddenhagen 5'11" | OH Kimberly | 2022 State WI , libero Brooke Anderson Brooke Anderson 5'2" | DS/L Kimberly | 2021 State WI , and a talented Sophomore Class lead by 6’3 right side Kyla Dunaway Kyla Dunaway 6'4" | RS Kimberly | 2023 State WI .

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4. Sun Prairie

Sun Prairie has been to the state tournament the past two seasons, but will be looking for a setter to replace Josie Halbleib Josie Halbleib 6'1" | S Sun Prairie | 2021 State WI , a Kansas State commit who played her fall season at Howards Grove, winning a state title. Seniors Maggie Allaman Maggie Allaman 5'10" | MB Sun Prairie | 2021 State WI (St. Thomas) and Payton Addink Payton Addink 6'0" | OH Sun Prairie | 2021 State WI (Minnesota-Duluth) will look to lead the way.

5. Verona

Verona has plenty of size and athleticism with players who can play multiple positions. The Wildcats will have Anna Bohrer Anna Bohrer 6'0" | DS/L Verona | 2021 State WI (Concordia-Wisconsin) who can play the right side and set as well as Delaney McIntosh Delaney McIntosh 5'10" | DS/L Verona | 2022 State WI and Claudia Bobb Claudia Bobb 5'10" | OH Verona | 2022 State WI who are extremely solid all the way around. They will also have an up and coming setter in Sydney Schultz Sydney Schultz 5'7" | S Verona | 2023 State WI who will be a fun combination to work in with these attackers.

6. Manitowoc Lincoln

The Ships are always well trained, well coached, and well prepared no matter what season they are playing volleyball. This squad will be led by their two pins in Senior, Lauren Borchardt Lauren Borchardt 5'8" | OH Manitowoc Lincoln | 2021 State WI (St. Norbert) and Junior, Mary Satori Mary Satori 5'11" | OH Manitowoc Lincoln | 2022 State WI (Minnesota-Duluth) who are dangerous no matter where they are at on the court.

7. Notre Dame Academy

The Tritons are always in the mix when it comes to the FRCC race and have a Senior dominated lineup with some really athletic underclassmen as well. The Junior duo of Cadence Maxwell setting and Olivia Sullivan on the pin will be key to their success this season.

New on the radar 🔥
Calli Haus Calli Haus 5'8" | OH Fond du Lac | 2022 State WI of Fondy Class of 2022 pin. She talks, calls the ball, super active, jumpy, athletic. Fun player to watch! pic.x.com/XS16LU3bqq
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) September 29, 2020

8. Fond du Lac

This team will be extremely athletic and led by another Junior duo in Calli Haus Calli Haus 5'8" | OH Fond du Lac | 2022 State WI and Gianna Trotter Gianna Trotter 5'11" | OH Fond du Lac | 2022 State WI . The two outside hitters are thunder and lightning where Trotter brings the big booming arm and Haus is one who is solid in any rotation and can use a variety of shots to score points.

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9. Sheboygan North

North will have plenty of size and power in the frontline, led by Lizzie Binder Lizzie Binder 6'2" | OH Sheboygan North | 2021 State WI (Cal State Bakersfield) where she will hit from the outside and even set if her team needs her to. She recently is coming off a stellar Senior basketball season where this was her first year playing at the high school level. North will also have a Class of 2024 libero to watch in Elle Kennedy Elle Kennedy 5'5" | DS/L Howards Grove | 2024 State WI .

10. Whitewater

The Whippets will be ones to watch where they have two top athletes in Emme Bullis Emme Bullis 5'10" | MB Whitewater | 2021 State WI (Cal-Poly) and Kindyl Kilar Kindyl Kilar 5'10" | OH Whitewater | 2023 State WI who can do a little bit of everything. Bullis is primarily a setter when playing for Milwaukee Sting, but at the high school level she can swing as well. The versatility of this team will be key to their success.

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11. Middleton

Middleton has a young squad, but they have plenty of talent, especially in their Sophomore class with Evinae Jordee Evinae Jordee 5'9" | S Middleton | 2023 State WI who can set and swing on the right side, a left handed threat for sure and Jordan LaScala Jordan LaScala 6'0" | OH Middleton | 2023 State WI who is a scoring presence as an outside hitter in the front and backrow.

12. St. Marys Springs

The Ledgers out of Fond du Lac showed this fall they could compete with some of the bigger schools in the area. A scrappy group with plenty of athleticism, they are led by Izzy Coon who is mostly a setter, but can step in and swing as well.

13. Neenah

Lot of talented athletes on this team starting with Kiersten Kraus Kiersten Kraus 5'10" | S Neenah | 2021 State WI , a Senior who is committed to Kent State. Kraus can set or she can attack, a strong, athletic presence everywhere on the court.

Yenter to @gbphoenixvb commit Natalie Johanknecht Natalie Johanknecht 6'0" | MB Oshkosh West | 2021 State WI - she just jumps like a 🦌 pic.x.com/evP0N36Dkt
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) September 22, 2020

14. Oshkosh West

Lot of talented Seniors in this group that has the makings for a successful season. Their success starts with their middle blockers in Green Bay commit, Natalie Johanknecht Natalie Johanknecht 6'0" | MB Oshkosh West | 2021 State WI and Randi Welhoefer who is committed to D2, Western Colorado.

Appleton East led by Senior setter Kellyn Kennedy Kellyn Kennedy 5'9" | S Appleton East | 2021 State WI is one of the most improved teams from the beginning of the teams. The whole squad extremely athletic. pic.x.com/xP3a6UMMev
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) October 19, 2020

15. Appleton East

Little bit of a wildcard here, but this team has a lot of athletes where they are so balanced and efficient, they will be a tough opponent for anyone. Kellyn Kennedy Kellyn Kennedy 5'9" | S Appleton East | 2021 State WI will lead the way, running the show as a setter and will be competing in the extremely deep Fox Valley Association.