Prep Dig Gauntlet Stock Risers

Breit Nelson June 7, 2021 @ 10:18 AM

The Prep Dig Gauntlet was a great chance for players to help raise their stock heading into Nationals. Last year we learned the importance of being able to self-promote without the use of events, as well as how important events were to the recruiting process. I had a number of players saying they finally had time to put together video, but they had no video of them playing. Number one lesson: be proactive! So, I’d like to point out some players that made a statement at the Gauntlet for a rise in their current rankings. Here are some athletes who made a huge impact at the Gauntlet. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/43-Andie-Spies-Capital-16-Adidas-2-crop-4012x2634-1623028982.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-144758" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/43-Andie-Spies-Capital-16-Adidas-2-crop-4012x2634-1623028982-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="122560" first="Andi" last="Spies"] – 2024 – 5’10 – Setter/Right Side Hitter – Fort Atkinson – Capital 16 Adidas Even the best attackers need a good setter to thrive. This 2024 setter leads her hitters to success using her quick tempo sets to create a split between blockers. Spies can find the campfire on the 2nd contact at just the right time, and she does a great job working against the flow. Her backset is money for right side hitter, Aly Saleh, and she has connects with her middles on the 3-1. The connection she has with her hitters is the key to their success. [player_tooltip player_id="90603" first="Emilie" last="Planert"] – 2022 – 6’1 – Middle Blocker – West De Pere – FC Elite 17 Navy This instinctive player from the Class of 2022 brings agility and adaptability to the FC Elite offense. Planert along with [player_tooltip player_id="81269" first="Bella" last="Van Lannen"] put up one of the most daunting blocks at the Gauntlet, as they both exhibited sound technique when sealing the net. With the experienced guidance of this remarkable middle blocker, 2021 looks to be a solid season for West De Pere. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/16-Cassandra-Alsum-Sting-17-White-crop-4801x3152-1623029222.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-144761" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/16-Cassandra-Alsum-Sting-17-White-crop-4801x3152-1623029222-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="81297" first="Cassandra" last="Alsum"] – 2022 – 5’10 – Outside Hitter – Randolph – Milwaukee Sting 17 White I’ve enjoyed seeing Alsum at some of our expos and showcases, and when you look at the Sting roster, it would be easy to attribute their success to the presence of Illinois Wesleyan commit, [player_tooltip player_id="35805" first="Katie" last="Gund"], and libero [player_tooltip player_id="81276" first="Madelyn" last="Weyda"]. However, this Sting team found a lot of success on Day 1 of the Gauntlet because of Alsum. She is a 5’10 six-rotation outside hitter who has variety and strength to compete with some of the top hitters in the 2022 class. Alsum not only cranks the ball off high hands in the front row, but she also has the kind of solid serve-receive skills that coaches desire. She has a ton of firepower and is relentless making her a great defensive specialist/outside hitter option. [player_tooltip player_id="117352" first="Peyton" last="Como"] – 2022 – 5’4 – Libero – Wauwatosa West – RVA G17 Navy Como takes control of the back court so well and she is such a steady eddy that you sometimes don’t even notice her. She isn’t flashy, but she is extremely proficient in her position. Como moves well and often takes a large portion of serve-receive. She is effective and has quick-thinking reactions and the ability to read across the net which puts her ahead of the game. This complete libero plays the 2nd contact well and really raises the level of this RVA squad. <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-144764" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/2-Grace-Holschuh-FC-Elite.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />[player_tooltip player_id="81279" first="Grace" last="Holschuh"] – 2022 – 5’11 – Outside Hitter – Luxemburg-Casco – FC Elite 17 Navy – Committed To Green Bay Holschuh is an natural flyer. The first thing that comes to mind when watching Holschuh is that she is an agile pin hitter in the 2022 class. The way she explodes off the floor is quite the show, and she’s a six-rotation contributor for FC Elite 17 Navy. Firing tricky shots and putting up a big block defensively are just a couple of things that she does well. [player_tooltip player_id="81303" first="Sophie" last="McCormack"] – 2022 – 6’0 – Outside Hitter – Kettle Moraine – Sting Burlington United 17 Orange Burlington had some serious fire power last weekend with some experience from which they could build off. This senior-to-be showed off her versatility when asked to play some middle. She was both an offensive and defensive threat in the middle. Her ability to hit the mid-tempo allowed the Burlington to mix up their offense and give teams a different look at the net. <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-144766" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/36-Lydia-Biggin-Sting-17-White-2-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />[player_tooltip player_id="81301" first="Lydia" last="Biggin"] – 2022 – 5’10 – Right Side Hitter – Burlington – Milwaukee Sting 17 White Sting is hitting a positive groove at the right time going into Nationals in Vegas. Biggin was a top performer at the Gauntlet, with a lot of smart pin hitting to get her team into the Gold bracket. She was just one of many studly performers on that squad, but this 2022 player had one of the most effective right-side attacks in the gym. Biggin’s technique is advantageous to walloping with a heavy left arm swing. In other words, she hits it really hard from anywhere in the front row. She also showed that she knows how to score points without power as she used a soft touch to tip just over the block. Biggin worked hard to make herself accessible in transition and their ability to win the 17/18s is in part due to Biggin’s power over the right pin. Other Notables: [player_tooltip player_id="81312" first="Abby" last="Savatski"] – 2022 – 6’1 – MB – Mukwonago – RVA G17 Navy [player_tooltip player_id="90597" first="Aida" last="Shadewald"] – 2022 – 5’10 – Outside Hitter – Sauk Prairie – Sting Madison United 17 Red - Committed To Wright State [player_tooltip player_id="119399" first="Amelia" last="Albers"] – 2023 – 5’4 – Libero – Stoughton – Capital 16 Adidas [player_tooltip player_id="81269" first="Bella" last="Van Lannen"] - 2022 – 6’0 – Right Side Hitter – Appleton North – FC Elite 17 Navy – Committed To Northern Colorado [player_tooltip player_id="91856" first="Ellie" last="Gustafson"] – 2023 – 5’10 – Outside Hitter – Monticello – Capital 16 Adidas [player_tooltip player_id="118258" first="Hannah" last="Moe"] – 2022 – 5’11 – Outside Hitter – Oconto – FC Elite 17 Navy – Committed to UW-Oshkosh [player_tooltip player_id="81272" first="Josie" last="Johnson"] – 2022 – 5’6 – Setter – Waterford – Sting Burlington United 17 Orange [player_tooltip player_id="81291" first="Kara" last="Schmit"] - 2022 – 5’8 - OH – DSHA – Milwaukee Sting 17 White [player_tooltip player_id="81299" first="Katie" last="Breier"] - 2022 – 6’0 - Mb – Hamilton – Milwaukee Sting 17 White [player_tooltip player_id="81276" first="Madelyn" last="Weyda"] - 2022 – 5’10 – Libero – Germantown – Milwaukee Sting 17 White [player_tooltip player_id="90598" first="Mckenzie" last="Gruner"] – 2022 – 6’1 – Middle Blocker – Baraboo – Sting Madison United 17 Red [player_tooltip player_id="57270" first="Michaela" last="Riege"] - 2022 – 5’7 – Libero – Waterloo – FC Elite 17