7 Under-the-Radar Athletes who Rocked State

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The state tournament was a whirlwind of amazing volleyball. From start to finish the Resch center was full of electric energy. Teams battled for every point and it was amazing to see. There were a large number of under-the-radar athletes who had a huge impact on their teams at state. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emma Koceja - 2025 - Brookfield Central </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emma typically ran as a pin hitter opposite [player_tooltip player_id="22407" first="Mckenna" last="Wucherer"] in this stacked BC lineup. And she really rocked it. As a freshman at her first state tournament, she could have been intimidated, but she stepped in and looked like a seasoned veteran. While she may not be the go-to hitter on this team (yet) she stepped up in huge moments with her serve, on serve receive, and on offense. She got kills in several must-win point situations and was reliable on the court. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kyanne Wusterbarth - 2025 -  Oconto </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kyanne stepped on the court as a defensive specialist and was fearless. She put herself in front of some pretty gnarly balls and was super scrappy. I was very impressed with her movement on the court and her ability to earn points from the service line. Kyanne will be an athlete to watch as she continues to gain valuable experience. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="91941" first="Mayson" last="Wiza"] - 2023 - Kettle Moraine</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mayson played right-back defense opposite 5-1 setter [player_tooltip player_id="57272" first="Rebecca" last="Siedenburg"]. She nearly always went on a serving run and was incredibly scrappy on defense. Mayson was quick on the court and played gritty defense. She clearly knows the game and reads well defensively. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sydney Flanagan - 2022 - McDonnell</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sydney has earned playing time on varsity since her sophomore year and is a great addition to this team. She has great fundamentals and does all of the little things right like following the ball to the line and communicating well on the court. Sydney plays really clean volleyball and brings a lot of energy to the court. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="92022" first="Taylor" last="Petersen"] - 2023 - River Falls </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taylor was incredibly efficient for this River Falls team. She didn’t get the most opportunities as compared to some of the other hitters on the team, but when she did, she made it worth it. She also got a lot of block touches and blocks. Everything about Taylor is fast -- her arm swing, approach, side to side movement, and the list goes on! Her speed helped her beat out a very solid Brookfield Central block on several occasions. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="119402" first="Jackie" last="Yancy"] - 2023 - Howards Grove</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Howards Grove is a very pin and defensive heavy team. As a middle, Jacqueline adds a lot of value as a blocker. She is also very consistent. She didn’t have any offensive errors throughout the state tournament, something that is incredibly impressive. She really rounds out this team well and definitely makes every touch worth it. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Holly Gilligan - 2025 - Wabeno/Laona</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Holly is a very aggressive and consistent server. Whenever she goes back to serve, she is usually there for at least a few points. She is also very scrappy on defense. She was a fun athlete to watch in the back row. </span></p>