Former Illinois Preps Represent 35 Teams in NCAA Field
If any team is playing volleyball in December, its a great sign. With the D3 national title wrapped up with UW-Eau Claire taking the crown there is still plenty of hardware left to capture for D2 and D1 squads who will be starting their national tournaments this week. I took a deep dive into all the rosters of the teams who will be playing. The Midwest is heavily represented. There are matches everywhere that even if you don’t know the teams, you might know one of the players.
When I have spoken at various events and I say this often that when athletes are competing in the Midwest, it truly is some of the best high school and club volleyball in the country. College coaches love recruiting Midwest athletes obviously for their skill, but there is also the package of being a strong student and that true Midwest work ethic that any team would welcome into their gym.
As for Illinois? 35 teams out of the 64 will have a former prep player from the state of Illinois. From Anna Jaworoski (Mother McAuley) and Emily Wilson (Joliet Catholic) playing in San Diego to Colgate and Brown in the Northeast. For some of these athletes, the world is right at their fingertips. There are also the instate teams bringing plenty of homegrown talent in UIC, Illinois State, and Illinois.
Did I miss someone? Email chris@prepdig.com
Share and give a shout out to your a player you know or a team you are rooting for. If you’re from Illinois, you have 35 teams you can connect to!
Happy Tournament Time!
Minnesota
Taylor Landfair – Plainfield Central
Louisville
Jamie Vasilou – Normal Community
UIC
Taylor O’Malley – Neuqua Valley
Kayanna Jones – Normal West
Jaclyn Oblena – Carl Sandburg
Grace Zambrano – Wheeling
Zahria Woodard – Oak Park River Forest
Becca Oldendorf – Lockport Township
Jackie Yau – Loyola Academy
Morgan Kull – St. Charles East
Ball State
Allison Hamaker – Glenbard East
Natalie Mitchem – Bolingbrook
Michigan
Mira Chopra – Champaign Central
Maddi Cuchran – Downers Grove North
Miami
Ashley Carr – Glenbrook South
South Alabama
Anna Loberg – Geneva
Eirini Glynou – Amos Alonzo Stagg
Lillie Simmons – Marengo
Madisen Werdel – Maine South
Florida A&M
Jessa Long – Dixon, IL
Dominique Washinton – Chicago
Howard
Amari Patterson – Waukegan
Kendall Smith – Glenbrook South
Tennessee
Raquel Perinar – Minooka
Gabrielle Morris – Barrington
Western Kentucky
Ashley Hood – Morris
South Carolina
Mikayla Robinson – Harvest Christian Academy
Georgia Tech
Mikaila Dowd – Metea Valley
Pittsburgh
Cat Flood – New Trier
UMBC
Emily Fleckenstein – York
Penn State
Rachel Muisenga – Benet Academy
Kansas
Sara Nielsen – Benet Academy
Creighton
Ally Van Eekeren – Benet Academy
BYU
Zayna Meyer – Wheaton Warrenville South
Dayton
Alli Papesh – Minooka
Illinois State
Jessica D’Ambrose – Addison Trail
Sarah Jacobsen – Orion
Courtney Heffren – Eureka
Maggi Weller – Geneseo
Sarah Kushner – Naperville North
Purdue
Grace Cleveland – Normal Community
Northern Colorado
Laura Katarzynski – West Chicago
Iowa State
Taylor Baranski – Minooka
Central Florida
Amber Olson – Cary-Grove
Heidi Bonde – Minooka
Florida Gulf Coast
Bree Borum – Sterling
Colgate
Anne Martinson – Loyola Academy
Southeast Missouri State
Ally Dion – Huntley
Laney Malloy – St. Francis
Kayla Closset – Naperville Central
Illinois
Kennedy Collins – Zion-Benton
Rylee Hinton – Champaign Centra
Caroline Barnes – Benet Academy
Sophie Gregus – Benet Academy
Kansas State
Holly Bonde – Minooka
Campbell
Emily Campe – Palatine
Amanda Patterson – Glenbard West
Nebraska
Kayla Caffey – Mother McAuley
Lexi Rodriguez – Sterling
Brown
Kate Danaher – St. Ignatius
Beau Vanderlaan – Fenwick
San Diego
Anna Jaworoski – Mother McAuley
Emily Wilson – Joliet Catholic
Rice
Jaime Samojedny – Metea Valley
Elizabeth Labue – Wheaton North
Wisconsin
Grace Loberg – Geneva
Lauren Barnes – Benet
Joslyn Boyer – Montini Catholic
Dana Rettke – Riverside-Brookfield