Top Performers at the WIAA State Championships: Liberos

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wow, was there some incredible defense at state this year. Liberos were fearless and putting themselves in front of powerhouse swings and throwing themselves across the court. The speed, vision, and passion of these liberos were obvious. Here are some top performers from liberos at state!</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="81331" first="Hadley" last="Strohkirch"] - 2022 -Oconomowoc</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hadley was a key player in Ocon’s state championship run. She was unfazed by even the toughest swings or scrappiest plays. Hadley provided consistency in serve receive and out of the back row. She is disciplined and has great form as well as great communication. Her ability to read hitters and react quickly and accurately to balls coming over the net was impressive. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="91895" first="Molly" last="Berezowitz"] - 2023 - Burlington</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Molly is so fast in the back row. She is scrappy and gritty and will do just about anything to keep a play alive. Molly played lights-out defense on every play and was relentless out of the back row. She caused a lot of frustration for Kettle Moraine’s offense in their quarterfinal match-up. Molly has insane potential and showed it at the state tournament this year. </span></p> <p>https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1456413888593940486</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="92023" first="Abi" last="Banitt"] - 2023 - River Falls </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abi is the definition of fearless and gritty. Even when the block was late on hitters like [player_tooltip player_id="22407" first="Mckenna" last="Wucherer"] and [player_tooltip player_id="81253" first="Morgan" last="Daugherty"] from Brookfield Central, she did not even hesitate for a moment. I was very impressed with Abi’s performance in the state quarterfinals against BC. She was scrappy, fast, and impactful on the court. At several points during the match, I simply mouthed “WOW” at her defense. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="81261" first="Madisen" last="Miller"] - 2022 - Appleton North </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another athlete that made me go “WOW” at several points throughout the weekend. Madisen completely shut down several opposing hitters and gave them very few opportunities to earn kills against her team. She is one of the best in the state at reading and reacting to hitters. Her serve receive was also insanely consistent. </span></p> <p>https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1456785204341874694</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="118261" first="Ellie" last="Kline"] - 2022 - Holmen </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similar to Abi, Ellie was fearless when faced with some of the biggest and most powerful hitters in the state. She is quick and predicts the ball well. Ellie is great at making tough digs look easy and was a huge asset to this team from start to finish. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="81255" first="Adriana" last="Studer"] - 2022 - Lake Country Lutheran - Committed to Villanova </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adriana was a rock for this fairly young team. When things got a bit chaotic or nerves were present, Adriana was calm and a great leader. She never wavered in the back row and was stellar on serve receive, defense, and in coverage. Adriana has been a key player on this team since her freshman year and showed her experience and leadership on the court at state!</span></p> <p>https://x.com/BreitNelson/status/1457041955578392580</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ashley Hutter - 2025 - Pewaukee </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ashley played with maturity beyond her years and really played solid against a very tough McFarland team. She was great in scramble plays and once nearly ran right into the stands to bring a ball back. Ashley is quick on her feet and consistent on defense. She had a large impact as a freshman and will continue to do so for this strong Pirates program. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep an eye on these liberos too: </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="82910" first="Kyleigh" last="Coghlan"] - 2023 - Kettle Moraine</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brooke Vande Hei - 2024 - Luxemburg-Casco </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Holly Casucci - 2022 - McFarland</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="122508" first="Elle" last="Kennedy"] - 2024 - Howards Grove</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lauren Deetz - 2022 - McDonell Central Catholic</span></p> <p>https://x.com/BreitNelson/status/1456628955432341507</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>