Top Performers at the WIAA State Championships: Liberos
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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…
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Continue ReadingWow, 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!
Hadley Strohkirch Hadley Strohkirch 5'8" | DS/L Oconomowoc | 2022 State WI – 2022 -Oconomowoc
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.
Molly Berezowitz Molly Berezowitz DS/L Burlington | 2023 State WI – 2023 – Burlington
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.
Busy fall for the Berezowitz Family. Molly on serve receive for Burlington with younger sister Kati on the team. Older sister Maddie Berezowitz playing at @KentuckyVB pic.twitter.com/WiryUsKxd8
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 5, 2021
Abi Banitt Abi Banitt DS/L River Falls | 2023 State WI – 2023 – River Falls
Abi is the definition of fearless and gritty. Even when the block was late on hitters like Mckenna Wucherer Mckenna Wucherer 6'1" | OH Brookfield Central | 2022 State #1 Nation WI and Morgan Daugherty Morgan Daugherty 6'2" | MB Brookfield Central | 2022 State #200 Nation WI 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.
Madisen Miller Madisen Miller 5'8" | DS/L Appleton North | 2022 State WI – 2022 – Appleton North
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.
Madisen Miller finds the open spot for Appleton North
A North 15
Brookfield Central 10Kettle Moraine 15
Oconomowoc 14 pic.twitter.com/L4rqGznZb7— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 6, 2021
Ellie Kline Ellie Kline 5'4" | DS/L Holmen | 2022 State WI – 2022 – Holmen
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.
Adriana Studer Adriana Studer DS/L Lake Country Lutheran | 2022 State #187 Nation WI – 2022 – Lake Country Lutheran – Committed to Villanova
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!
Such a fun defensive match up in this D3 championship. 3 D1 Libero commits@BadgerVB @DamrowSaige@DaytonVB @karissakaminski@NovaVolleyball @adrianastuder1@HowardsGroveSD closes out set 3 25-17. pic.twitter.com/ShssT7xzeW
— Breit Nelson (@BreitNelson) November 6, 2021
Ashley Hutter – 2025 – Pewaukee
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.
Keep an eye on these liberos too:
Kyleigh Coghlan Kyleigh Coghlan 5'6" | DS/L Kettle Moraine | 2023 State WI – 2023 – Kettle Moraine
Brooke Vande Hei – 2024 – Luxemburg-Casco
Holly Casucci – 2022 – McFarland
Elle Kennedy Elle Kennedy 5'5" | DS/L Howards Grove | 2024 State WI – 2024 – Howards Grove
Lauren Deetz – 2022 – McDonell Central Catholic
I live when a hustle defensive play gets the point! Lauryn Deetz for @McDMacksVB
Macks 25
Wolves 21
Macks take set 1 pic.twitter.com/CuAYGgvSnv— Breit Nelson (@BreitNelson) November 5, 2021