Seven 2023s Who Excelled at the Prep Dig Champions Cup
Club season is in full swing and all eyes have been turning to the class of 2023 to find the next senior leaders for the 2022 high school season. These juniors have worked for years to refine their skills and learn from leaders before them. We saw some really great athletes this weekend competing at the Champions Cup and it’s clear these juniors are ready to lead.
Elayna Christensen
Elayna
Christensen
5'10" | DS/L
Freedom | 2023
State
WI
– 2023 – 5’10 – Outside Hitter/Libero – Freedom – FVP 18 Blue
Christiensen moves really well and is a consistent and powerful six-rotation outside for FVP. Her ability to pass and defend extremely well don’t surprise me with her experience playing libero, but I was impressed with how she was not fazed by a big blocker in front of her. Christiensen sees the court extremely well and is a very smart player.
Grace Stapel Grace Stapel 5'10" | MB Sheboygan South | 2023 State WI – 2023 – 5’10 – Middle Blocker – Sheboygan South – South Shore Slam 17 Navy
Stapel has a lot of length and leads by action on the court. Her high contact point and the energy she gave her team was infectious. Her ability to terminate helped her stand out at Prep Dig Champions Cup.
@GraceStapel seals the deal for South Shore Slam 17 Navy at the #PDChampionsCup@PrepDigWI @PrepDig pic.x.com/BLuIXkKfkA
— Breit Nelson (@BreitNelson) February 20, 2022
Kayla DeBruin Kayla DeBruin 5'4" | DS/L West De Pere | 2023 State WI – 2023 – 5’4 – Libero – West De Pere – FC Elite 17 White
DeBruin is super speedy, and I really like her strong platform in serve-receive. It’s fun to watch how quickly she gets to the ball. DeBruin seems to get there before anyone else can even say anything, and she is consistently scrappy in the back row. She gets touches on nearly every ball that enters the back court and reads opposing hitters extremely well. DeBruin’s reactions and ability to keep the ball in play is exciting to watch take place.
Kya Gahiji
Kya
Gahiji
5'8" | OH
Sheboygan North | 2023
State
WI
– 2023 – 5’8 – Outside Hitter – Sheboygan North –
Milwaukee Sting
18 Silver
Gahiji can really elevate and makes solid contact with the ball. She takes a really fast swing to go cross- body down the line, and the angles at which she can hit the ball are really impressive. Gahiji was a real leader at the Champions Cup and showed just how vibrant an athlete she really is. She is a must-see attacker.
Kya Gahiji
— Breit Nelson (@BreitNelson) February 20, 2022
Maddison Berger
Maddison
Berger
5'11" | OH
Waukesha South | 2023
State
WI
– 2023 – 5’11 – Outside Hitter – Waukesha South –
Milwaukee Sting
18 Silver
Berger is an active player and comes through with some big heads-up plays. She works over the block with a heavy swing. Berger creates a lot of anxiety for opposing defenders when she uses the edges of the block to force the ball out of bounds into an undefendable area. She is a 6-rotation player who is fun to watch play because of how she connects with her teammates.
Mia Querciagrossa – 2023 – Pin Hitter – Metamora (IL) – ESVBC Elite 17U Valkyrie
Querciagrossa is super scrappy and even dug a ball with her elbow almost directly under the net. She is an extraordinary player with a high volleyball IQ, strength to really elevate, and takes a fast swing. Querciagrossa leads by example and works hard on every play.
Sophia Schneider
Sophia
Schneider
5'10" | S
Waterloo | 2023
State
WI
– 2023 – 5’10 – Setter/Pin Hitter – Waterloo –
FC Elite
17 White
Schneider plays much more mature than her age due to all the deep post-season experience she’s had at Waterloo. She is a strong athlete and a force on the court. Whether she is setting, hitting, serving, or on defense, she is hard to stop. She sets up a really strong block at the net, and when she sets, she moves the ball around really well. Schneider has natural leadership abilities that make her standout whenever she steps on the court.
