Part 1: Breaking Down Summit League Recruiting Classes

The Upper Midwest has become a recruiting battleground for the Summit League. These athletes are being contacted by schools across the country, but the Summit League has shown they can keep top talent close to home and becoming a league with plenty of horses in the race. For a few years it was everyone chasing Denver. Now, South Dakota has banners in their arena of NCAA tournament appearances, South Dakota State is improving, and there’s a new kid in town in St. Thomas who could play a major part in the Summit League future. Here is a look at the Summit League with North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and St. Thomas. Recruiting Information vis RichKern.com How Did I Come Up With The Analysis? I’ve seen a lot of these athletes play since their 15s year at the high school and club level with covering volleyball across the Midwest. The Summit League does a great job of recruiting locally where they keep the talent close to home. The athletes I had not seen live, I was able to find video footage that was recent of these athletes. I did not consult with any NCAA D1 coaches on this evaluation. *If there is any addition or edits, please email chris@prepdig.com <h3>North Dakota</h3> 2022 Paige Barber - OH - Brecksville-Broadview Heights (OH) - AVC Cleveland Maddie Lipetzky - MB - Shakopee (MN) - Northern Lights Isabelle McCormick - DS/L - Normal Community (IL) - Illini Elite Katy Riviere - S - Wayzata (MN) - MN Select 2023 McKenna Moehrle - MB - Eden Valley Watkins (MN) - Kandi Elite Teagan Timperley - S - Northfield (MN) - Northern Lights Grand Forks is just over four hours from the Twin Cities Metro where North Dakota will look to recruit hard as they will be under the direction of new coach, Jesse Tupac who is coming off a successful stint at New Mexico. He has athletes coming in who are accustomed to big time club volleyball. Barber is coming from Cleveland, playing for AVC, one of the top clubs in Ohio and a really strong 18s team this past season. She will add depth at the pin. Maddie Lipetzky and Katy Riviere are coming from the top two clubs out of the Twin Cities in Northern Lights and MN Select where building a pipeline to these clubs will be crucial. Mckenna Moehrle will be a physical and athletic addition and will join another Kandi Elite alum in Ashlynn Olson who is a current right side for the Fighting Hawks. Timperley will add some length to the lineup as a 6’0 setter who is long, athletic, and is one the other side of the net has to respect when she is in the front row.   <h3>North Dakota State</h3> 2022 [caption id="attachment_103555" align="alignright" width="224"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-103555" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/08/DSC09577-e1596487888709-224x300.jpg" alt="" width="224" height="300" /> Barth[/caption] Aly Barth - MB - Edgewood (WI) - Madtown Juniors Bailey Plourde - OH/RS - Sioux Falls Lincoln (SD) - Kairos Nora Raasch - DS/L - Homestead (WI) - Milwaukee Sting 2023 Ariana Blohm - OH/MB - Stewartville (MN) - Northern Lights The Bison are bringing in a lot of athleticism into Fargo the next two years. These athletes can do a variety of things on the court and can contribute in a variety of ways. Plourde is a six rotation player who can pass to attack, serve receive, and score from the left or right side - uber athletic and well trained which is typical of all athletes coming out of Kairos. NDSU has been able to tap into Wisconsin for two big time athletes in Aly Barth and Nora Raasch. Barth has been a multi sport athlete at Edgewood High School out of Madison. She is a fast twitch middle that is really quick. The name to her game is being able to close the block, get in transition and score in front or behind of the setter or attack off one foot. With her athleticism, she can do a lot of special things. Nora Raasch will be adding defensive depth as a DS/L. Blohm is coming out of Stewartville, MN where her ceiling is scary high and could contribute in a variety of ways. She is a violent attacker where she has a fast arm with a heavy ball that can score a lot of points out of the middle or can do it from the pin. She could be used in a variety of ways because she is extremely dynamic and aggressive.   <h3>South Dakota</h3> 2022 Alexis Moses - MB - Cedar Rapids Prairie (IA) - Iowa Rockets [caption id="attachment_105037" align="alignright" width="404"]<img class="wp-image-105037" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/08/89205718_2881908635236914_2728544357522079744_o-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="404" height="265" /> Madi Woodin - Photo: Contributed Prep Dig[/caption] Avery Beckett - OH - Waverly-Shell Rock (IA) - Six Pack Madi Woodin - S/DS - Elkhorn South (NE) - Nebraska Premier Caity Clancy - DS/L - Douglas County (CO) - Colorado Juniors 2023 Amelia Dugger - MB - Decorah (IA) - CIA Samantha Laird - OH - Omaha Westside (NE) - Nebraska Elite Amanda Loschen - MB - Marian (NE) - Nebraska Elite Avery Van Hook - S - Marion (IA) - Iowa Rockets South Dakota has established quite the pipeline to Omaha as well as Iowa. With assistants with strong roots to the Iowa City area and Iowa Rockets, they have really capitalized on this part of the Midwest. In the next two seasons they will welcome middle blockers Alexis Moses and Amelia Dugger who are extremely dynamic. They are the fast twitch type athletes who can make a presence at the net and can score of one foot. The Omaha area is bringing in athletes who are accustomed to winning and are extremely well trained, playing at a high level for high school and club. Laird and Loschen will bring in a lot of firepower as attackers and Madi Woodin can set and defend with the best of them with an extremely high IQ. Get ready for Avery Van Hook out of Marion, Iowa and has played for the Iowa Rockets. A lefty, offensive setter who is so gritty. She can will her team to win and knows how to execute at a high level.   [caption id="attachment_129685" align="alignright" width="441"]<img class="wp-image-129685" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/DSC06268.jpg" alt="" width="441" height="294" /> Amador[/caption] <h3>South Dakota State</h3> 2022 Simara Amador - DS/L - Eagan (MN) - Northern Lights Masa Scheierman - OH - York (NE) - VCN Alia Schlimgen - DS/L - Sauk Prairie (WI) - Madtown Juniors Katie Van Egdom - OH - Sioux Falls Christian (SD) - Pentagon 2023 Brogan Beck - MB - Sioux Falls O’Gorman (SD) - Kairos Coach Dan Georgalas is building something big in Brookings with a huge improvement in 2021 finishing 19-12 and a spot in the Summit League tournament. With his incoming recruits, there is going to be a major athletic style to this group. They have played high level club and are proven winners throughout their high school and club career. The Jacks will be adding plenty of defensive depth with Simara Amador and Alia Schlimgen Amador is one of the top 2022 liberos in Minnesota playing for Northern Lights and one of the top high school programs in Eagan out of the Twin Cities Metro. Schlimgen has come on strong the past two years and is a really strong athlete who will make the gym better. Masa Schelerman, Katie Van Egdom, and Brogram Breck are physical and very athletic. Van Egdom is a really dynamic outside hitter that puts a hurt on the ball, she will be a big time point scorer. Schelerman is a multi-sport star out of Nebraska where her upside is scary at the college level.   <h3>St. Thomas </h3> 2022 [caption id="attachment_146004" align="alignright" width="410"]<img class="wp-image-146004" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/20-Addison-Schmotzer-Capital-16-Adidas-2-crop-4306x2828-1624048834-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="269" /> Schmotzer[/caption] Emma Goerger - MB - Wayzata (MN) - MN Select Megan Wetter - OH - Monticello (MN) - MN Select Allison Kopp - S - Champlin Park (MN) - MN Select Keya Luta Win Hunt - S - Breck (MN) - MN Select Maria Chapman - DS/L - East Ridge (MN) - Northern Lights Liv Anderson - OH - Ankeny Centennial (IA) - Iowa Power Plex Ava Wild - OH - Davies (ND) - Summit 2023 Addison Schmotzer - MB - Edgewood (WI) - Capital Volleyball Academy Elle Gustafson - OH - Monticello (WI) - Capital Volleyball Academy There is a sleeping giant in the Summit League and it’s name is St. Thomas. Minnesota didn’t have a D1 option other than the University of Minnesota prior to St. Thomas going D1 this past school year (2021-2022). Athletes out of the Twin Cities metro now have another close to home option to play D1 volleyball. This will have an impact on The Summit League as well as the NSIC, the top D2 conference in the country who were able to get those high level players out of Minnesota with an athletic scholarship. St. Thomas is bringing in five athletes out of MN Select and Northern Lights that will include dominant middle blocker, Emma Goerger at 6’4 long and laterally quick where she has a major presence in the front row. The two athletes from Capital Volleyball Academy out of Madison in the Class of 2023 will be strong additions for the Tommies. Addison Schmotzer is a long middle blocker who will work really well as a 1-2 punch with Goerger and Elle Gustafson who is electric from the outside, a pure point scorer who could also be a swing out of the backrow.