PDWI: Summer HS Team Rankings, Sectional Predictions

Open gyms have started, camp dates are set, and summer leagues are approaching - let’s talk high school volleyball. In 2021, Wisconsin was back to a “normal” year of volleyball with gyms full and the bright lights of the Resch Center closing the final weekend, crowning the champions. We’re going to take a look at Division 1 today with who is returning, who will be contenders, and who could be a surprise to make a “Run for the Resch”. Taking a look at these rankings, this doesn’t factor in any potential transfers or incoming Freshmen who could have a major impact at the varsity level. We’ll let the summer events happen before that is factored in. Here are a few thoughts on these Summer Rankings for Division 1. Oconomowoc is going to have a target on their back after taking home the title in 2021 and returning some extremely key players in [player_tooltip player_id="122568" first="Lilly" last="Wagner"], [player_tooltip player_id="122475" first="Anna" last="Bjork"], and [player_tooltip player_id="91876" first="Cordelia" last="Kearns"]. Wagner and Bjork are the top two prospects in the Wisconsin Class of 2024 and will be heavily recruited starting June 15 when Division 1 college coaches can talk to incoming Juniors. Section 5 is once again a gauntlet of top teams where in the summer rankings there is DSHA, Sussex Hamilton, Germantown, and Arrowhead. To make it to the sectional tournament in this area is tough enough, there is also Menomonee Falls who will be a contender right there with these teams. DSHA will return the top incoming Sophomore in [player_tooltip player_id="178033" first="Madison" last="Quest"], but the Dashers have a ton of depth. They have a really talented Class of 2025 who can play multiple positions as well as returners at other key positions. The Fox Valley will be a sneaky tough region this upcoming season. Appleton North graduated a really talented Senior class from their state runner up finish and will also lose top 2023 athlete, [player_tooltip player_id="119394" first="Kennedy" last="Martin"], a Florida commit, who will be moving to South Carolina. However, the Lightning had a really deep bench in 2021 and those athletes will be ready to step up including Lehigh commit [player_tooltip player_id="119395" first="Olivia" last="Lasee"] and watch out for a Senior to have a breakout year in [player_tooltip player_id="119431" first="Finley" last="Charapata"]. Kimberly once again will be in the hunt and will be led by two Division 1 commits in [player_tooltip player_id="82921" first="Kaitlin" last="Schulz"] (Green Bay) and [player_tooltip player_id="91880" first="Kyla" last="Dunaway"] (Alabama). Watchout for the likes of Hortonville and Kaukauna who will have extremely athletic and scrappy teams. [player_tooltip player_id="91878" first="Paige" last="Miller"] of Kaukauna will head to Ohio State as a libero and [player_tooltip player_id="91936" first="Molly" last="Rohde"] of Hortonville will head to New Jersey to play D1 volleyball at Rider University. Western Wisconsin will be a battle. Right now it’s a bit of a two horse race between Chippewa Falls and River Falls. River Falls returns 1st Team All State setter [player_tooltip player_id="92019" first="Morgan" last="Kealy"] and a strong Senior class as well as six trips in a row to the state tournament. Chippewa Falls returns practically everyone from a 37-3 squad in 2021. All three of their losses coming to River Falls, including a five set thriller in the sectional final. The Madison area will have two clear favorites to start the year with Middleton and Waunakee. Middleton defeated Waunakee in the sectional semifinals and then lost a five set heartbreaker to Holmen for a state berth. Both of these squads have a lot of senior firepower that will be fun to see compete over the course of the season. 1. Oconomowoc 39-4-1 (State Champion) Section 4 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="122475" first="Anna" last="Bjork"] 3.0 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91876" first="Cordelia" last="Kearns"] 2.2 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="122568" first="Lilly" last="Wagner"] 10.5 Ast/S <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> [player_tooltip player_id="91876" first="Cordelia" last="Kearns"] with the big swing and kill for Oconomowoc Ocon 25-19, set one <a href="https://t.co/Jf3RlDvXB4">pic.x.com/Jf3RlDvXB4</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1457161173544144897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 2. DSHA 35-9 (Sectional Final) Section 5 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="178033" first="Madison" last="Quest"] 3.3 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="122569" first="Sophia" last="Wendlick"] 1.5 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91901" first="Bella" last="Lipski"] 89 TB 3. Burlington 38-5 (State Quarterfinals) Section 7 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="119434" first="Abby" last="Alan"] 2.3 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91895" first="Molly" last="Berezowitz"] 3.0 digs/s, [player_tooltip player_id="122555" first="Ella" last="Safar"] 712 assists 4. Kettle Moraine 32-7-1 (State Semifinals) Section 6 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="91875" first="Grace" last="Grocholski"] 4.5 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="82954" first="Myla" last="Glaser"] 1.8 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="82910" first="Kyleigh" last="Coghlan"] 4.8 d/s   5. Sussex Hamilton 30-13 (Sectional Semifinal) Section 5 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="82916" first="Sylvie" last="Zgonc"] 4.3, [player_tooltip player_id="82949" first="Mya" last="Trafficante"] 1.3 k/s, Alex Kreutzmann 214 assists   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Previewing the D1 semifinals at the <a href="https://x.com/wiaawistate?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wiaawistate</a> - first serve at 7:30 tonight @oconomowocvoll1 vs Kettle Moraine <a href="https://x.com/BCGVBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCGVBall</a> vs <a href="https://x.com/anorth_vb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anorth_vb</a> <a href="https://t.co/lYUV5etQJh">pic.x.com/lYUV5etQJh</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1456641466009272321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 6. Appleton North 41-7-1 (State Runner-Up) Section 2 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="122483" first="Ella" last="Demetrician"] 2.6 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91877" first="Karissa" last="Fortune"] .289 PCT, [player_tooltip player_id="122566" first="Emerson" last="Van Lannen"] 718 assists 7. Middleton 37-5 (Sectional Final) Section 3 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="91883" first="Jordan" last="LaScala"] 5.5 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="149575" first="Sierra" last="Pertzborn"] 3.5 k/s, Evin Jordee 936 assists [caption id="attachment_200800" align="alignright" width="393"]<img class="wp-image-200800" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/06/DSC00117.jpg" alt="" width="393" height="262" /> Kimberly in sectional final vs. Appleton North[/caption] 8. Kimberly 30-11 (Sectional Final) Section 2 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="82921" first="Kaitlin" last="Schulz"] 3.1 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91880" first="Kyla" last="Dunaway"] 2.8 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91855" first="Macy" last="Herman"] 889 assists   9. Chippewa Falls 37-3 (Sectional Final) Section 1 [player_tooltip player_id="149694" first="Samantha" last="Perlberg"] 3.4 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="148971" first="Sophie" last="Robinson"] 3.1 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="179085" first="Paige" last="Steinmetz"] 2.7 k/s   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> River Falls is 🔥🔥🔥 Brynn Johnson and Dani Lien swinging big on the pin. [player_tooltip player_id="92019" first="Morgan" last="Kealy"] really dishing. Wucherer not a ton of swings…yet RF 15 BC 8 <a href="https://t.co/CQrROsMOVe">pic.x.com/CQrROsMOVe</a> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1456324249120018448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 10. River Falls 31-4 (State Quarterfinals) Section 1 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="92019" first="Morgan" last="Kealy"] 8.7 ast/s, Taylor Peterson 1.7 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="92023" first="Abi" last="Banitt"] 4.1 dig/s   11. Germantown 29-7 (Sectional Semifinal) Section 5 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="61819" first="Lily" last="Wagner"] 5.1 k/s, Ellie Feltz 37 TB, [player_tooltip player_id="184796" first="Sadie" last="Olson"] 3.9 d/s   [caption id="attachment_200801" align="alignright" width="407"]<img class="wp-image-200801" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/06/DSC09473.jpg" alt="" width="407" height="271" /> Mukwonago[/caption] 12. Mukwonago 25-14-2 (Sectional Semifinal) Section 6 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="178034" first="Gabriella" last="Pitcel"] 2.2 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="178031" first="Natalie" last="Powers"] 1.9 D/S, Abby Winkelman 486 Asts)   13. Waunakee 34-15 (Sectional Semifinal) Section 3 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="178620" first="Summer" last="Grigg"] 2.4 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91910" first="Ally" last="Saleh"] 2.2 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="184799" first="Ella" last="Grace Meyer"] 320 assists)   14. Arrowhead 18-20 (Regional Final) Section 5 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="122573" first="Gabby" last="Wold"] 1.9 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="122574" first="Olivia" last="Wyma"] 1.3 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91868" first="Katherine" last="Thompson"] 2.2 digs/s 15. Hortonville 24-14 (Sectional Semifinal) Section 2 Top Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="149604" first="Bridget" last="Moen"] 2.9 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="91936" first="Molly" last="Rohde"] 2.3 k/s, [player_tooltip player_id="178222" first="Molly" last="Fischer"] 3.9 d/s Sectional Winners (Predicted as of June 9, 2022) Section 1: Chippewa Falls Section 2: Appleton North Section 3: Middleton Section 4: Oconomowoc Section 5: DSHA Section 6: Kettle Moraine Section 7: Burlington Section 8: Wauwatosa East