Fitz's Notes App: 2023 No Longer Hidden Gems

There are still a lot of 2023 athletes out there who would make an impact at the next level.  Some of these athletes might be narrowing down their options, others could be completely open.  In the past month, I have been able to see athletes at USAV Nationals, USAV/Prep Dig Showcase, Wisconsin Team Camp, and the Prep Dig Sizzle who are high on the radar.  This list might be a little random in regards to the geographic location, but I keep coming back to the names on this list who are still making an impact in the Class of 2023.    [player_tooltip player_id='79697' first='Monica' last='Morales'] - West Liberty (IA) - Iowa Rockets   Libero    I've seen Morales play in some big matches since she was a Freshman in high school.  She is one of those liberos who has a really fun style of play where she can make the routine play, the scramble, and always finds a way to make a positive touch.  She is accustomed to playing at a high level and being on winning teams.  She will be a key leader for her high school squad this upcoming fall in Southeast Iowa where they were the Class 3A Runner Up in 2021.    [player_tooltip player_id='158572' first='Maggie' last='Hartwig'] - Sauk Prairie (WI) - Madtown Juniors   Middle Blocker   Hartwig is a hidden gem who no longer needs to be hidden.  She played at the Prep Dig Sizzle where her Sauk Prairie squad blitzed through the competition.  With a big time wing span and physicality at the net, she has a ton of upside at the next level.  She also plays with a big time smile and seems to have a great love for the game.  She was on the Madtown 17 National squad out of the Madison area this past club season and is picking up a lot of momentum for the next level.    Vivian Campbell - Oswego East (IL) - Sports Performance (Title Photo)   Setter   I was able to see Vivian Campbell at the Prep Dig Showcase prior to USAV Nationals in Indianapolis.  Campbell really stood out with all of the intangibles that coaches look for in a setter.  Coming from Sports Performance, she is well trained and polished with great footwork and hands.  She checks all the boxes when it comes to being extremely fundamentally trained, but she was a playmaker.  She was able to make something out of nothing which was really fun to watch.    <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/11/56-Grace-Rochon.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-166488" width="277" height="185" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rochon</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='149057' first='Grace' last='Rochon'] - Kewaskum (WI) - Milwaukee Sting   Outside Hitter   Rochon and her Kewaskum team was on fire at the Prep Dig Sizzle a couple weeks ago in Appleton, WI where they blazed through their matches, setting themselves up as a team to watch this fall.  Rochon is a pure point scorer where she can get it done anywhere on the court.  She is solid in serve receive and passing, and can also be available to score in the backrow.  Her hand contact is always solid where she is putting a lot of pace on the ball where it is tough for the other side of the net to stay in system.    Alexis Crossen and Kate Goudreau - St. Charles East (IL)    Outside Hitter   Full disclosure, I didn't get the names of the two outside hitters for St. Charles East at the Wisconsin Team Camp, but with some Max Preps research I am narrowing it down to Alexis Crossen and Kate Goudreau.  St. Charles East was extremely athletic and had attackers everywhere who could put a hurt on the ball as they won the second session of the Wisconsin Team Camp. This will be a fun team to watch this upcoming season in a loaded Chicagoland area of high school volleyball.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1542626789331243010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1542626789331243010%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.x.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Fx.com2FPrepDigChris2Fstatus2F1542626789331243010widget%3DTweet </div></figure>   Emily Garten - El Dorado (CA) - ACT Volleyball Club   Outside Hitter   Garten strikes the ball and it sounds different.  The 5'10 outside hitter from California was a major standout at the Prep Dig Showcase prior to nationals. She was scoring a lot of points from the outside and the right side.  Midwest colleges would love this type of player who is fundamentally sound and scores points.  She is the type of player who is going to play aggressively and go for the swing.  She was so fun to watch in a showcase and match play setting, definitely making an impression.    <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Loleaulelei Mamea - Summit (CA) - Rancho Valley </h2>   Absolutely electric.  Mamea is a high flying lefty right side hitter who is a pure point scorer.  She was so fun to watch in the 17 Liberty Division at USAV Nationals playing for Rancho Valley who had a a really athletic squad with a lot of 2023s available from their roster.  Mamea has a really dynamic skill set where can swing, pass, and block on the right side.  She's got a major upside to her game where she would be a great steal for the next level.

There are still a lot of 2023 athletes out there who would make an impact at the next level. Some of these athletes might be narrowing down their options, others could be completely open. In the past month, I have been able to see athletes at USAV Nationals, USAV/Prep Dig Showcase, Wisconsin Team Camp, and the Prep Dig Sizzle who are high on the radar. This list might be a little random in regards to the geographic location, but I keep coming back to the names on this list who are still making an impact in the Class of 2023.