Best of the Midwest – Top High School Teams in 2022
The vibe is different when it comes to high school volleyball. The community support, the student sections, and the build up to each big tournament and match is all part of the experience. I have been fortunate enough to cover…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe vibe is different when it comes to high school volleyball. The community support, the student sections, and the build up to each big tournament and match is all part of the experience. I have been fortunate enough to cover volleyball across the country, but I have seen plenty of top high school teams in the upper Midwest. Let’s take a look at the top high school programs in each of these Midwest states.
Illinois
Mother McAuley
Enrollment – 867
Mother McAuley brings plenty of prestige and tradition in all extracurricular activities at their school located in Chicago. They were the state runner up finishers in Illinois’ largest class, losing a tight battle to Metea Valley. The Macs also host one of the top high school tournaments in the country in the Asics Challenge which brings in top Illinois schools as well as Skutt Catholic (Omaha), Assumption (Louisville), Notre Dame Academy (Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area), and other top teams from all over. This fall there will be two Big Ten athletes on their roster in Gigi Navarette (Northwestern) and Ellie White (Michigan). They are two nationally ranked athletes with Navarette out of the Class of 2023 and White, the Class of 2024. Samanth Falk is an incoming junior who provides plenty of backcourt depth alongside Navarette. Other commits in this program include Tess Hayes (Michigan Tech), Olivia Klapp (UIC), and Kate Sheehan (John Carroll).
Indiana
McCutcheon
Enrollment – 1,782
McCutcheon is out of Lafayette, Indiana which is in the backyard of Purdue University which the Boilers definitely made sure to keep the homegrown talent close. Chloe Chicoine has starred on the USA Youth National Teams and for Circle City Volleyball Club out of Indianapolis and has been a proven winner who has led this squad to the top of the ranks in Indiana. She will head to Purdue, along with a recent Purdue commit in setter Allie Shondell from the Class of 2024. They also have a rock solid defense with two other Division One commits in Raegan Burns (Kansas) and Bella Humphrey (Auburn). The Mavs have already started their season with a huge win against Hamilton Southeastern who also has a roster full of Division One talent.
Iowa
Dike-New Hartford
Enrollment – 264 Students
Dike-New Hartford can be called “Titletown”, picking up state volleyball and basketball titles the past two years with many of the same athletes suiting up for both teams. This high school is just like any other small town high school where their athletes are involved in multiple activities across the board. They are in the backyard of the University of Northern Iowa where they have plenty of connections to the school. Payton Petersen is a Prep Dig Top 100 player in the Class of 2024 with her twin sister Jaydn Petersen being another top player in the Iowa Class of 2024. Madelyn Norton is their setter who is committed to Western Illinois and can even swing on the right side. So what makes them the best? The ball never hits the floor and they don’t make errors, they are always in system. I have seen this team play multiple times the past two years and they will take down the schools with big time enrollments. In 2021, they finished with one class which was to Iowa City Liberty who was Iowa’s large class number one ranked team most of the season. They defeated the state champions in Class 3A, 4A, and 5A in Iowa as well as St. James Academy out of the Kansas City area.
Michigan
Marian Catholic (Bloomfield Hills)
Enrollment – 400
Marian Catholic is an all girl high school out of the Detroit area where they had one of the top high school teams in the country in 2021, blazing their way through the season winning a state title going 53-1 overall. With Division 1 athletes at every position, there were few who could keep up with this machine. Despite the graduation of key players, there are still plenty of top players back where they will have an early target on their back in 2022. Ava Sarafa will lead the way as a setter where her favorite target with plenty of experience is Ella Schomer. Sarafa will head to Kentucky after high school where Schomer will play at Wofford. A tournament to have on the radar this season in Michigan is Beast of the East which will take place October 15 in Pontiac, featuring some of the top teams from across the state in all classes.
Minnesota
Wayzata
Enrollment – 3,669
Wayzata was the large division champion out of Minnesota in 2021 and will be returning some big names in the prep volleyball world this fall. They lead with the Swenson Twins, Stella and Olivia. Stella Swenson is one of the top setters in the country from the Class of 2024, she is a top ten prospect from the Prep Dig National Rankings. Olivia Swenson is a top ten prospect out of the Class of 2024 in Minnesota who spent much of 2021-2022 rehabbing a hip injury, but finished strong for her MN Select 17-1 club squad who was one of the tops in the 17s age group in the country. The Trojans have another elite pin in Avery Jesewitz who is long, athletic, and highly effective in all six rotations as an outside hitter. The Swensons have given their verbal to play at Minnesota where their older sister, Samantha Seliger-Sweson was one of the best setters to step into the program. Their first contact will be led by Cal commit Sophia Johnson who is one of the top liberos in Minnesota.
Nebraska
Omaha Westside
Enrollment – 2,025
Before Nebraska high school volleyball fans come after me, I do know there are plenty of programs who could take this spot. Skutt Catholic has won seven titles in a row, Papio South had a monster season in 2021. Elkhorn North is going to be really strong. The list goes on with high schools in Nebraska. We’re going to zero in on Omaha Westside where they are led by two of the top outside hitters in the state with Destiny Ndam-Simpson and Samantha Laird who put up video game like numbers last season. Ndam-Simpson will be going to Creighton and Laird is up the road to South Dakota, two NCAA level programs. Jocelyn Healy is another high level ds/libero who will play a key role this season. Kensington TeKrony is one of the top middles in the Nebraska Class of 2023 and has committed to Dartmouth. Last season, Papio South had an undefeated season, but with the amount of depth this year in Nebraska, we might see a state champion who will have multiple losses before they get to the top of the mountain.
Wisconsin
Oconomowoc
Enrollment – 1,816
Oconomowoc out of suburban Milwaukee will head into the 2022 season as the top team in the state. After multiple runners- up finishes in Wisconsin’s largest division (D1), they claimed the gold ball in 2021 with a 39-5-1 record. They will be returning some big pieces from that team including two top prospects out of the Class of 2024 in Lilly Wagner and Anna Bjork. The two have teamed up for plenty of big stat lines and wins over their career, also playing together for Milwaukee Sting. Bjork gave her verbal this summer to Notre Dame and Wagner will be going to Maryland. Another big time six rotation player for the Raccoons is Cordelia Kearns who can score points from the outside and is one of their primary passers. She will head to Florida Tech, a Division 2 school in Melbourne, Florida. They will be tested early in one of the top tournaments in Wisconsin this upcoming weekend at “The Joust” which is an invitational with the top teams in the state located in the Milwaukee area.