Big Ten Commits and a Gator Highlight Illinois 2023 Rankings

Illinois 2023 Rankings are OUT! Finally! I apologize for the delay, but they are here with nearly 150 athletes on our rankings and watchlist. This state is deep in talent and was quite the process to get names and information out for these athletes. Of the athletes included, there are some who have committed to some of the top programs in the country. We have a strong group heading to the Big Ten as well as others to top programs who are competing for spots in the NCAA Tournament and a top 25 rankings. Here are some of the top names who lead the Illinois Class of 2023 Rankings.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1550643631622684678?s=20&t=eW3x-N2qkRQuTsXmGcWiZw </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='195936' first='Kira' last='Hutson'] - Team One - Metea Valley   Outside Hitter - Committed to Florida   I was able to see Hutson at the state tournament last year when Metea Valley took home the large school title over Mother McAuley in a storybook championship match. What Hutson brings to the table is an all around six rotation game where she can score points from anywhere on the court. She will head to Florida to play for legendary coach Mary Wise where she will fit really well into the Florida scheme. The Gators have plenty of athletes at all positions who are long and athletic, they will big the tallest team in the country and their length always gives opponents problems. With her ability to contact high and an upside that is scary, she will transition well to the next level.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Gigi-Navarrete-1-scaled-e1663172485684-780x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-226578" width="603" height="791"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='138650' first='Gigi' last='Navarrete'] - 1st Alliance - Mother McAuley   Libero - Committed to Northwestern   Gigi Navs is staying close to home and what a defensive dandy for Northwestern to snag. On the court, she can make all the difficult plays look routine and can be automatic in serve receive at a very high level. But what I noticed in watching Navarette the past two seasons is the intangibles she brings to a team. She adds an energy to the court that is hard to describe, she makes the spectators want to get on the court to play - she is vitamin C to a team, adding energy to all. She has been a winner in every possible way, including a 17 Open National championship with 1st Alliance 17 Gold this past summer, but she still has unfinished business at Mother McAuley. The Macs will be looking to capture the Class 4A state title at Redbird Area come November.   <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/1307409665240621056?s=20&t=eW3x-N2qkRQuTsXmGcWiZw </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='138648' first='Grace' last='Egan'] - 1st Alliance - Sterling   Outside Hitter - Committed to Ohio State   I have seen [player_tooltip player_id='138648' first='Grace' last='Egan'] in a variety of settings. She played up two grade levels with the Fusion 17s team as a 15 year old that had the stars of Sterling in Bree Borum (Loyola-Chicago), Brooklyn Borum (Virginia), and Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska) - they also happen to play for the same high school at Sterling. When Covid put a damper on the 2020 season, this same group came up to play in Prep Dig Events in Appleton, WI - which featured some top matchups with other schools who had their season delayed. Their matchups with Appleton North had at times double digit D1 players on the court combined between the two teams. Now, she's coming off a 17 Open National title with 1st Alliance. Egan might hit the heaviest ball in Ilinois. She is tough to stop on the pin where she can hit at any angle and plays with such a high IQ. She's more than her swing where she can defend and serve receive at a high level as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='225752' first='Catherine' last='Burke'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']' last='']' last=''] - Loyola Academy   Middle Blocker - Committed to Penn State   Burke is the dynamic middle blocker that every team needs. She is a pure athlete who can get from pin to pin, finds success in a scramble situation, and has multiple ways she can score points. Whether its a shoot set or a slide, she finds a way to make solid contact and find the open spot. Her game continues to improve every time I have seen her play and brings a lot of positive intangibles to the court. Penn State is continuing to build a strong pipeline out of Chicagoland and Burke will be one to add to this.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1513161487900160000?s=20&t=eW3x-N2qkRQuTsXmGcWiZw </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='138657' first='Kenna' last='Wollard'] - [program_tooltip program_id='430006' first='Illini' last='Elite'] - IVC   Outside Hitter - Committed to Purdue   Wollard is a really tough matchup for the other side of the net. She is going to be one of the primary passers for her team - which makes her tough to target with the serve. She is also really effective and efficient out of system. Watching her this past club season at the Prep Dig Gauntlet with the Illini 17 Cardinal team, she was putting on a clinic on how to use the block. There are so many positive attributes to her game. She will head to Purdue who has been hovering right around the top ten in the country the past two seasons. With her ball control and high IQ attacking, she fits right into what Purdue is trying to do with the all around scheme.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/06/Lily-Barry-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-201744" width="278" height="417"/><figcaption>Barry</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='138658' first='Lily' last='Barry'] - [program_tooltip program_id='430006' first='Illini' last='Elite'] - U-High   Outside Hitter/Libero - Committed to Illinois   Absolutely electric.  I've seen Barry play since she was an 8th grader, playing up an age group with the [program_tooltip program_id='430006' first='Illini' last='Elite'] 15s group.  Her athleticism was special at a young age.  She has grown from that bouncy 14 year old into a really powerful, physical player who is so strong in every facet of the game.  She can blast with the best of them on the pin, but is an elite backrow player where she will head to Illinois as a DS/libero.  She's a hometown kid out of the Champaign area that will have a major impact on the program not only with her skill, but as someone future Illini athletes and the youth of that area can look up to.     [player_tooltip player_id='225755' first='Alyssa' last='Worden'] - Sports Performance - South Elgin   Outside Hitter - Committed to Iowa   Worden is fundamentally sound, so well trained and knows all the different ways to score on the pin.  She has great vision where she can read the block and make the adjustment to go hard cross, line, or a roll.  Much like these other top outsides, she can serve receive and transition from passing to attacking, making it look effortless.  She will head to Iowa City and play under new Coach Jim Barnes who will be looking to build a pipeline to Chicagoland.

Illinois 2023 Rankings are OUT! Finally! I apologize for the delay, but they are here with nearly 150 athletes on our rankings and watchlist. This state is deep in talent and was quite the process to get names and information out for these athletes. Of the athletes included, there are some who have committed to some of the top programs in the country. We have a strong group heading to the Big Ten as well as others to top programs who are competing for spots in the NCAA Tournament and a top 25 rankings. Here are some of the top names who lead the Illinois Class of 2023 Rankings.