Minnesota’s Bright Future

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The freshman class always holds some diamonds that have yet to be discovered.&nbsp;&nbsp;The variability in maturity is sometimes remarkable, but the energy they bring is always vital to a team.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most freshmen that make it to the varsity court eat, sleep, and breathe volleyball. They've committed a great deal of time to training and playing at a high level.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When looking at a smaller school program, you see the natural athletes who are typically pulled up in numerous sports early.&nbsp;&nbsp;Either way, there is talent to be found.&nbsp;&nbsp;So without further ado, here are some 2026 athletes making their mark on the court. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632a91401bb2c","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["227875"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Macal is new to my radar, but she is definitely making waves with 118 kills so far in 2022.  She is a six-rotation attacker from the Winona area and she does a great job getting a high contact on the ball.  Macal plays solid defense in the back court and has 167 digs already this season.  The most exciting part about players like Macal is that they have the time and room to grow, and yet they've already started off strong.  She has good ball control and can serve tough to keep teams out-of-system.  I'm looking forward to seeing where Macal can go.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["227877"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"The Bombers are hitting their stride as Hepola settles in as the setter for the foreseeable future.  This is putting her on our radar since she averages 10-11 assists per set and a total of 388 so far this season.  Her volleyball IQ is improving every time she steps on the court, and with that knowledge and experience, she is growing into quite a leader.  It takes a fearless competitor to succeed in this position at a young age.  The sky is the limit with a young distributor, and I am excited to watch her the next few years!","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["227878"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"White is another new one on our radar, but I don't expect that to last very long.  She could move up the rankings quickly with her skill set and teammates around her.  Even though she is a freshman for the Bearcats, she has accumulated the statistics of a much more experienced player.  She's hitting a .240 hitting percentage, while recording over 100 kills, 22 blocks, and 16 aces so far.  Look out for this young gun because she has a high ceiling.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["221905"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Soiney has been on the Mabel-Canton varsity since her 7u003csupu003ethu003c/supu003e grade year.   The Cougars are currently 18-0, and Soiney is currently hitting a .398 hitting percentage.  Soiney is one of their studly underclassmen, including sophomores u003cstrongu003e[player_tooltip player_id='117876' first='Sahara' last='Morken'] u003c/strongu003eand u003cstrongu003eSaijal Slafteru003c/strongu003e.  She is quick to close the block and has already tallied 39 blocks on the season.  Soiney has power in her swing and timing on the quick tempo that has gotten her 130 kills already.  She has done a great job embracing the slow-to-fast approach, which is no easy task at a young age.  This will be a huge skill to build off as she continues to grow and develop as a player.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-64be07b74b854"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you know of any other players or teams that we need to cover in Minnesota, please email me at spikeitdown@hotmail.com. We love covering the state of Minnesota and want to do it to the best of our ability.   If you like our articles, please share them with your friends and help us help the players!  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->