Who Is Leading The Top Teams In Class AAA? 

Class AAA is shaping up to be a real battle to make it out of sections this season.  There are familiar names, as well as some new names, making their presence known.  Kasson-Mantorville and Stewartville are both returning a solid core from their successful 2021 teams, but there are powerhouses, such as Marshall, that will be pushing for a repeat.  So who are the players leading these teams to the top of MN rankings?  I’ll tell you some athletes to keep an eye on come November.  Let’s take a peak at some of the top players leading the way in Class AAA. 

It would be tough to ignore the 2021 Class AAA Champions who compiled a 33-2 record on the season.  They return the reliable first contact of  Caitlyn Christenson Caitlyn Christenson 5'5" | DS/L Marshall | 2023 State MN  and efficient attackers,  Leah Jones Leah Jones 6'2" | OH Marshall | 2023 State MN , and  Randi Wendorff Randi Wendorff 6'0" | MB Marshall | 2023 State MN .  Stats aren’t on Maxpreps or MN Hub, but Jones is a steady and consistent force for the Tigers.  Marshall’s only loss so far is to Lakeville North, but I’m sure plenty of teams will be looking to score a W on the Tigers.  I’d love to see a Willmar vs Marshall match.  I can’t wait to see if they can make a repeat run to the X. 

This crew was 25-6 in 2021 and they return a trio of attackers,  Gabrielle Gartner Gabrielle Gartner 6'0" | MB Byron | 2023 State MN , Alexis Nelson Alexis Nelson 6'0" | RS Byron | 2024 MN , and  Sophia Gartner Sophia Gartner 5'10" | OH Byron | 2023 State MN .  They also add the scrappy and highly competitive setter,  Kailani Schroeder Kailani Schroeder 5'8" | S Byron | 2025 State MN .  I can definitely see this group winning some upsets and making waves in 2022. Gartner is a senior and not about to let an opportunity go in her final stand on the prep scene.  She is currently averaging over 3 kills per set as they prepare for the likes of Kasson-Mantorville.  Schroeder is a young sophomore who has a wicked serve that has given her team the edge.

After hoisting a 22-8 record in 2021, they returned a huge key to their success with Minnesota commit,  Sydney Schnichels Sydney Schnichels 6'4" | OH Wilmar | 2023 State #19 Nation MN .  This will be a good test to see how good she can make those around her.  Currently she is hitting a .308 while averaging almost 6 kills per set and a total of 151 kills on the season so far.  She’s hit the 1,000 career kill milestone and accumulated over 500 digs in her prep career so far.  Ellery DeBoer may be the next big thing.  She’s already running a varsity court like a pro, and she is a top athlete in Class AAA.  With more than 244 assists in 30 sets of her prep career so far, it’s easy to say she is a playmaker.  She can defend in the back row, feed her hot hitters, and find her groove in the front row.  They have taken losses to Marshall and East Ridge so far this year but also gotten a big win over Alexandria this season.  They will need to make their way past Marshall in Section 2 to make their way to the X in November. 

Kasson-Mantorville – The Class AAA runner-ups had a 30-4 record in 2021.  They return one of their top point scorers and consistent 6-rotation players in  Whitney Deno Whitney Deno 5'7" | OH Kasson-Mantorville | 2023 State MN .  They have  Abby Distad Abby Distad 5'6" | S Kasson-Mantorville | 2024 State MN  running the offense while also providing a tough serve and defense in the backcourt.   Aryss McAdams Aryss McAdams 5'7" | DS/L Kasson Mantorville | 2023 State MN  is keeping the pressure on with her stealthy serve and scrappy defense.   Ellie Ask Ellie Ask 5'7" | OH Kasson-Mantorville | 2024 State MN  has worked her way into a bigger role this season and come through in some big ways.  Kasson-Mantorville will have their work cut out for them with a tough section, including Byron and Stewartville.