WI and IL Teams that Dominated MEQ

The Mideast Qualifier drew some of the top teams in the country. Teams battled in every division, in every bracket. It is such a fun tournament with numerous talented teams. Here are some teams from Wisconsin and Illinois that dominated the Mideast Qualifier.

Milwaukee Sting 16 White

This team has been dominant this season. After earning a Freedom bid at the Badger Qualifier, they turned around and won the Liberty division of MEQ. This team improved their bid to nationals to the Liberty bid and came home with some new hardware and a 10-0 record.

This team has several key leaders, including six-rotation outside hitter Paige Boettcher Paige Boettcher 5'8" | OH Germantown | 2025 State WI , libero Ellie Bruns Ellie Bruns 5'5" | DS/L Menomonee Falls | 2025 State WI , and setter Madelyn Marquardt Madelyn Marquardt 5'8" | S Kewaskum | 2025 State WI . All three play nearly all the time and are key to the consistency and success of the team. Another thing that makes this team successful is how dynamic their offense is. Many of their hitters play a rotation in the middle or outside. Addison Schoenberger Addison Schoenberger MB Sussex Hamilton | 2025 State WI , Karsyn Goetzke Karsyn Goetzke 5'10" | MB Waterford | 2025 State WI , and Kennedy Nimmer Kennedy Nimmer MB Menomonee Falls | 2025 State WI are all versatile and dynamic players who earn points.

1st Alliance 16 Black

1st Alliance lost to Sting in the championship and earned a Liberty bid to USAV Nationals. Their only loss came to Sting in the championship match. This team was consistent and gritty. Libero Natalie Martinez Natalie Martinez 5'5" | DS/L St. Laurence | 2025 State IL never missed a beat. She was everywhere in the back row and made some crazy good plays. Both setters for 1st Alliance are talented. Brynn Peloquin is fast, has great footwork, and a lethal serve. Francesca Lacoco is smart and savvy and has great court awareness.

On offense, Laney Tuttle Laney Tuttle 5'7" | OH Lincoln Way West | 2025 State IL is an impactful pin with a consistent deep line shot. Jennifer Buehler can play on either pin and has a lot of power and good placement of the ball. Isabel Evanson is a six-rotation pin hitter who is consistent across the court and helps manufacture points for her team.

Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold

Sting earned their Open bid to nationals this summer. This team utilizes every athlete on their roster, and they all significantly impact the outcome of a match. They ran a 6-2 with Madison Marx Madison Marx 5'6" | S Franklin | 2025 State WI and Billie Reiter Billie Reiter 5'11" | S Greendale | 2025 State WI , high-level setters with great court awareness. Madison Quest Madison Quest 6'3" | OH DSHA | 2025 State #17 Nation WI , one of the top recruits in the class of 2025, played all six rotations and was lethal on the pin.

Pin hitter Emma Koceja Emma Koceja 6'1" | OH Brookfield Central | 2025 State WI was powerful and explosive. She put up great passes in serve receive and could be relied upon to manufacture points in tight games. Karli Molnau Karli Molnau 5'11" | MB Lake Country Lutheran | 2025 State WI , Gabriella Pitcel Gabriella Pitcel 6'1" | MB Mukwonago | 2025 State #43 Nation WI , and Hailey Goebel Hailey Goebel 6'0" | RS St. Thomas More | 2025 State WI all contributed in the middle. They moved efficiently pin to pin and were a great first line of defense for their team.

FC Elite 17 White

FC Elite came in as the 4 seed and left with new hardware. They placed 2nd across the entire tournament and were dominant every day of play. Laurin Hamann Laurin Hamann 5'8" | DS/L Manitowoc Lincoln | 2024 State WI protected the backcourt ferociously. She frustrated opposing offenses with her ability to touch nearly every ball that came over the net.

Grace Fruzen Grace Fruzen 5'8" | S Manitowoc Lincoln | 2024 State WI and Mariah Potter Mariah Potter 5'9" | S Xavier | 2024 State WI ran the offense very well. They kept pushing the tempo of the ball and rarely made errors. This team was fully engaged on the court and was another team where every athlete was crucial to the team’s success.

1st Alliance 17 Gold

1st Alliance is an explosive team who earned their Open bid to USAV Nationals with a 3rd place finish at MEQ. This is a team that can make waves on a national level. The top 3 ranked athletes in this class in Illinois are all huge contributors for this team, including libero Ava Falduto Ava Falduto 5'7" | DS/L IC Catholic Prep | 2024 State #34 Nation IL (Penn State) and pin hitters Ellie White Ellie White 5'11" | OH Mother McAuley | 2024 State #33 Nation IL (Michigan) and Grace Nelson Grace Nelson 6'1" | OH Oak Park River Forest | 2024 State #37 Nation IL (Kansas).

They run a 6-2 with setters Kinsey Smith Kinsey Smith 5'10" | S Oak Park And River Forest | 2024 State IL and Calli Kenny Calli Kenny 5'9" | S Willowbrook | 2024 State #146 Nation IL . Both are incredibly talented athletes with a high volleyball IQ. Gabrielle Williams Gabrielle Williams MB Oak Park River Forest | 2024 State IL was key out of the middle for 1st Alliance. She put up a massive block and had numerous powerhouse swings.

414 18 Elite

414 18 Elite took second place in the 18 American Division. This team was electric throughout the tournament, battling head-to-head to earn their wins and some hardware to go with it! Allison Pogodzinski Allison Pogodzinski 5'8" | DS/L Pius XI | 2023 State WI was key in the back row for 414. She was aggressive and fearless across the backcourt on defense and serve receive.

Marissa Johanning was a consistent force on the court. She set in the back row and swung in the front row. She earned big kills on offense and moved the ball around well as a setter. Nora Hirthe and Isabella Scott both can play six rotations as pin hitters and be impactful on offense and defense. In the middle, Eve Martin and Deanna White were go-to powerhouse athletes for the team.