1st Alliance Spring Classic - Who's Committed, Who To Watch

June is set to kickoff with college coaches being back on the courts, teams gearing up for nationals, and commits happening along the way.  Plenty of Illinois and Wisconsin teams will be taking on the 1st Alliance Spring Classic this weekend.  There have been some recent commits from the Class of 2024 who will be taking the court as well as some who have to be close to making their verbal.  Here are some prospects who are committed, and ones who should be on the radar.    Committed   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/elleryapel/status/1663732690405793792?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='122470' first='Ellery' last='Apel'] - 608 Juniors 17-1   Committed to Winona State   Apel was one of the top available liberos in Wisconsin's Class of 2024, but she announced her commitment to play for Winona State who is a traditional D2 power in the NSIC.  Apel could be pulling some double duty on Saturday as her high school soccer team, Sauk Prairie is playing in a regional championship Saturday night.  This 608 Juniors squad out of Madison has plenty of talent who have made their verbals at the next level with [player_tooltip player_id='181747' first='Diane' last='Pichelman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180367' first='Gillian' last='Koning'] heading to UW-Green Bay and [player_tooltip player_id='122524' first='Reagan' last='McIntosh'] committed to Middle Tennessee State.    [player_tooltip player_id='122463' first='Malayna' last='Dins'] - Impact 17 National   Committed to UW-Oshkosh   Dins is an outside who is lightning in a bottle. She has an aggressive approach and is extremely physical at the net where she creates plenty of point scoring opportunities. Impact 17 National won the 17/18 Club Division of Battle at the Bay where they have a really balanced squad who plays with great team chemistry. There are some hidden gems on this squad who would be great pick ups at the next level.   <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/1662473001957306370?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='135948' first='Marin' last='Johnson'] - 1st Alliance 17 Silver   Committed to Southeast Missouri State   Johnson came up huge in the Prep Dig Gauntlet this past weekend where they finished in the final four of a loaded field. She brings to the table a high contact point with the ability to take it various angles and can change her speeds. She is part of a strong recruiting class for SEMO that also includes [player_tooltip player_id='136617' first='Megan' last='Holder'] of [program_tooltip program_id='429175' first='VC' last='United'] and Alayna Christner of Boiler Juniors. Johnson will be looking to connect with UW-Milwaukee commit Milicia Tomic who can really run a nice offense and is on point with her location as a setter.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KaitlynDohs/status/1659263337887068160?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='122464' first='Kaitlyn' last='Dohs'] - WI Juniors 17-1   Committed to Eckered   Florida has a way of finding athletes from Wisconsin.  Dohs, who is an extremely athletic player who could be a libero or an outside hitter will head to Eckerd College, a D2 school in St. Petersburg, FL - right on the Gulf.  She was a standout in our winter Top 250 in Milwaukee where she was going to be a prime prospect in the 2023 club season.  She has also been a key player for Oak Creek high school who has made a lot of progress as a program that included a 2021 state tournament appearance.    1st Alliance 17 Gold   This team will be the clear favorite coming into the event where they dominated the Prep Dig Gauntlet that included day three wins over Sting 17 Gold in three sets and Northern Lights 17-1 in two.  [player_tooltip player_id='135950' first='Grace' last='Nelson'] (Kansas) and [player_tooltip player_id='135954' first='Ellie' last='White'] (Michigan) are always key attackers who can score plenty of points, but the offense starts with a consistent first contact from one of the top liberos in the country with [player_tooltip player_id='136631' first='Ava' last='Falduto'] (Penn State).  [player_tooltip player_id='311933' first='Calli' last='Kenny'] is another key player who can set and swing for 1st Alliance 17 Gold where she committed to Marquette this spring.    Ones To Watch   [player_tooltip player_id='136735' first='Izzy' last='Vandeschraaf'] - ESVBC 17U Yeti   Outside Hitter   Vandescraaf is quite the all around athlete at Metamora High School in Illinois.  Her athleticism is a big time attribute to how she plays the game.  She has a cannon for an arm and hits a heavy ball.  She can play six rotations and finds ways to score points whether she is in the front or back row.     [player_tooltip player_id='345260' first='Bays' last='Keller'] - Motion [program_tooltip program_id='432160' first='[program_tooltip program_id='432076' first='[program_tooltip program_id='430137' first='[program_tooltip program_id='429142' first='[program_tooltip program_id='432160' first='[program_tooltip program_id='432076' first='[program_tooltip program_id='430137' first='[program_tooltip program_id='429142' first='MVP' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last=''] 17 Blue   Libero   I've been a huge fan of the game that Keller plays at libero for [program_tooltip program_id='432160' first='[program_tooltip program_id='432076' first='[program_tooltip program_id='430137' first='[program_tooltip program_id='429142' first='[program_tooltip program_id='432160' first='[program_tooltip program_id='432076' first='[program_tooltip program_id='430137' first='[program_tooltip program_id='429142' first='MVP' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last='']' last=''] 17 Blue out of the Milwaukee area. She has a spark and fire about her style where she has a major presence on the court. She preps at Oconomowoc High School where they won a state title in 2021 and were runner up finishers last fall. Keller has a ton of range and will be able to create a lot of three option attacks for this offense. One of the top outsides on this team is Dani Kopacz who brings a lot of athleticism and physicality. She has a really violent swing.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/06/DSC02994.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-397878"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Baetzel</figcaption></figure>   <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/1662475026648424449?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='136601' first='Kayla' last='Baetzel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='245004' first='Reilly' last='Chausse'] - 1st Alliance 17 Silver   Libero   This two are quite the dynamic duo in the backrow. They are both elite in their defensive skills where they can serve receive, pass, cover, and do whatever it takes to provide a positive touch for their team. Aside from their strong defensive skills, they provide great intangibles where they are engaged with their teammates, have positive body language, and generate plenty of energy on the court. If I'm a college coach looking for liberos in the Class of 2024, this is the team to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='122533' first='Jenna' last='Paulos'] and [player_tooltip player_id='185620' first='Siena' last='Busalacchi'] - Impact 17 National   Middle Blocker   Impact 17 National will be coming down from the Appleton area where they have plenty of athletes who can contribute in multiple ways.  Paulos and Busalacchi are big attackers out of the middle.  Paulos can hit at any angle.  If you take one side away, she will find another way to hit is sharp and score points.  Extremely dynamic.  Busalacchi started the year strong at the Prep Dig Resolution as an emerging player to watch. She provides a really solid block and can score points herself as well.

June is set to kickoff with college coaches being back on the courts, teams gearing up for nationals, and commits happening along the way. Plenty of Illinois and Wisconsin teams will be taking on the 1st Alliance Spring Classic this weekend. There have been some recent commits from the Class of 2024 who will be taking the court as well as some who have to be close to making their verbal. Here are some prospects who are committed, and ones who should be on the radar.