1st Look at 2024 Rosters from 2023 D1 State Qualifiers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 state tournament was awesome - and teams are looking to get back there again. DSHA is the current back-to-back state champions. Oconomowoc has had three state championship appearances in three years, taking home the championship once. Appleton North, Burlington, and River Falls are all consistent state tournament qualifiers. Let's take a first look at the 2024 rosters for some of the top programs in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DSHA</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DSHA has a very interesting mix of veteran leadership and new faces. The dominant trio of [player_tooltip player_id='178033' first='Madison' last='Quest'], [player_tooltip player_id='246946' first='Jordan' last='Czajkowski'], and [player_tooltip player_id='178026' first='Olivia' last='Durst'] are back for their senior season. Madeline Brown was a breakout star at the State Tournament last year. There are numerous new additions to the Dasher squad, including three freshmen, [player_tooltip player_id='545505' first='Tegan' last='Loechler'], [player_tooltip player_id='587062' first='Harper' last='Wendlick'], and [player_tooltip player_id='545512' first='Aubrey' last='Olson'], who will add a lot of depth in their respective positions. Twin transfers [player_tooltip player_id='524605' first='Abigail' last='Buckner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='403531' first='Addison' last='Buckner'] have huge potential on the pin for DSHA. They are a huge addition to this team this season. There are several returning varsity athletes who saw limited playing time last year but could play a bigger role this season, including [player_tooltip player_id='249645' first='Callie' last='Carr'] and [player_tooltip player_id='284007' first='Alyiana' last='McMahon'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oconomowoc</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ocon has a lot of new faces on their team this year, but that does not mean they are any less lethal. [player_tooltip player_id='249678' first='Marlee' last='Sivak'], [player_tooltip player_id='388590' first='Grae' last='Hunter'], and [player_tooltip player_id='202209' first='Avery' last='Taylor'] were both key offensive weapons for Oconomowoc last year, who will be returning. Elizabeth Kwiatkowski was a dominant serving specialist last season and will likely take on a larger role within the team as a junior this year. [player_tooltip player_id='497647' first='Charlotte' last='Hayes'], [player_tooltip player_id='435890' first='Greta' last='Schreiber'], and [player_tooltip player_id='509341' first='Madelyn' last='Nelson'] all saw limited playing time as freshmen but had huge club seasons and could dominate this high school season. The Raccoons added some depth on the defensive side with [player_tooltip player_id='202231' first='Eva' last='Spencer'], [player_tooltip player_id='453631' first='Zoe' last='Meier'], and Sage Christman. They are returning [player_tooltip player_id='376299' first='Jayce' last='Keller'] and Samantha Schulz as defenders as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Appleton North</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Appleton North has put together several deep state tournament runs, including a state championship in 2020. They always have a dominant program, and this year will be no different. [player_tooltip player_id='178223' first='Teegan' last='Charapata'] is entering her senior season and will likely be a go-to hitter for this squad. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='478785' first='Lydia' last='Koshuta'] has been nothing short of amazing this past club season and over the summer and has established herself as a force to be reckoned with as a setter. [player_tooltip player_id='521936' first='Kayden' last='Lamon'] is a right side with a consistent block and an ability to earn points in and out of system. [player_tooltip player_id='248104' first='Chloe' last='North'] was incredibly impressive during the state tournament in 2023 and has another year of experience under her belt. This team has a lot of talent on the rise, including sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='522612' first='Ellis' last='Brinkman'], [player_tooltip player_id='522880' first='Kendall' last=''] Johnson, and [player_tooltip player_id='616098' first='Elle' last='Running'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hamilton</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hamilton is returning many of their key players from their incredibly successful 2023 state semi-final run. [player_tooltip player_id='178038' first='Eva' last='Finnessy'], [player_tooltip player_id='178023' first='Brooke' last='Aslakson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='178247' first='Addison' last='Schoenberger'] are all seniors with the potential for huge seasons. The junior class at Hamilton is also stacked, including [player_tooltip player_id='249651' first='Emily' last='Zgonc'], [player_tooltip player_id='249644' first='Brooke' last='Baldwin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='277422' first='Aubrey' last='Hicks']. They are also returning several athletes who saw significant playing time during the 2023 season, including [player_tooltip player_id='249688' first='Sylvia' last='Wargolet'], [player_tooltip player_id='376298' first='Holly' last='Hawthorne'], [player_tooltip player_id='348956' first='Sam' last='Hoeksema'], and [player_tooltip player_id='275790' first='Kailey' last='Kenney']. This is a team with a majority of their starting lineup returning, and they will likely have big goals starting this season for a repeat appearance at state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Waunakee</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waunakee graduated 8 seniors in 2024 but has plenty of talent coming up. They had two teams at our Sizzle this summer and were impressive to watch. [player_tooltip player_id='388460' first='Kaitlin' last='Van Wie'] saw limited playing time in 2023 but has set herself apart as a talented 6-rotation pin. Middle hitter [player_tooltip player_id='641799' first='Ellen' last='Dotzler'] was one of the only non-seniors who saw significant playing time last year and could look to continue that role this season. Julia Rivera, [player_tooltip player_id='359913' first='Olivia' last='Lenerz'], and [player_tooltip player_id='178306' first='Ava' last='Strobel'] were other athletes who saw limited playing time in 2023 but could step into big roles in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Franklin</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='178043' first='Madison' last='Marx'] ran the offense for Franklin last season and will be a veteran senior leader this year. She is so savvy and talented on the court and can make great adjustments. Some other returners from the state qualifying sqaud includes [player_tooltip player_id='737822' first='Annika' last='Romine'], [player_tooltip player_id='737816' first='Ella' last='Jetzer'], and Grace Sergent. I have not yet seen a 2024 roster for Franklin, but they will likely have some key new additions to the team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Burlington</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burlington is another team whose updated roster I haven't seen yet, but they could have a number of talented returning athletes. [player_tooltip player_id='178024' first='Kati' last='Berezowitz'] will look to finish out her high school career on a high note. [player_tooltip player_id='275796' first='Brinley' last='Clapp'] and [player_tooltip player_id='178339' first='Abby' last='Biggin'] are seniors who earned significant playing time at the state tournament in 2023. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='509328' first='Emma' last='Tenhagen'] had a huge club season and could be an impact player this season. Same for junior [player_tooltip player_id='390184' first='Lillian' last='Dempkey'], who played a key role from the setting position in 2023. Other players to watch include [player_tooltip player_id='388589' first='Natalie' last='Leach'], [player_tooltip player_id='509327' first='Madelyn' last='Reesman'], and Sophie Stoughton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">River Falls</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>River Falls played in our Sizzle tournament and looked unstoppable. [player_tooltip player_id='641803' first='Ava' last='Peters'] and [player_tooltip player_id='178331' first='Maddy' last='Range'] will be huge leaders for this squad and are likely hungry for more at the state tournament. [player_tooltip player_id='496803' first='Olivia' last='Doerre'] is a dominant libero who is confident and has a high volleyball IQ. [player_tooltip player_id='511138' first='Amelie' last='Pankonin'] is an incredibly talented sophomore pin hitter. [player_tooltip player_id='701235' first='Brooke' last='Dusek'] and [player_tooltip player_id='747056' first='Charlie' last='Cegielski'] are both sophomores on this roster. This is a team that looks clean and efficient.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->