15 Prep Dig Gauntlet Athletes Rising In the 16s

Our Prep Dig Gauntlet is less than two weeks away with teams looking to generate some momentum heading into nationals.  Whether teams are going to Orlando or Dallas to finish their season, there will be a clash of powers in Milwaukee come June 7–8.  Here are athletes from the 16s Division that we can get excited about watching at the Prep Dig Gauntlet.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-prep-dig wp-block-embed-prep-dig"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://prepdig.com/2025/05/prep-dig-gauntlet-top-25-players-from-2027/ </div></figure>    [player_tooltip player_id='511138' first='Amelie' last='Pankonin'] is one of the top outside hitters in Wisconsin who preps at River Falls High School and plays her club volleyball for Northern Lights 16-2.  Her club team has been having quite the season.  Pankonin has already racked up plenty of high school honors where she has an electric style of play.  She is fast to the ball, she is explosive with her jump and is able to find the open spot on the court with a variety of shots.  This will be a big summer for Pankonin and her squad who will be playing in Orlando and Dallas.  She will be able to generate plenty of recruiting momentum as well as being one of the top players in Western Wisconsin coming high school season.      [player_tooltip player_id='509343' first='Taylor' last='Wold'] has always been a really dynamic athlete where she finds ways to get it done as a setter.  She can play in whatever system her team needs.  I have seen her play in a 6-2, I've seen her run the show with a 5-1 and she is a pure playmaker.  Her [program_tooltip program_id='428672' first='Milwaukee' last='Sting'] 16 Gold team has had a huge month where they took home the Gold Rush title at Boiler Juniors and the 17/18 Club Division at the Grand Slam.  They are carrying plenty of momentum at just the right time.  Wold preps at Arrowhead High School who is always a powerhouse in the suburban Milwaukee area.      Shultis is a lengthy outside hitter for [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 Navy.  She is relatively new on the radar this past year and is quickly rising.  What sets her apart from others is her length and upside.  She touches high and each time I've seen her take the court, her IQ and all around play improves.  Her [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 Navy team grabbed an open bid to Dallas at the Northern Lights Qualifier and will look to build momentum into June.  They have a well rounded lineup with plenty of 2027 talent that has lead them to be one of the top teams in the Midwest.      There is a different court sense when it comes to [player_tooltip player_id='490009' first='Leah' last='Caffery'].  She is one of the top setters in the Iowa Class of 2027 where she is a pure playmaker that can make something out of nothing.  She is a true QB1 when it comes to the setter position where she knows her matchups and what is going on with the other side of the net.  She has textbook footwork and is able to remain neutral to set any of her attackers with multiple tempos.       [player_tooltip player_id='493601' first='Piper' last='Ladwig'] is definitely an athlete who has been on the rise since this past high school season.  She has always had the length and athleticism, but her skill set has evolved where she is someone who can attack on the outside or the right side.  As her backcourt game improves, she is one who will be able to score in every rotation.  The PowerPlex team has racked up some big wins throughout the club season and finished second in the Iowa Region where they will take their talents to Dallas later this summer.      [player_tooltip player_id='555820' first='London' last='Taylor'] of RVA 16 Verona out of the Des Moines area is rising among Iowa liberos in the Class of 2027.  I remember seeing her play for Waukee Northwest at the Iowa Girls State Tournament this past fall and saw her again live at the JVA World Challenge.  Skills aside, her intangibles on the court are extremely positive.  She communicates, connects with her teammates, and has a presence on the court.  Defensively she covers quite the range while remaining under control to take pace off a hard swing.  She is also really dependable in getting in position to put up a hittable second ball.  I would definitely keep tabs on Taylor if you are looking for a 2027 libero.      Strenght, physicality, and athleticism is the name of the game for [player_tooltip player_id='758828' first='Sophia' last='Heither'] for RVA 16 Verona.  This Des Moines area team has a stacked roster of firepower with Heither being one to watch out of the middle.  This team runs a really quick tempo out of the middle which suits the game of Heither extremely well.  She's efficient as an attacker and knows when to swing big to the deep corner and when you use her tips and throws.  Defensively she reads the other side extremely well being disciplined with her block and knowing how to read the other side of the net.      [player_tooltip player_id='435880' first='Analise' last='Coon'] plays for Spiketown 16.1 USA where she is a libero to know out of the Class of 2027.  She has a real athletic and physical style of play where her opponents know about her.  They know to avoid her as she is the commander of the backrow and knows how to take pace off the ball, handle a high volume of serve receive, and is really strong with the second contact.  She's a fun athlete to watch live where she plays with a spark and a smile, adding plenty of energy to her court.      I AM VBC out of the Cedarburg area has been playing with plenty of momentum this past season across all of their teams.  Their 16 Red squad has been a group playing together for years and they know how to win.  One of their key point scorers is [player_tooltip player_id='510485' first='Hannah' last='Heitzkey'] who is a lengthy and athletic outside hitter.  She has solid hand contact and has really added strength to her swing.  As a six rotation outside, she can pass and serve receive where she is someone teams have to be ready to defend out of the backrow as well.      We have plenty of strong athletes coming out of the Quad Cities to the Gauntlet and add [player_tooltip player_id='555746' first='Clare' last='Yeggy']'s name ot the list.  She will be playing for Platform Elite 16 Adidas where they have a 16 Liberty bid to Dallas.  Yeggy has a physical style of play where she's not afraid to swing big.  She can score points out of the middle or right side and is dangerous when she attacks behind the setter.  This is a sneaky good team who will be looking to make some noise in Milwaukee.      [player_tooltip player_id='530631' first='Tierney' last='Fill'] is one of the setters for Michio 16 Blue Smoke where they have a high powered offense with terminal attackers at every position.  I was able to see this team live at the Windy City Qualifier.  Fill plays with a spark where she brings an aggressive serve, is a solid defender, and is able to stay balanced with finding the best matchup for her attackers.  This team has earned a USA bid to Dallas where with their ball control and ability to score they will be fun to see make a run.      [player_tooltip player_id='546361' first='Annabelle' last='Kritzer'] is a 6'4 middle blocker for 1st Alliance 16 Silver where she is soaring up the ranks of 2027 middle blockers in Illinois.  What is most exciting about her game is the upside she brings.  She moves well laterally and provides a strong block where the other side feels her presence.  She also plays with high IQ where she knows how to find the deep corners and connects well with her setters.  Her recruiting path could be really exciting heading into the summer.      Harper Van Lannen is a key scorer for [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 White where she can be terminal from the outside and the right side.  Her length can give the other side of the net problems where she can set a strong block and is able to hit over the block in most cases.  She also has a mix of shots where she can use the high hands, a roll shot over the black, as well as hitting line and cross.  She preps at Kimberly High School in the Appleton area who will be returning a strong core of a team who were sectional runner up finishers in 2024.      Sting 16 Black has come up with some big wins this club season and one of the key defenders on this team is [player_tooltip player_id='435888' first='Georgia' last='House'].  House is an athletic libero who brings an energy and grit to the court where she raises the level of play.  She brings an aggressive serve that can score points and handles a high volume on the serve receive end.  House preps at Arrowhead High School where this high school program continues to produce college level talent.      [player_tooltip player_id='435903' first='Tatum' last='Jahns'] has been a key athlete for [program_tooltip program_id='557038' first='Milwaukee' last='Juniors'] 16-1 who has been raising their level of play at open divisions this past season.  Jahns is extremely dynamic as a setter who has an all around skill set.  She gets her hands to the ball in a scramble situation where she is also someone who can attack as well.  She's been a standout at Prep Dig Events going back to her 15s year.  She preps at Muskego High School who is generating plenty of momentum this club season with a lot of athletes having a successful club season.

Our Prep Dig Gauntlet is less than two weeks away with teams looking to generate some momentum heading into nationals. Whether teams are going to Orlando or Dallas to finish their season, there will be a clash of powers in Milwaukee come June 7–8. Here are athletes from the 16s Division that we can get excited about watching at the Prep Dig Gauntlet.