Quincy’s Rising Talent from the Class of 2027

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 is going to be a dominant group of well-rounded athletes. I've had the pleasure of seeing this particular class grow from their junior high days. Man, they have so much potential, and their talent can help them soar in the college scene. Today, I am going to shed a light on some 2027 players who have really impressed throughout the 2024-25 club season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":779562,"width":"369px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/laina-bunte-crop-3923x2576-1748626017.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-779562" style="width:369px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Laina Bunte</strong>- MB, Quincy High School, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laina is a special player and one that can ruin opponents' chances of winning. Standing at 6'0" and at least a 26" vertical, she is very hard to stop. Her reach allows her to swing over top of almost every block in front of her. She has multiple shots in her tool belt that make her even more hard to defend. Her blocking presence can't be denied. Laina is a top point scorer for her team, which is remarkable as a MB. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Mady Marquardt</strong>- OH, Quincy High School, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aggressive outside hitters are fun to watch and Mady is just that. She swings at every ball and powers through most blocks. Her line shot is nearly impossible to defend. She is also very good at tracking her hitters on the blocking side. She is a huge offensive weapon for her squad. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":779565,"width":"379px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/leah-knudson-crop-4925x3234-1748626824.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-779565" style="width:379px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong><a href="https://prepdig.com/player/leah-knudson-2/#overview">[player_tooltip player_id='582953' first='Leah' last='Knudson']</a></strong>- L/DS, Quincy High School, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Liberos are often overlooked by college scouts, but Leah has some undeniable talent that would make her a great catch for any university. Leah commands the back court and is the vocal leader for her team. She is very consistent in her out of system sets to the pins, she keeps her team's offense flowing when needed. She is a very scrappy defender and doesn't let many balls hit the floor without flying around to keep them up. While Leah is a great libero, she also excels in the classroom. She is ranked 1st in her class of over 400 students!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":779567,"width":"387px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/claire-obert-crop-4398x2888-1748627421.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-779567" style="width:387px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Claire Obert</strong>- MB, Liberty High School, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Claire is a powerhouse MB for the Liberty High School Eagles. She is so strong with her swing that she just overpowers most opponents. Claire is a multi-sport athlete, making her so versatile. She continues to grow through the off season and she will be one to take note of for the 2025 high school season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Kennedy Artman</strong>- DS/L, Illini West High School, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kennedy has so much ball control and rarely makes her setter run. She is nails in serve receive and doesn't shy away from big hitters. She takes on a lot of big swings in right back and she makes so many plays for her team's defense. Kennedy is lethal from the service line as well. She makes the opposing side play a lot of balls out of system with her serve. She scores a lot of points behind that line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":779570,"width":"430px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/kate-gramke-crop-4723x3102-1748627995.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-779570" style="width:430px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Kate Gramke</strong>- OH, Quincy Notre Dame, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outside hitters carry a lot of responsibility with having to serve receive, serve, swing, block, and everything in between. Kate does this with ease for Club Four. She takes half the court in serve receive and scores on her swings while receiving sets in the front and back row. She doesn't have the luxury of taking points off because she's always involved in the rally. Kate does a lot for her team and she always steps up to the plate. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Kristin Damon</strong>- S, Quincy High School, Club Four</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kristin controls her entire team's offense as a very smart setter. She finds hitters when they are hot, and she also encourages them when they aren't. She is very good at reading her blockers and puts her attackers in a great position to score. Kristin is undersized but has the volleyball IQ to make up for that. She is a great addition to Club Four 16-Boost. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->