Pool Breakdown at the 2025 Joust

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Joust is back and is always one of the highest level tournaments bringing some of the top teams from around the state opening weekend.&nbsp; We have a look at each pool, including top teams and players that will be going head to head at Homestead High School Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool A</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DSHA</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waukesha West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Xavier</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Homestead</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DSHA is going to continue to be the favorite like they have the past three seasons, entering the year on a three peat.&nbsp; They return the top sophomore in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='545505' first='Tegan' last='Loechler'] who can set and swing from the pin.&nbsp; At 6'3, she has plenty of length to affect the game in multiple ways.&nbsp; She will have an explosive pin in Howard commit [player_tooltip player_id='403531' first='Addison' last='Buckner'] who will return.&nbsp; Waukesha West has a duo of outside hitters in [player_tooltip player_id='209368' first='Mia' last='Jannazzo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='277428' first='Ireland' last='Zyzo'] who are returning after big junior seasons.&nbsp; Xavier could be pretty sneaky this weekend.&nbsp; Right side [player_tooltip player_id='545532' first='Rose' last='Kendall'] will be sure to score points with a big left handed swing on the right side and [player_tooltip player_id='249687' first='Sydney' last='Neilitz'] is a really dynamic setter for the Hawks.&nbsp; Homestead will return Wash U commit [player_tooltip player_id='249633' first='Anya' last='Mikhailenko'] who does it all.&nbsp; She can score points with her swing and can dish as well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool B</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hamilton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waunakee</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Franklin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muskego</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sussex Hamilton will bring a really physical lineup back from a state runner up finish in 2024.&nbsp; They had three D1 commits who are seniors leading the way in [player_tooltip player_id='249644' first='Brooke' last='Baldwin'] (Rutgers), [player_tooltip player_id='249651' first='Emily' last='Zgonc'] (Delaware), and [player_tooltip player_id='828156' first='Aubrey' last='Hicks'] (Marquette). The Chargers are already off to a 6-1 start. One of those losses came to the hands of Waunakee who will be in this pool.&nbsp; The Warriors will be led by Notre Dame commit junior [player_tooltip player_id='345274' first='Lauren' last='Sprague'].&nbsp; Franklin will return one of the top sophomores in the state in electric six rotation outside [player_tooltip player_id='545503' first='Kaitlyn' last='Marx'].&nbsp; Muskego has plenty of potential this year as they return Sami Hockers and [player_tooltip player_id='807858' first='Autumn' last='Wohler'].&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool C</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arrowhead</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Menomonee Falls</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neenah</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Thomas More</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This could be an interesting pool as all these teams come into the event with a lot of firepower and athleticism.  Arrowhead was derailed in the sectional tournament by Sussex Hamilton and will return libero [player_tooltip player_id='277424' first='Siena' last='MacCudden'] who will head to Cal-Berkeley after high school.  Speaking of great liberos, Menomonee Falls has one in West Virginia commit [player_tooltip player_id='522165' first='Cassie' last='Bruns'].  Maccudden and Bruns played together this past club season for [program_tooltip program_id='428672' first='Milwaukee' last='Sting'] 17 Gold.  Neenah will make the trip down from the Fox Valley and will return Minnesota State Mankato commit with libero [player_tooltip player_id='809374' first='Ella' last='Lindgren'] and right side [player_tooltip player_id='504427' first='Ella' last='Nigl'] who committed to Bradley this summer.  St. Thomas More was a D2 state tournament team in 2024 and return setter [player_tooltip player_id='388447' first='Julia' last='Killoran'] who had nearly 800 assists last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool D</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oak Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pewaukee</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Appleton North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brookfield Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oak Creek is the one to chase in this pool where they have quite the cupboard of attackers returning from their state tournament team in 2024.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='223818' first='Isabella' last='Ruether'] is a high powered outside hitter who is going to have plenty of kills this year, she is committed to Troy University in Alabama.&nbsp; Pewaukee has a group of seniors who have plenty of wins in their career that include [player_tooltip player_id='240999' first='Mia' last='Hudson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='249665' first='Kennedy' last='Tisdale'].&nbsp; Appleton North has a scrappy team that is propelled by [player_tooltip player_id='478785' first='Lydia' last='Koshuta'] who can get the offense rolling as a dynamic setter.&nbsp; Brookfield Central will return [player_tooltip player_id='284080' first='Emma' last='Duff'] who is a recent commit to D2 Missouri Western.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool E</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kimberly&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Catholic Memorial&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wauwatosa East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Bend West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kimberly returns plenty of firepower from a sectional finalist squad in 2024.  They will have UW Oshkosh commit [player_tooltip player_id='249636' first='Ava' last='Van Hammond'] who is quite a dynamic setter and right side hitter.  She can do whatever it takes to help her team.  Catholic Memorial comes in as the defending state champions in D2.  [player_tooltip player_id='435874' first='Addison' last='Kelenic'] is the headliner when it comes to returnees as she committed to Wake Forest this summer.   Wauwatosa East already has a big win this season over Waunakee. Look for upstart sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='545509' first='Sylvia' last='Flood'] to score a lot of points for the Red Raiders. West Bend West will miss the high scoring power of Kylee Altendorf who is at UW-Whitewater, but [player_tooltip player_id='500276' first='Emmalee' last='Heniadis'] will return for the Spartans. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool F</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brookfield East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slinger</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kettle Moraine Lutheran</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lake Country Lutheran</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brookfield East is going to have a strong team this year where they have a solid first contact in [player_tooltip player_id='435878' first='Amorina' last='Compean-Costello'] who is a rising libero in the junior class.  They will also have a dominant middle in [player_tooltip player_id='809936' first='Maggie' last='Czajka'] who will head to Winthrop.  Slinger is always a contender in every tournament they compete in with Marquette commit [player_tooltip player_id='277420' first='Allie' last='Beers'] and Illinois State commit [player_tooltip player_id='277423' first='Ella' last='Kohnen'].  Kettle Moraine Lutheran will be lead by a dynamic attacker in [player_tooltip player_id='388453' first='Ambryn' last='Aanonsen'], whether shes in the middle or right side her left handed swing is lethal. Lake Country Lutheran is always a formidable force in D3 and will bring back Grace Luedke as a sophomore setter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->