New Kids on the Block: WI Freshmen Leading on the Court

I had a chance to do a deep dive into which freshmen are impressing in the State of Wisconsin this prep season. In Wisconsin, players aren't eligible to play varsity sports until they are a freshman. Typically, I see many 9th graders filling roles on the JV squads. However, I love it when I get to see skilled freshmen that make their way onto the varsity rosters as well as onto the varsity court. The following freshmen were all called upon by their coaches and teams to contribute on the varsity squad and have so far delivered this season.   Remember to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigamy and Facebook @PrepDig Amy for up to date event coverage, stories, and more.    Stoffel is an outside hitter for Mosinee that not only found her way onto the varsity roster, but on to the court as well. Stoffel is one of the leading freshman attackers in the state with 188 kills, averaging 4.1 kills/set. She also has a whopping 27 blocks on the season so far as well. Stoffel is dynamic and "lights out" from anywhere on the court. She can terminate out of the middle, from both pins, and the back row with ease.     Benz is a Johnson Creek outside that burst onto the prep varsity court in August and has impressed game after game. Racking up 168 kills and averaging 4.7 kills/set, Benz is on fire and a clear go to on her squad. Benz is dynamic when she hits in system. She can go up and over the block, around it, or many times will find the seam. Where she really impresses at such a young age is her out of system attacks. She transitions quickly, has exceptional timing and can unload huge swings that defenders can't handle.     Freshman setter and right side, Otto, has claimed 328 assists so far this season, averaging 5.5 assists/set. She is also a solid right side attacker with102 kills, averaging 1.7 kills/set and boasting a hitting percentage of .264. Otto is also deadly from the service line having racked up 32 aces on the season. Otto is one of those well rounded players that makes minimal errors and positions herself properly to make the play.  Even when caught out of position on an attack, she has excellent control and a solid volleyball IQ to make a smart play instead of a costly error. Otto is one of those players that we are going to be hearing about for a long time.      It is not easy to step into the starting libero role as a freshman but Brown has done it in stride. Brown is disciplined in her position, has a solid read on the ball, and moves fluidly on the court. She is scrappy and seems to get to balls routinely that you don't think possible to get a hand on. So far this season, this dynamic defender has 169 digs, averaging 3.9 digs/set.  She also handles the bulk of the receptions, averaging 5.1 receptions/set     Coyhis is a freshman setter with a ton of potential. She reads the court well, covers her attackers, and sets a clean, consistent ball to her pins. Running in a 6-2 offense, Coyhis has racked up 264 assists, averaging 5 assists/set. Due to her quickness and solid defense, she also has 102 digs on the season, averaging 1.9 digs/set.

I had a chance to do a deep dive into which freshmen are impressing in the State of Wisconsin this prep season. In Wisconsin, players aren't eligible to play varsity sports until they are a freshman. Typically, I see many 9th graders filling roles on the JV squads. However, I love it when I get to see skilled freshmen that make their way onto the varsity rosters as well as onto the varsity court. The following freshmen were all called upon by their coaches and teams to contribute on the varsity squad and have so far delivered this season.