Breakout Stars from the D1 State Tournament

The state champions have been crowned, and the high school season has officially concluded. This state tournament was incredibly competitive, and so many players stepped into the bright lights and played outstanding volleyball. Let's look at some breakout stars!    Claire's command of the court absolutely wowed me. She was relentless, fearless, and aggressive. Even against a powerhouse Oconomowoc team, Claire dug in and got the job done in the back row, and she never wavered. Her ball control was impeccable, and she kept her team in system even off the toughest serves and swings. Claire recorded 18 digs and 3 aces in their four-set matchup against Oconomowoc in the state quarterfinals.     Despite only being a sophomore, Bri was an absolute dominant presence on the court for Kimberly. She is just an all-around player who knows how to play aggressively while minimizing errors. Her relentless and fearless play helped Kimberly battle against a talented Waunakee team. She recorded 11 kills and only one error, hitting 0.345. Bri also had an ace, with no service errors, and 14 digs.     Laney was a constant presence in the middle for Waunakee. She might not have gotten the number of attempts as the pins, but she utilized every one. Her execution on offense, discipline in transition, and consistent block, made a huge difference in both state matches for Waunakee. In their quarterfinal win, Laney had 2 kills on 7 attempts and an incredible 7 blocks. In the semifinals, she recorded 3 kills on 10 attempts and 3 blocks.     Harper has been a go-to hitter for DSHA throughout the entire season, but she was absolutely dominant during the tournament. Her statistics read more like a committed senior than a sophomore playing her first year in all six rotations on varsity. In the quarterfinals, Harper had 12 kills, 11 digs, and 2 blocks, and in the semifinals, she recorded 16 kills, 2 aces, and 6 digs. During the championship match, Harper was a huge presence on defense and in serve receive. She is a player who will only continue to be a 6-rotation threat on the court.     Leah was a huge presence in the middle for SPASH. She was truly a fun player to watch. Once she got going, she did not stop, and DSHA had a tough time stopping her! She recorded 8 kills on 12 attempts with 0 errors. She also had 3 blocks. Leah was an energizer on the court, battling for every point.     Faith was absolutely fearless throughout the state tournament. She did not waver a single moment throughout the tournament and was absolutely dominant for her team. No one could stop her from the quarter finals through the very last point of the championship match. Her stats are absolutely incredible:   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Quarterfinals: 10 kills, 2 errors hitting .308</li>   <li>Semifinals: 8 kills </li>   <li>Finals: 11 kills, 1 error, hitting 0.417, 2 blocks </li> </ul>

The state champions have been crowned, and the high school season has officially concluded. This state tournament was incredibly competitive, and so many players stepped into the bright lights and played outstanding volleyball. Let's look at some breakout stars!