WCQ - 16 Athletes From 16 Teams In The 16s Division

Lot of 16s going on with 16 athletes from 16 teams across the 16s Division at the Windy City Qualifier.  Chicago will bring teams from all over the country to compete for a ticket to USAV Nationals that will be held for 11-13s in Minneapolis and 14-17s which will be in Indianapolis.  I'll be courtside all weekend watching plenty of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin athletes.  Take a look at these 16s who could have an impact for their squads.     [player_tooltip player_id='827859' first='Soraya' last='Benton'] is quite the athlete for [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 Elite. She has plenty of physicality at the net where she can play on the right side and has seen some time in the middle. Its been a busy 2026 for Benton where she was part of the Oostburg girls basketball team who finished an undefeated state championship season. The ceiling for Benton is exciting, she hits a heavy ball which makes it so tough for the other side to defend. [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 Elite has shown a lot of improvement over the course of the season and will be fun to see in 16 Open this weekend.     I was able to see [player_tooltip player_id='846643' first='Sommer' last='Shaw'] live at Triple Crown and was really impressed with her blocking ability. She plays with an IQ, has really good body control, and found a way to establish herself and block the ball. There are plenty of times where blockers just throw their hands up and hope for the best, but there is intention with Shaw. Her 1st Alliance 16 Gold team finished just outside getting a bid to USAV 16 Open at their last qualifier and will look to be among the top in Chicago this weekend.     A lot of these athletes who come out of Iowa are all around type of kids. [player_tooltip player_id='701976' first='Adelyn' last='Stien'] is a dynamic setter for Iowa United 161 Elite while also being a key player on the basketball court for Center Point-Urbana High School this winter. Stien commands the court like a quarterback. She elevates the level of play and has a motor to her. This Iowa Class of 2028 is really excited and Stien will be one to watch as they wrap up qualifier season.     [program_tooltip program_id='428672' first='Milwaukee' last='Sting'] 16 Gold has found success in 2026 with their balance and depth. Abramowski is one of the liberos for Sting 16 Gold who has been in the hunt for a bid come the final round at Northern Lights in Minneapolis and NEQ in Philly. With Abramowski passing the ball, Sting can find a way to get in system. She commands the backrow, makes the simple first touch, plays under control, and can put a nice second ball up out of system. She has proven to be one of the top liberos to come out of the Wisconsin Class of 2028.     I've been able to watch this [program_tooltip program_id='432009' first='Sky' last='High'] 16 Elite team a few times this years and I've been impressed with the play of [player_tooltip player_id='546209' first='Kara' last='Schubert']. The 2028 middle blocker can put a hurt on the ball. She is able to approach with purpose and isn't afraid to swing out of the middle. In order for her to swing like that, she is able to trust her setter and know what spots are going to be open. She knows how to find the deep corner. This is a really scrappy [program_tooltip program_id='432009' first='Sky' last='High'] team and it will be fun to see them compete in 16 Open this weekend at the Windy City Qualifier.     I was able to watch 1st Alliance 16 Black at MEQ just over a week ago and was captivated by the play of [player_tooltip player_id='522625' first='Eileen' last='Carroll']. She just kept scoring points and getting the other side of the net out of system. With her speed and athleticism, she can find her way to the ball, she has a big window to swing and score. She knew what angles to use to score and even changing up speeds to keep the defense off balance. 1st Alliance 16 Black finished 5th in 16 USA at MEQ and are carrying the third overall seed this upcoming weekend in 16 USA for Windy City.     For [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 Navy, [player_tooltip player_id='499499' first='Cara' last='Bosovic'] provides a major presence as a middle blocker. At 6'2, the 2028 prep from Neenah High School has shown plenty of progress over the past year. If she is not getting the block, she is still altering the shot of opponents. She also has a heavy swing where she is able to hit a heavy cutback shot where she knows how to find the deep corner.     [player_tooltip player_id='768502' first='Charleigh' last='Whitford'] provides a fun spark for this [program_tooltip program_id='431948' first='Iowa' last='Rockets'] 16R team. I was able to watch this group in the 16 USA division at MEQ where they went 7-0 the first two days before running into a tough Circle City 16 Black team in bracket play. Whitford is able to be a six rotation outside hitter where she knows what's open. She can hit the deep cross, find the line, or use the block to her advantage. This team will start the weekend with the seven seed in 16 USA where they will have a chance to get that bid to Indy.     [program_tooltip program_id='428672' first='Milwaukee' last='Sting'] 16 White will be taking on the 16 USA Division. The group of 2028s from Sting is extremely deep. One athlete to keep tabs on is [player_tooltip player_id='758372' first='Kaydence' last='Johann']. She is a 6'2 middle blocker who has shown she can swing a bit on the pin as well. Her length causes problems for the other side of the net. She touches high and provides a big block. She swings with IQ where she knows how to use her angles as well as find the last five feet of the court.     [player_tooltip player_id='536274' first='Ryan' last='Connolly'] just puts a hurt on the ball, it sounds different when she makes hand contact. The Class of 2028 outside hitter who preps at West Des Moines Valley High School was one of the top players at the Prep Dig Quad Cities Quest, consistently putting points on the board. She is generating plenty of momentum this club season where I can see her having a major high school season this fall and will be one to keep tabs on when it comes to recruiting 2028s come June 15.     I was able to see [player_tooltip player_id='934818' first='Jenzen' last='Klooster'] at the Iowa State Tournament for Aplington-Parkersburg this past November and again for the Mideast Qualifier in Indy just over a week ago. Klooster has length and athleticism where she is a high flyer. She is able to score points from multiple spots on the court, she's dynamic and uses some IQ with her shots as well. Six Pack is always going to be one to watch when it comes to qualifiers. They advanced out of their day one pool at MEQ and will look to do the same and beyond this weekend at the Windy City Qualifier.     I was able to watch Sotiria Andrianopoulos for [program_tooltip program_id='432009' first='Sky' last='High'] 16 Black at the Mideast Qualifier 16 USA Division. This was an 8 AM match on Saturday morning which can be tough to get going, but not for Andrianopoulos. She definitely lights a spark for her team as a libero where she can beat the ball to the spot, has a soft platform, and plays under control. In serve receive she is moving to the spot before the server even makes contact. She creates space between her platform and her body where everything about her defensive skillset is clean and efficient.     I definitely remember watching [player_tooltip player_id='719623' first='Kendall' last='Frei'] last year as a 15s and was impressed with the maturity of her game for a 15s. As a 16s this year, she will be leading 414 16 Elite out of the Milwaukee area in the 16 Liberty Division. Her game starts with good footwork where she gets her feet to the ball that allows her hands to do the work. She has a smooth release and isn't afraid to push tempo.     This is peak volleyball nerdism, but watching [player_tooltip player_id='754607' first='Francesca' last='Fevold'] set is a little bit like watching a dance. She has bounce to her, she's in rhythm, and her footwork is really strong with how she receives the ball to her release. I like how she is looking to jump set, she is looking to speed up the game. She can utilize multiple tempos going to attackers in front and behind her where this team can be very dangerous with their balance.     [player_tooltip player_id='877375' first='Kaitlyn' last='Winter'] is going to be a key point scorer for [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 16 White this upcoming weekend. Her team will be competing in the 16 Liberty Division at the Windy City Qualifier. Winter isn't afraid to take a swing and she can use a variety of angles to do it. She had a successful high school season at Fond du Lac where she was a key contributor on the pin. As she continues to make progress in her backcourt game, she will be one to keep tabs on for the rest of 2026.     [player_tooltip player_id='522886' first='Karli' last='Klapperich'] will be suiting up for [program_tooltip program_id='431932' first='South' last='Shore Slam'] 16 National. She will be one of the setters running the show for the club out of the Sheboygan/Manitowoc area. This past high school season she had over 600 assists, good for over seven per set. She is also a threat to score points at the service line. They will be competing at the Windy City Qualifier this weekend in the 16 American Red Division.

Lot of 16s going on with 16 athletes from 16 teams across the 16s Division at the Windy City Qualifier. Chicago will bring teams from all over the country to compete for a ticket to USAV Nationals that will be held for 11-13s in Minneapolis and 14-17s which will be in Indianapolis. I'll be courtside all weekend watching plenty of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin athletes. Take a look at these 16s who could have an impact for their squads.