PD Prairie State 17/18s Build Momentum to Sunday Gold

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The AM Wave of the Prairie State Showdown is complete.&nbsp; We had some solid performances from individuals as well as teams where they are looking to position themselves for a chance to play for gold on Sunday.&nbsp; Wisconsin Elite 18 Elite had a big morning, flexing their strength across all positions while we noticed some other individual performances as well.&nbsp; Take a look!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wisconsin Elite 18 Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This group of athletes has been fun to watch over the past couple of years.  Most of the team will be heading off to college across multiple divisions with a solid all around skill set with discipline.  I was able to get some interviews from this team as well where they carry themselves with poise and are so well spoken.  They didn't drop a set today, winning in convincing fashion. Gabriella Wokatsch is a six rotation outside where I first noticed her ability to serve receive at a high level.  She has great platform awareness and a good touch on the ball.  She can also score points at a high volume on the outside.  The next journey in her volleyball career is Auburn - Montgomery.  In the middle with quite the presence is [player_tooltip player_id='809983' first='Norah' last='Merow'].  She is a recent commit to Winona State who is going to be such a great fit there.  They have two really solid defenders who can both hold down the libero spot in [player_tooltip player_id='504408' first='Emily' last='Kitowski'] and Victoria Klees. They should be the ones to chase heading into championship Sunday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emma Novotny</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ultimate 17 Gold showed their balance, ball control, and athleticism this morning at the Prairie State Showdown.&nbsp; Someone to know as a middle blocker is Emma Novotny,&nbsp; She patrols the net with a high motor while also being smooth and under control. She can also score points in a variety of ways off multiple tempos.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834350' first='Kotryna' last='Vanagas']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An electric style of play, [player_tooltip player_id='834350' first='Kotryna' last='Vanagas'] was a key piece for DuPage Elite 17 United.&nbsp; She doesn't come off the court as a six rotation outside hitter where she can be relied upon to score points from the outside and is an outlet out of system and in the backrow.&nbsp; She's not afraid to swing big, but still remains under control with her aggressiveness.&nbsp; DuPage Elite 17 United will be in the gold bracket on Sunday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":966759,"width":"486px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.5014953078271631","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/RG1A3731.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-966759" style="aspect-ratio:1.5014953078271631;width:486px;height:auto"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='546441' first='Josie' last='Neukomm']&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Impulse 18 Red team was really fun to watch where you could see their team chemistry was a major plus to their game.&nbsp; They have athletes from the Cissna Park Class 1A state championship team.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='546441' first='Josie' last='Neukomm'] is one of their key players where she does plenty of positives for her team.&nbsp; She will finish high school with plenty of accolades and will continue her career at Illinois Weslyan.&nbsp; Neukomm's athleticism is impressive and her all around skill makes her such a dynamic player.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nora Netznik</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nora Netznik is a six rotation outside hitter who preps at Marist and plays for DuPage Elite 17 Premier.&nbsp; I first noticed her play when she was in the backcourt.&nbsp; She wasn't afraid to take a rip, looking to score points from middle back.&nbsp; On the outside she would do the same.&nbsp; She hits a heavy ball with a lot of pace where the other side of the net has a tough time keeping the ball in play if they do get a touch.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->