Northern Lights Shine at Prep Dig Gauntlet

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/06/photo-gallery-northern-lights-tackles-gauntlet/" id="https://prepdig.com/2026/06/photo-gallery-northern-lights-tackles-gauntlet/">Photo Gallery: Northern Lights Tackles Gauntlet</a>   MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - If you're a regular to the Minnesota Prep Dig site, you probably don't recognize me. I spend most of my time covering volleyball for the Iowa PD site. At this past weekend's Prep Dig Gauntlet, however, I added [program_tooltip program_id='431951' first='Mizuno' last='Northern Lights'] to my tasks of reporting on the home-state teams. Needless to say, I was impressed.   Among the most successful clubs in our region, the Burnsville, MN-based outfit has regularly competed against the country's best. It will do so again later this month at the USAV Nationals in Indianapolis.   The Gauntlet was a tune-up and testing ground for Northern Lights. The results should feed optimism.   I focused on the one teams from 15-17U, who lined up in the Elite Division at the Milwaukee Sting Center. Here's what I saw:   Northern Lights 15-1   I watched this team play multiple matches on Saturday. A nationals qualifier in the National Division, Northern Lights 15-1 competed with a pair of Open qualifiers in the four-team pool play. It fell to one of them, Milwaukee Sting Gold, 26-24, 26-24, and ended up fifth at the event.   NL 15-1 stands out for its connectivity and a roster filled with versatile athletes. That begins with [player_tooltip player_id='918053' first='Katriel' last='Utecht'], whose older sister we'll talk about later on in this writeup. Utecht is an explosive athlete that limits mistakes and delivers winning plays through six rotations.   Libero [player_tooltip player_id='714881' first='Ella' last='Bohren'] commands the back row and covers a good deal of territory. She has less to cover, too, thanks to the contributions from a pair of long-limbed middle hitters with agility in [player_tooltip player_id='763882' first='Olivia' last='Krebs'] and [player_tooltip player_id='891358' first='Carly' last='Murphy'].   When I was watching, [player_tooltip player_id='781426' first='Olivia' last='Arlt'] and Anna Hynes were operating effectively in a 6-2. Hynes' play was consistently on point, and Arlt flashed a lofty ceiling as a high-end athlete at the position.   [player_tooltip player_id='918128' first='Lydia' last='Shanks'] was another flexible volleyballer capable of putting the ball down from the pin and picking it up in the back row.   Alex Barten is dangerous weapon on the outside, too, [player_tooltip player_id='763880' first='Sidney' last='Koester'] gets the job done on the right side and defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='876956' first='Millicent' last='Larson'] helps lock down the back row.   Northern Lights 16-1   NL 16-1 was the first of the club's top teams that I happened upon. I watched it top Iowa Select 16 Mizuno in three sets during pool play on Saturday. It ended up placing fourth in the Elite Division behind three teams qualified for the Open Division at USAV Nationals.   A National Division qualifier at USAV, NL 16-1 heads to Indianapolis equipped for success. Six-rotation [player_tooltip player_id='442682' first='Ella' last='Zieske'] brings a complete game to the court. She's complemented at the outside pin by the bouncy [player_tooltip player_id='545493' first='Cora' last='Thiemann'], who can sky in the air and finish with a heavy swing.   Action flows well in the 6-2 system with [player_tooltip player_id='918395' first='Elaine' last='Stellmaker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='545494' first='Mary' last='Berran'] at the controls. Berran is steady and reliable, while the athletic Stellmaker can mount an effective attack from the right side of the net. That's where [player_tooltip player_id='545492' first='Payton' last='Miller'] provides impactful two-way contributions as well.   The same can be said for the trio of middle hitters I saw. The rotations were affected by an ankle injury to promising prospect [player_tooltip player_id='545498' first='Brielle' last='Gunderson'], who hopefully will be well soon. In her absence, [player_tooltip player_id='499195' first='Mesa' last='Jameson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='702576' first='Lillian' last='Ruschoff'] made life difficult for opponents looking to access the middle of the net.   Libero [player_tooltip player_id='748674' first='Louise' last='Mahoney'] made plays and limited mistakes in covering the back row with capable defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='830647' first='Brynlee' last='Opland']. Northern Lights 17-1   NL 17-1 was the last of the club's teams I scouted during the Gauntlet. That happened early Sunday afternoon in the Elite Division Gold Bracket Championship against Circle City Purple, which took home the title with a hard-fought, three-set victory. The two USAV Open Division qualifiers put on a show that ended with a 15-13 final set.   Northern Lights' high-end players sharing an on-court connection to create effective flow leading to positive outcomes was fun to see. There was all out effort in supporting each other.   The 6-2 machine is fueled by super setter [player_tooltip player_id='453085' first='Kaelyn' last='Bjorklund']. The height, long arms, agility and athleticism blend with a high volleyball IQ in making her a problem for the opposition. Her setting is on point, and she attacks with bad intentions. [player_tooltip player_id='461750' first='Leah' last='Biyadglign'] does a beautiful job running the show when Bjorklund rotates off of her main position.   [player_tooltip player_id='807920' first='Elleora' last='Utecht'], older sister of 15-1's [player_tooltip player_id='918053' first='Katriel' last='Utecht'], definitely is helping her younger sibling develop as an all-around volleyballer. Elleora does everything well, from covering territory in the back row to generating an effective attack from the pin. Opponents receive no relief when Elleora rotates away from the outside with Amelie Pankonin stepping in.   NL 17-1 is very sound in the back row with libero [player_tooltip player_id='455615' first='Taylor' last='Peterson'] and defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='455611' first='Sophia' last='Cowan'] teaming up with Utecht. Peterson and Cowan both are technically sound and keep the ball in play.   Lefty [player_tooltip player_id='396874' first='Addison' last='Otto'] is a right-side you'd rather not see get a clean swing if lined up on the other side of the net. There's power in the attack and talent in throwing up the block. [player_tooltip player_id='396876' first='Lauren' last='Bunge'] is a versatile middle hitter with agility that can get the job done in the middle, hit the slide or swing from the opposite pin. [player_tooltip player_id='516170' first='Macy' last='Monson'] is a power player in the middle of the net, and [player_tooltip player_id='396873' first='Natalya' last='Singer'] flashes athleticism at that spot.

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