Good Luck Finding the Floor: MN Defenders Making Their Mark

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/"><strong>More than 150 college coaches shared this article.</strong> <strong>Join PrepDig and get 30% off with code "digdakotas30."</strong></a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigdakotas/?hl=en">Follow on Instagram @prepdigdakota.</a></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Good luck getting a ball down against some of these girls right now. I've been watching what Minnesota defenders are doing this fall, and some girls are absolutely going after it. Balls that look like kills are coming back up; they're taking on a ton in serve receive, and they aren't giving up on much. I love watching good defense, especially when a player can change a rally with one touch. These girls have been doing plenty of that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["747006"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4880ea7398"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Good luck finding much open floor around [player_tooltip player_id='747006' first='Lilly' last='Beckstrom'] right now. She has been all over it this fall, and the amount of offense she is keeping alive for another chance has been impressive. Hard-driven ball? She's there. Something tipped short? She's working to get underneath it. Beckstrom is making hitters earn the kill, and I have loved the way she's taken on the back row this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"tHannah Fonder","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Fosston","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4880ea7415"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hannah Fonder is a ball chaser, and I mean that as one heck of a compliment. Put it somewhere she shouldn't be able to reach, and she's still going to attempt it. I've watched Fonder turn balls that looked completely dead into another touch for her team. That effort is contagious. She brings some serious fight to the back row, and she's been showing plenty of it this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Carly Hackett","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Foley","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4880ea7456"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Carly Hackett is making a whole lot of difficult volleyball look pretty normal. That's what has impressed me. She's taking care of first contact, absorbing hard swings and giving her team playable balls instead of just throwing something into the air. Hackett has confidence right now. Keep coming at her, and she looks more than ready for it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["804197"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4880ea748e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='804197' first='Stella' last='Garcia'] has made me say "no way" more times than I can count this fall. This is the kind of defender we are talking about. Garcia has the range to cover a lot of ground and the ability to get underneath a ball that looks like it's dropping. She's fearless, and she's making quick plays, and some of the saves she's making are just fun to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Hope Kuechle","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Kimball","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4880ea74c9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hope Kuechle sees things early, and that can make a hitter's life miserable. I've watched her be in position before the ball ever gets there, and then she turns a hard swing into a controlled dig like it wasn't nearly as difficult as it looked. That's the part of her defense I really appreciate. She's not just reacting; she's reading, and right now she's reading the game really well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kelsey Spilde","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"East Grand Forks","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4880ea7513"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kelsey Spilde plays as if every ball belongs to her. That's the energy I've gotten from watching her this fall. She'll battle through serve receive, run down something outside her area, and fight for one more touch when a rally gets ugly. Nothing about Spilde's defense is passive. She's bringing some edge to the back row, and you notice it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thank you to all my readers for making this journey possible. My goal has always been simple: to shine a light on athletes at every level, from Division I to NAIA, and give them a platform to keep chasing their love for the game. Every player deserves a shot, and I'm honored to help tell their stories.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong>Please help us keep growing this positive platform for players by spreading the word and encouraging your friends to subscribe at PrepDig.com. With your support, we can create unforgettable memories and experiences!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><br>The village, along with athletes, coaches, families, and subscribers, creates this journey.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Thank you for making it all possible! ~ Theresa Hickman</em></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Follow on Instagram @prepdigdakotas.</em></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>In Case You Missed It</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1020878} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/08/image-8-2.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1020878" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->