6 Under the Radar Athletes Who Shined at the Sunset Slam

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sunset Slam attracted some of the top teams and athletes from the state. While it is always a treat to see those athletes, many of whom are already committed, take the court, I love finding the athletes who fly under the radar. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you first walk up to the court, these athletes might not be the first players you notice, but they are the ones who quickly set themselves apart as being crucial to the team. Some are big hitters who are quiet leaders others defensive specialists who bring high energy and big plays.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are some of the amazing athletes who flew under the radar at the Sunset Slam. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="91909" first="Elise" last="Checkalski"] - Class of 2023 - Defensive Specialist - Appleton North</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elise is the queen of flying under the radar, yet she is easily one of the most valuable defensive specialists in the state. She is a powerhouse server and is nearly unstoppable in the middle back. Elise is fast, reads the court well, and works incredibly well with libero [player_tooltip player_id="81261" first="Madisen" last="Miller"]. Every time Elise is on the court she adds energy and value to the team. She makes insane digs out of the middle back and consistently sets her team up for success.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emma Janske - Class of 2021 - Pin Hitter - Mukwonago </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emma is insanely consistent. She isn’t necessarily the pin who will pound a ball on the 10’ line but she is the athlete who you can count on to make a smart play even in stressful situations. She is solid on serve receive, plays defense competitively, and does have some good power behind the ball. Emma’s steadiness and consistency on the court make her a go-to hitter on the Mukwonago team and a leader on the court. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emme Larson - Class of 2021 - Pin Hitter - Waukesha West</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Waukesha West touts some big hitters including [player_tooltip player_id="80712" first="Alexis" last="Boling"] and [player_tooltip player_id="56452" first="Abby" last="Fregien"]. Emme typically plays on the right side for the Wolverines and truly excels at her position. She reads opposing hitters very well and sets up a very consistent block. She also has a powerful swing and places the ball well. Emme is a hugely valuable player in the front row for West who tends to fly under the radar a bit. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="91926" first="Elayna" last="Christensen"] - Class of 2023 - Libero - Freedom</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elayna was not on my radar before the Sunset Slam, but now she is. She is an energizer on the court and is an essential support system for this offensively aggressive and strong team. Elayna gets a touch on nearly every ball and is good at serve receive. She is not afraid to dive all over the court to set her team up for success. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emma Grueneberg - Class of 2022 - Middle/RS - Cedarburg</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emma is an incredibly dynamic athlete who is unique in that she is a lefty and a middle hitter. This gives her a huge advantage in that she is very hard to block. Couple that with her natural athleticism and she is a golden ticket in the middle. Emma is a 6’ secret weapon for the Bulldogs and they use her very well!</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="80841" first="Brielle" last="Lynde"] - Class of 2021 - Setter - Menomonee Falls</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brielle is a lead by example kind of athlete. She gets on the court, gets her job done, and does it well. Brielle is very efficient and knows how to use her hitters well. She works hard and is just an all-around solid athlete. Her ability to better the ball consistently is impressive. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep an eye out for these athletes. They are all truly amazing and huge players for their teams. They may fly under the radar, but they all have very important and crucial roles on the court. </span></p>