Badger Region Championships: 16 Open Preview, Players and Teams To Watch

So it begins.  Another year of Badger Region where all of the teams from the state come to play at the Wisconsin Center in Downtown Milwaukee.  The weekend begins with High Performance Tryouts from 6:00-9:00 at the Wisconsin Center, followed by two more weekends to follow of championships March 24 & 25 and ending April 7 and April 8.   Here is a preview to the 16 Open Championships that will feature some of the top teams and athletes in the state.  

Outstanding Outsides

This age group is incredibly talented at the outside hitter position with many teams having at least one, some two powerful pins that are always able to get their team out of a jam. 

Aubrey Hamilton - Arrowhead - Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold

Committed to Notre Dame

Sting Gold will be playing a tournament close to home!  After being in Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, and Louisville they will be able to show their skills to a local crowd.  Hamilton is the top rated outside hitter in the Class of 2020 with incredible power, athleticism, and physicality. She has made her verbal commitment to play for Notre Dame where she will join a highly respectable recruiting class out of the Chicago area. 16 Sting Gold will be a clear favorite in this year’s tournament.  Besides Hamilton, they have plenty of weapons, especially in the middle with Kiara Reinhardt and Elise Goetzinger.

Julia Treichel - Wisconsin Lutheran - Motion 16 Blue

A six rotation outside with a lot of firepower.  Not just with how she hits, but with the intensity she plays with.  Her Motion team has been a consistent A-B bracket team at the Great Lakes Power League Super Open Division.  They have options at every position and a libero in Tahya Pozorski who is very solid. They will have a two seed heading into the weekend.

Milla Malik - Waunakee - Capital Adidas 16

Karlie McNabb - Sun Prairie - Capital Adidas 16

These two are quite the duo on the outside.  Malik plays with a lot of power and an aggressive swing where McNabb is the all around player who is just as solid at defense as she is at scoring points in the front row.  They are definitely the go to players for Capital Adidas, but have a solid setter in Jordan Armstrong who is running a 5-1 and is also a solid defensive player.

Courtney Pearson - Kimberly - WVA 16 Black

Pearson is somewhat of a new name to be mentioned, splitting time between basketball and volleyball, but after a successful state tournament appearance in volleyball and being one game away from state in basketball Pearson can turn her focus to club volleyball.  A high reach and can play either pin, Pearson is an absolute high flyer with a mix of shots.

Katie DiRaimondo - Manitowoc Lincoln - FC Elite 16 Navy

Emily Bruckshen - Howards Grove - FC Elite 16 Navy

The duo is strong, physical and terminators on the outside. FC Elite is riding the wave of momentum coming off winning the 16s Badger Region Qualifier which earned them a bid to the National Division in USAV Nationals in Detroit come June.  These two are heavily relied on to score points and also have a solid libero in Katherine Walch to anchor the back row.

Other Players To Watch

Kaley Blake - Setter - Burlington - Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold

Amanda Boehm - Middle Blocker - Wisconsin Premier 16 Teal

Maddy Dokken - Outside Hitter - Stevens Point - Wisconsin Ice 16 National

Sarah Ganser - Middle Blocker - Appleton North - WVA 16 Black

Sarah Mattes - Middle Blocker - Greendale - Motion 16 Blue

Nicole Pozorski - Setter/RS - Mukwonago - Milwaukee Sting 16 Black

Madelyn Rettler - Outside Hitter - West Bend West - Milwaukee Sting 16 White

Jacqueline Smith - Outside Hitter - Northland Pines - Wisconsin Ice 16 National

Lilly Steinbach - Middle Blocker - University School of Milwaukee - Wisconsin Premier 16 Teal

Teams To Watch

Adversity 16-1 is 13th in the PM Shift of the Great Lakes Power League and has solid core of athletes from high school programs in North Milwaukee Suburban area of Germantown, West Bend, and Slinger. WVA 16 Black has had moments of success this year going on a run in the Super Open of GLPL, currently sitting in Bracket C along with FC Elite.  Motion, Capital, and Sting Black will be very competitive with each other being the top four seeds along with Sting Gold, but a pool play match between Capital and WVA will be one to watch! Lastly, don’t count out Sting 16 White, they are scrappy and tough with a solid setter in Isabelle Schauer and libero, Kaleigh Fitzgerald.