Live Eye May Recruiting Notebook: IA, IL, MN, WI '23 Setters

Every coach is able to out recruiting, the first time we have been able to say that since the first week of March in 2020. At the Division 1 level, coaches have been in the “Dead Period” which means they have not been able to go out recruiting or host official visits. For the Class of 2023, they will be able to start the recruiting process with coaches of all levels June 15. For this class, the majority of their recruiting process up to this point has been virtual, with not even the chance to attend camps at most colleges. Luckily at Prep Dig, we don't have a dead period. We've had the luxury of watching hundreds of players the past year at the high school and college level. This past month I've been able to get on the sidelines for the Northern Lights Qualifier in Omaha and the Prep Dig Gauntlet at the Milwaukee Sting Center. At these events, I was able to see hundreds of players from the Class of 2023. I'll be writing about these athletes based on what I see. I will focus on Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Some of these players I have seen a couple of times, others I have seen consistently over the past two years. Are there athletes I will miss? Yes. That's why I keep going to events making sure we can share the story of these athletes, giving them the exposure they deserve. Here is a quick glance at the liberos and setters I was able to see in the past month in the Class of 2023. Setters Tier 1 Ava Blascziek - MN Select 16-1 <img class="alignright wp-image-144378" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/PDG-TopPerformer-ElenaDragani-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="342" /> Rachel Koss - FC Elite 16 Navy Zoe Behrendt - MKE Sting 16 Gold Rachel Rossing - MKE Sting 16 Gold Elena Dragani -MKE Sting 16 Black Jordan Heatherly - 1st Alliance 16 Silver Jessica Parker - Fusion 16 Red These were the top setters I saw in the past month. They had command of the court, a presence with their teammates, and the ability to impact the match in multiple was. Blascziek is a 5'10 setter from Lakeville North (MN) and runs the show for MN Select 16-1 who has an Open bid to Vegas. For the Wisconsin setters of Koss, Behrendt, Rossing, and Dragani they all bring something a little different to the table. Koss has been on fire this month where she has found her offensive touch as well. Rossing and Behrendt run the show for Sting 16 Gold who has had huge wins at NLQ and Triple Crown where they can run a 5-1 or 6-2. Dragani has turned into a completely different player from a year ago, her location is spot on, she is a presence at the net, and shows great leadership on her team, a really fun athlete to watch. Heatherly is a smash-mouth setter where she brings plenty of power at the net. She can swing on the right side with a heavy left-handed swing or can set, 1st Alliance 16 Silver also has an Open bid to Vegas. Parker is somewhat new on the radar, playing for a really athletic Fusion team. Parker is dynamic is can get her hands to the ball to keep her team running. [caption id="attachment_127409" align="alignright" width="290"]<img class="wp-image-127409 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/DSC04953-e1623164504736-222x300.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="392" /> Duyos[/caption] Tier 2 Maggie Duyos - Sky High Adidas 16 Black Macy Herman - FC Elite 16 Navy Evinae Jordee - Capital 16 Adidas Eileen Trachta - Iowa PowerPlex 16 Black Mara Fluent - Six Pack 16-1 Tess Hayes - 1st Alliance 16 Black Natalie Cipriano - Lions 16-1 These athletes will be on a list for coaches to contact with how they run the offense for their team. Maggie Duyos from Sky High 16 Adidas Black is so scrappy. I first saw her at the Prep Dig Quad Cities Clash in January and she has the same intangibles and then some at the Northern Lights Qualifier. So quick and a complete gamer. Herman and Jordee, are from some of the top 16s teams in Wisconsin with Herman playing for FC Elite 16 Navy and Jordee for Capital 16 Adidas. Capital 16 Adidas out of Madison, WI has plenty of 2023s to be familiar with. Jordee can hit the spots and has also played a little right sid [caption id="attachment_145006" align="alignright" width="242"]<img class="wp-image-145006 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/DSC07732-e1623164679114-242x300.jpg" alt="" width="242" height="300" /> Fluent[/caption] e with a left handed swing. Trachta and Fluent are out of Iowa which I was able to see at the Northern Lights Qualifier. They will lead their teams in the 16 National Divisions in Vegas. Hayes is part of a really gritty 1st Alliance 16 Black squad where they are a tough match up. She can hit all the tempos and plays with plenty of spark. Cipriano is a fun athlete. She can set and swing from the rightside. Always efficient and high IQ, she is the type of athlete you want on your side of the net. What Is The Difference Between Tier 1 and Tier 2? I'm sure that is a question everyone reading this is asking. I saw the Tier 1 setters play well against really high level competition and succeed, most likely at the Open level at NLQ or the Gold Pool of Prep Dig Gauntlet. A lot of these top setters are able to play all the way around and have a presence at the net blocking or attacking. The Tier 2 setters are extremely solid and for most of them, I didn't get to see them play in the front row this past month. They have all the tools, the fundamental base, and the ability to impact the entire floor. They will be ones to watch progress over this summer. See you at the JVA World Challenge! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The <a href="https://x.com/PrepDig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDig</a> circuit is coming in 2022! 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