2022 Rankings Rundown

<p>The high school season is almost here. Before we get into all the excitement of the fall, though, let’s give our rankings a fresh new look.</p> <p>We’re starting with the Class of 2022. These rising seniors showed plenty of consistent improvement throughout this year’s club season, and the upcoming high school slate provides another opportunity to shine. Of course, we’ll have a chance to reassess the rankings again after the fall season concludes.</p> <p>An in-depth look at some stock risers and newcomers is coming. First, let’s break down the trends and storylines from this latest update.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Hard to Separate the Top of the Leaderboard</strong></p> <p>I’ve said it before: a lot of the players near the top of these rankings are interchangeable.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="37528" first="Bekka" last="Allick"] looked very sharp in the latter stages of the 2021 club season after returning from an injury that hampered her last winter. The Nebraska-bound middle blocker should be a vital leader for Waverly as the Vikings pursue a Class B title.</p> [caption id="attachment_106607" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-106607" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/08/Abby-Schomer-to-UCF-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Schomers[/caption] <p>The rest of the top ten saw very little movement as each athlete cemented their place among the state’s elite. [player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Ava" last="LeGrand"] remains our top-ranked setter with a host of great talent close behind. [player_tooltip player_id="37546" first="Maisie" last="Boesiger"], [player_tooltip player_id="58781" first="Madi" last="Woodin"], [player_tooltip player_id="37531" first="Abby" last="Schomers"], and [player_tooltip player_id="58770" first="Ellie" last="Baumert"] have all proven their strength at the setter position.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Best of the Backcourt</strong></p> <p>There’s one big trend I noticed while putting the rankings together: this 2022 class is loaded with talented defensive specialists.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="58775" first="Estella" last="Zatechka"] continues to hold the top spot among backcourt players. Also in the top ten is [player_tooltip player_id="58783" first="Skylar" last="McCune"], who will surely be excited to represent Gretna this fall after sitting out the 2020 season with an injury. With [player_tooltip player_id="82412" first="Harlei" last="Cole"], [player_tooltip player_id="58811" first="Katie" last="Galligan"], and [player_tooltip player_id="58797" first="Karsen" last="VanScoy"] also rising up the rankings, there’s a lot to like with this group.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Regional Representation</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_118979" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-118979" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Lilly-Elizabeth-Rowe.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Rowe[/caption] <p>We’ve got schools both big and small in these rankings as the 2022s approach their senior years.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="37530" first="Mya" last="Larson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="58791" first="Masa" last="Scheierman"] were two of my favorite players to watch at last season’s high school championships. They both come from smaller schools that know how to make waves when it’s tournament time. Other exciting small-town talents can be found throughout this class, including [player_tooltip player_id="58784" first="Brenna" last="Schmidt"], [player_tooltip player_id="58793" first="Jadyn" last="Hahn"], and [player_tooltip player_id="103001" <span style="font-size: 1rem;">first="Lilly" last="Rowe"].</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Looking Ahead</strong></p> <p>These rankings reflect how the 2022s have shaken out after the latest club season, but this fall is a great chance to do more scouting and shuffle the rankings around again. I can think of a lot of players in this class who shine the most in the high school season, so the coming months will allow these 2022s to showcase their talents yet again. Players on the watch list will surely rise up to our numerical rankings.</p> <p>So, this is not the end of our 2022 rankings. We’re excited to break it all down again in a few months!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Up next: 2023s.</p>