The Class of 2020 Prep Diggers - The Prep Dig Awards

The Prep Diggers...it seems every college has a glamorous awards show at the end of the year, highlighting the top moments of their season, much like the ESPYS on ESPN. We may not have red carpet, a fancy podium for speeches, or a semi funny charismatic host, but we do have some different awards to captivate the 2018 club volleyball season. Our test run will be with the Class of 2020, the 16s age level. Like anything if we experience success at this level we are willing to expand to other age groups (the list may already be started). Take a look at some of the top players and teams from the 2018 season in our inaugural “Prep Diggers”. <h2>The Captain</h2> Kiara Reinhardt - Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold - Cedarburg Reinhardt has the spark and speed of a libero, but just happens to be a 6’2 middle blocker. Reinhardt commands the front row and has a presence about that raises her team another level. Reinhardt has made her verbal commitment to play at Creighton, but still has two more years at Cedarburg. Middle blockers can be tall, but maybe a tad slow or they may be quick, but a little undersized. Reinhardt is the total package of height, speed, and power. She also has the ability to make a great read on the opposite side to be in the right position. Most importantly, she walks the walk, her poise and body language is nothing short of what you want in a leader on your team. <h2>Set To Swing and Score</h2> Tayler Alden - VC United - Oconomowoc Karlee Lois - Wisconsin Juniors - Union Grove Alden made her commitment to play at the University of Northern Iowa this spring while playing for VC United out of Rockford, IL this season. At nearly six feet tall, Alden is extremely athletic and left handed which puts her at a threat to score anywhere on the court. She will be heading into her junior year at Oconomowoc and will be looking to build off their state semifinal appearance in 2017 with a new crop of hitters coming in along with a solid core of backrow players. Lois is scrappy, she finds a way to score and win. WI Juniors was a consistent A-B bracket team at the Great Lakes Power League and also had solid showings at St. Louis Presidents Day Tournament, MEQ and a top 15 finish at AAU Nationals. With plenty of talented hitters to distribute to, Lois can take it over on two with a swing or a perfectly placed tip to the corner. Lois is also a top beach player along with high school and club teammate Olivia Dir. Dir’s beach game is definitely apparent on the indoor court as she is a complete all around player. <h2>Newcomer of the Year</h2> Karina Leber - Wisconsin Juniors - Wilmot Union From the first weekend of Great Lakes Power League, at 6’3 and extremely quick and dynamic in the middle, Leber had the attention of college coaches right away. By the end of the spring, Leber had made her verbal commitment to Colorado State which is a perennial power in the Mountain West Conference. Leber was named to the All Tournament team at the Great Lakes Power League by Illinois Prep Volleyball. Anytime a middle can be one of the best athletes on the court that opens up so many options for the team offensively and defensively. <h2>The Quietly Effective</h2> Kaley Blake - Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold - Burlington Blake already has a silver and gold ball with her most recent state title for Burlington last fall. This past season for Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold, Blake was quietly effective running a 5-1, sometimes a 6-2 distributing to a core of talented hitters. The combination of Blake and middles Kiara Reinhardt and Elise Goetzinger was tough to stop the whole season. Blake might not be the most vocal player, but she is in the right spot at the right time - a proven winner. Tahya Pozorski - Motion 16 Blue - Oconomowoc Pozorski plays libero for Motion 16 Blue, who had a very solid season being among that top teams at GLPL and was always a team full of energy and intensity. Pozorski is the libero who is always in the right position. She can make the amazing, diving play, but more importantly is someone who can make the difficult plays look routine. Pozorski will be traveling to Colorado Springs to train with A1 USA Training Team later this summer. <h2>Dynamic Duo</h2> Milla Malik (Capital Adidas - Waunakee) and Karlee “KJ”McNabb (Capital Adidas - Sun Prairie) Milla Malik and Karlee McNabb were option 1A and 1B throughout the whole year for Capital Adidas 16. Both are high flyers from the outside and always an outlet to score in any situation. Malik brings a violent swing with such a quick arm swing, a kill by Malik is always with enthusiasm and one to get her team going. She will be looking to help Waunakee back to the state tournament. McNabb is extremely dynamic, always one of the top all around players on the court. Tough to find a better middle back defender who can also attack like McNabb. With a variety of shots, McNabb will be the go to for the Cardinals of Sun Prairie who will be looking to reload this fall with a solid core of young talent. Katie DiRaimondo (FC Elite 16 Navy - Manitowoc Lincoln) and Emily Bruckschen (FC Elite 15 Navy - Howards Grove) These two outside hitters are definitely on the radar and will be depended upon this fall to be leaders on their high school teams. FC Elite is finishing their club season in Detroit this week at USA Nationals and both have been the go to players since day one. Their style of play is very similar, with powerful approaches, high contact points, and a variety of ways to score points against their opponents. With two more years to develop their backcourt game they will be even more dangerous when they start scoring from the backrow. <h2>Bound to Breakout</h2> Courtney Pearson and Kalli Mau (Wisconsin Volleyball Academy 16 Black - Kimberly) Pearson and Mau are both from Wisconsin Volleyball Academy 16 Black and will be Juniors this fall for Kimberly, coming off a state tournament appearance in 2017. They will no longer be the new kids on the blocks, but the leaders for the Papermakers to defend their FVA conference title and a trip back to the Resch. Pearson is a 5’11 outside that is lethal from either pin, she makes a dangerous combo with Maggie Cartwright who is entering her Senior year having already committed to play for Arkansas. Mau is a 5’10 athletic setter who had the likes of Louisville recruit Emily Scott and MN-Duluth recruit Brianna Weyenberg to set to out of the middle will have to take the reigns and lead her new hitters to an elite level. Taylor Vanden Berg (Wisconsin Volleyball Academy - Appleton North) Vanden Berg is a little bit of a 2020 secret having set this past club season for WVA 18 Red. Vanden Berg is older for her class which pushes her up an age level. At just over six feet tall, Vanden Berg is a physical presence in the front row attacking and blocking. Coach Steve Scheuerell at Appleton North has developed college level setters over the past five years and Vanden Berg has the tools and training to get her to that level. <h2>The Western Wildcat</h2> Emily Banitt (Kokoro 16-1 - River Falls) Banitt qualified for state track and then went and played three days at the Junior National Classic for Kokoro 16-1 the weekend right after. I will go as far as to say Banitt is one of the best athletes in her class in the state of Wisconsin. At 5’11, Banitt is touching over ten feet on her approach jump with the ability to hit out of the middle or the outside. Watching her play live is electrifying with her ability to adjust in air to hit the shot that will give her team points. She will be the go to player for the Wildcats of River Falls this year who will be looking to make their third state trip to the Resch Center after a runner up finish in 2017. <h2>The Spark</h2> Julia Treichel (Motion 16 Blue - Wisconsin Lutheran) Treichel plays with so much fire and energy it is contagious even to the people sitting in the crowd. At 5’9, Treichel is going up against elite blocking at the national level, but swings with no fear. Her aggressiveness and physicality at the net is one to watch. Wisco has a group of talented upperclassmen coming back this fall and will be looking to get to Green Bay, but will have perennial power Catholic Memorial in their sectional which would make for quite a match in the Milwaukee area. Katherine Walch (FC Elite 16 Navy - Green Bay Notre Dame) She is always there! Walch is what you want in a libero and is also a very vocal sparkplug for her team. She just always seems to be in the right spot whether is covering a block, digging a hard driven ball, or going off the court to save the play. Walch has the body language a team wants and needs in a libero and can’t help but feel the energy she plays with. Notre Dame will be rebuilding a bit off of a graduating class who had multiple conference titles and two state tournament appearances. Walch will be the leader of her team with her elite level skills and enthusiasm. <h2>Best Wishes</h2> Kaleigh Fitzgerald (Milwaukee Sting 16 White - Kettle Moraine) Fitzgerald was a solid competitor, a reliable serve receiver, and a fighter at libero for Milwaukee Sting 16 White. However, instead of putting on a jersey for Kettle Moraine this fall, Fitzgerald and her family will be moving to the Boston, Massachusetts area where she will be attending Reading Memorial High School in Reading, Mass, a North Boston suburb. The 2017 All State selection at libero will definitely find success on the East coast and best wishes on her move. <h2>The Overachievers</h2> Sting 16 White Milwaukee Sting 16 White is the third team for Milwaukee Sting, but throughout the season were contenders in “Open” level tournaments and took home a runner-up finish at Badger Region, a top four finish at the Big City Luau, champions at JVA World Challenge in Louisville, and was moved up to the Premier division for AAU Nationals. This team starts with a solid serve and pass game where they were flat out serving teams off the court and executing their offense with a balance of solid hitters in Morgan McCormack, Hailey Grochalski, and Madelyn Rettler. Isabelle Schauer is a pure gamer as a setter who makes it happen, she finds a way to win. She can score points from the service line, play solid defense, block, attack, and has such a smooth release as a setter. This team was exciting to watch throughout the season in their progression starting at the Winter Classic in January to their finish at AAU Nationals in June! <h2>On the Rise</h2> Adversity 414 Milwaukee Elite Royal Southport 414 Milwaukee Elite and Adversity were in the Gold Bracket of the Badger Region Championships this past March and along with Royal are definitely teams and clubs on the rise. Adversity 16s is a team led by defense, they just don’t make a lot of errors and don’t let the ball drop. With scrappy players at every position they finished 15 overall in the 16 Classic Division at Orlando going 11-2 overall. Royal was 2nd at the Club Pre National Tournament at Sports Performance and had a number of club have solid finishes at AAU Nationals. Southport out of the Kenosha area also had a strong finish at the end of the season at the Sports Performance Pre National Tournament at the Patriot Division at USA Nationals in Detroit.