New To Me Athletes Who Caught My Eye at the Sizzle

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love working the Sizzle because I get to see so many athletes from across the state (or states in this case!). I get to see athletes who maybe I don't get to see in the club circuit or who don't play club. There are always new athletes catching my eye at events, and this one had plenty! Here are some new to me athletes that caught my eye at the Sizzle!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Jacinda Bennett – Right Side – Luxemburg-Casco – 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacinda has huge potential and caught my eye early on in the Sizzle. She is a lefty right side with a huge net presence. She has a good amount of power and puts up a solid block. She was always ready to hit and earned a lot of points throughout the Sizzle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Sophie Romenesko – Outside &nbsp;– Freedom – 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Freedom team is very experienced and plays a fast-tempo game. As a pin, Sophie excels in numerous skills. She really impressed me in defense and had a solid swing as well. Whether she was on defense, serve receive, or offense, her contact on the ball was consistent and clean.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Johanna Andreae – Setter/Right Side – Sevastopol – 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johanna was a Top Performer and was a key athlete on this gritty Sevastopol team. She was impactful as a setter and right-side hitter. Not only did she impact based on her physical play, but also her leadership. She was a consistent, motivating, and positive force on this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='178260' first='Ella' last='Heideman'] – Right Side – Brookfield Central – 2025</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ella is another lefty right side who had an impact on the Sizzle. She is explosive in her approach and has a high, fast arm swing and contact point. She has huge potential to be an incredibly impactful player on this BC team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='179085' first='Paige' last='Steinmetz'] – Outside Hitter – Chippewa Falls – 2024</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='179085' first='Paige' last='Steinmetz'] was an athlete that caught my eye early in the tournament, and she kept impressing me in every match. She is impactful in all six rotations. She is very well-rounded and explosive on offense. Her serve receive and defense also impressed me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='178331' first='Maddy' last='Range'] – Right Side – River Falls – 2025</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maddy was very dynamic at the Sizzle. I did not have the opportunity to watch her play during the club season, but she is very talented. She played as a six-rotation right side for River Falls at the Sizzle and really showed how impactful she can be in both the front and back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='209366' first='Grace' last='Nommensen'] – Setter/Outside – New Glarus – 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grace exploded onto my radar at the Sizzle. She played setter in the back row and outside in the front. Two very different positions that she played seamlessly. She legitimately impressed on every skill. Her setting was clean, and she made great decisions. Additionally, she could consistently swing with power, serve receive very well, block effectively, and play scrappy defense. A true athlete.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Olivia Wilhelm – Outside Hitter – Waukesha West – 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olivia was playing on the pin at the Sizzle. She was powerful and impactful every time she went up to hit. She can hit across the front row and has a high contact point on the ball. Her explosive approach and good timing set her up for success on the pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='209363' first='Casey' last='Vaughan'] – Outside Hitter – Pacelli Catholic – 2024</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Casey has probably always been super impactful. But there was a moment at the Sizzle in a third game where she went off. Manufactured kill after kill to help her team come from a deficit and win. She led her team throughout the rest of the weekend and will not be an athlete I soon forget.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='211474' first='Zitha' last='Wambura'] – Middle Hitter – Sun Prairie East – 2024</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zitha was explosive and impressive at the Sizzle. She established a great connection with her setter and executed well in transition. I saw her learning and improving even throughout the two-day event. That kind of work ethic and her already solid ability will make her a high-level middle in this class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->