Youth Of The 2018 Joust

<p>I was able to attend my very first Joust, and it was a blast!  It was full of great volleyball and great people!  One thing that really stuck out when I went thru my notes after day 1, and then again after day 2, was the impressive presence of youth.  The class of 2022 wasn’t just getting some playing time. They were making big plays!  There are some real bright futures for these programs!</p> <p><strong>*Brookfield Central</strong></p> <p><strong>Morgan Dougherty </strong>(6’2 - Middle Blocker – Not Committed) was running a nice slide and smart routes to keep the block on the other side honest.  Drawing the block’s attention gave another freshman more opportunity to have a one on one.  <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22407" first="Mckenna" last="Wucherer"] (</strong>6’1 – Outside Hitter – Committed to Minnesota)<strong> </strong>comes in flying high from the front or the back row with a strong swing.  Wucherer sees the whole court and is so smart with her placement that she can literally put the ball anywhere on the court.  She even slices a hard cut in front of the 10-foot line that causes a buzz among the crowd.</p> <p><strong>*Lake Country Lutheran</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="81255" first="Adriana" last="Studer"] </strong>(5’7 – Defensive Specialist) could be the libero on just about any other team as one of the best defenders in the 2022 class.  Studer’s court experience alone is impressive as a Milwaukee Sting 14 Gold member this past season, as well as participating in the USAV High Performance Girls’ Select A1 National Training Program along with Wucherer.  For right now, she provides an additional optional swing from the backrow for the Lightning.</p> <p><strong>*Burlington</strong></p> <p>Burlington has strong contributors from every class which shows they won’t be rebuilding for a few years.  Their 2022 contributor is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57261" first="Morgan" last="Klein"] </strong>(5’6 – Outside Hitter).  Klein may be smaller, but she hits high over the block and has a great line swing going across her body.  She uses the tools in her toolset to use the block.</p> <p><strong>*Kettle Moraine Lutheran</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="81311" first="Alyssa" last="Gaeth"] </strong>(Right Side) is a bit raw but a very effective lefty with a 48% kill percentage.  She executes smart tips and a good deep cross corner shot.  Gaeth will definitely be one to watch out for as she grows as a player.</p> <p><strong>*Oconomowoc</strong></p> <p>Oconomowoc has some serious potential, and a big part of that is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="81252" first="Maleah" last="Howe"] </strong>(5’8 – Pin Hitter).  Howe has a strong cross body line shot and a heavy swing. She tallied 40 kills at the Joust against some serious competition.  Oconomowoc will be able to build with Howe as she is a player that can do just about anything having had experience playing for Milwaukee Sting but also the beach doubles partner of Studer.</p> <p><strong>*Menomonee Falls</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="81308" first="Taylor" last="Larson"] </strong>(5’6 – Outside Hitter) has a wicked serve that really helps Menomonee Falls take the opposing team out of system.  Larson may be smaller, but she is effective with the use of smart shots to work around the block or just simply flexing those muscles and powering through the block.</p> <p><strong>*Brookfield East</strong></p> <p>East is in a big rebuild after graduating a large senior squad, but one area in which they are really struggling is with attackers.  <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="81328" first="Paige" last="Platz"] </strong>(Outside Hitter<strong>) </strong>is a bright spot in their attack.  Platz does a nice job of reaching high and working around the block.</p> <p><strong>*Appleton North</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57241" first="Brianna" last="Cantrell"] </strong>(5’8 – Pin Hitter) is a terrific 6 rotation outside and a stellar backrow attacker.  Cantrell is leading North with 90 kills, and its not surprising with her high reach and ability to work around the block and use the whole court.</p> <p><strong>*St. Thomas More</strong></p> <p>More had a couple standouts against the tough Joust competition.  One was <strong>Emily Glembin </strong>(Outside Hitter).  Glembin does a nice job of powering through a block.  She had a career high 6 kills against Homestead on the first day of the Joust. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>