Competition to Heat Up at the Winter Classic this Weekend: 16 Open Preview
Though it is supposed to be cold this weekend, the competition in the Winter Classic 16 Open division is going to be hot! Ten amazing teams are going to battle it out starting on Saturday. Kokoro Volleyball (Ranked #2) of…
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Continue ReadingThough it is supposed to be cold this weekend, the competition in the Winter Classic 16 Open division is going to be hot! Ten amazing teams are going to battle it out starting on Saturday. Kokoro Volleyball (Ranked #2) of the North Country Region and Lions (Ranked #8) from the Great Lakes region will be joining 8 teams from the Badger Region in this tournament.
Ranked #1 is FC Elite 16 Navy. Eight of their eleven players are ranked by Prep Dig with seven of them in the top 25. Pin hitter Cora Behnke (Prep Dig Rank #3) is so versatile she can be utilized anywhere. She is a truly amazing athlete who is nearly unstoppable. Other notable hitters on this top-ranked team are Hattie Bray (Prep Dig Rank #15), Brianna Guerts (Prep Dig Rank #53), Natalie Johanknecht (Prep Dig Rank #23), Emma Mans (Prep Dig Rank #21), and Linnea Willer (Prep Dig Rank #24). Setter Brook Bolwerk (Prep Dig Rank #16) runs an extremely fast offense to complement her powerhouse hitters. Setter and pin hitter Kiersten Kraus (Prep Dig Rank #19) is fast and athletic. This is definitely the team to beat going into this two-day tournament.
Ranked #3 is Motion Volleyball 16 Blue. This is a dynamic team whose offense is one to watch. Their setters Katelyn Lefler (Prep Dig Rank #43) and Chloe Epker (Prep Dig Rank #71) are both extremely talented and have the power to put the ball consistently to their hitters from nearly anywhere on the court. Defensive specialists Kallissa Jaeger (Prep Dig Rank #108) and Megan Hawthorne (Prep Dig Rank #70) are both fast and consistent, reading the ball well and playing strong serve receive. On offense, Motion has Abby Serdynski (Prep Dig Rank #40), Sophia Brown (Prep Dig Rank #46), Camylle Lapp (Prep Dig Rank #38) and Lauren Sitter (Prep Dig Rank #48) who are sure to put pressure on any team they play.
Ranked #4 is Midwest Penguins 16 Black. This team has proved time and time again why they deserve to be ranked. They won the Badger Qualifier last year and were extremely competitive in the GLPL Super Open Division. Outside hitter Jordan Berglin (Prep Dig Rank #28) is a powerhouse hitter with a 28” vertical and a fast arm swing. The other outside hitter Abby Fregien (Prep Dig Rank #37) is one of the most consistent 6 rotation athletes on the court. Pin hitter Rylie Gregg (Prep Dig Rank #54) has power and is a great asset on the right side for Penguins. Lizzy Danelski hit a 0.609 in the Penguins tournament last weekend. Passers Ally Longden (Prep Dig Rank #86) and Abby Gardner have played together for years and are nearly unstoppable in the back row.
Wisconsin Premier 16 Teal is ranked #5. And in full transparency, I do not know a ton about most of the athletes on this team. Setters Brielle Lynde and Lily Behrendt are ranked #110 and #30 respectively on Prep Dig and libero Kady Stigler is ranked #52. They earned this rank for a reason though and I am excited to see them play!
The rest of the tournament ranks out as follows: #6 414 16 Elite; #7 16 Royal; #9 FDL Fusion 16 Purple; and #10 Wisconsin Juniors 16-1. This is going to be an extremely competitive tournament and should be fun to watch, especially when we get into tournament play on Sunday!