Thank You, Seniors! (Part 2)
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The class of 2024 was such an impact class in Wisconsin. Many of these athletes were four-year varsity players, and several have numerous state appearances! Here are more seniors who dominated the WIAA State Tournament last weekend. Ella Safar WI…
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Continue ReadingThe class of 2024 was such an impact class in Wisconsin. Many of these athletes were four-year varsity players, and several have numerous state appearances! Here are more seniors who dominated the WIAA State Tournament last weekend.
Ella is an all-around athlete. Though she usually sets, she also hit and was key in serve receive for Burlington at the state tournament. Ella has been an impact player for the Demons throughout her high school career, and she did a bit of everything in their state quarterfinal match against Oconomowoc.
Caitlyn is an incredibly athletic middle who managed to hit a 0.250 against a dominant Oconomowoc team. Something the stats don’t show is the incredible number of touches she got with her block. While she only recorded one block in the match, she got in the way of a lot of swings and slowed down some dominant hitters.
Claire is a rock in the back row. She kept some incredible balls alive and was confident in her play. Claire has experience on the big stages, which showed in the Resch at state. Claire is disciplined yet scrappy with the ball and is absolutely fearless. She had 15 digs and 3 assists in their quarterfinal match. It was fun to see Claire and her Franklin squad take on the Resch in her senior season!
Avri was Franklin’s biggest offensive weapon. She had over 400 kills this season alone and averaged 4.1 kills per set. In the state quarterfinal match, Avri had 9 kills and 8 digs. She was a go-to hitter for the Sabers and could attack from the front and back row.
Highlights
Summer is such a fun pin to watch. I had the opportunity to see her play in club and high school volleyball, and she is so dominant on the court. She was one of the kill leaders for her team and also had 12 digs in the quarterfinal match. Summer is aggressive with her swings and can power through big blocks. She is an athlete who was reliable and powerful for Waunakee.
Morgan was one of the kill leaders for her team and also led the team in assists in their state tournament. She was clearly a leader on the team and both set and swung depending on the rotation. Morgan is an athlete who has a lot of potential and still has a lot of volleyball to play at the next level!
Something I love about Ava is how much fun she has on the court. And she can deliver on even the toughest of plays. She broke a dig record at state (even though she is a setter!). Having a good defensive setter is incredibly rare. Ava is a positive leader on the court and gives everything she has to her team and the game she is playing.
Katelin was really impressive throughout the state tournament. She covered a lot of space in serve receive and was a key defender for McFarland. She made some great hustle plays in the state championship match and kept some tough balls alive.
Mariah is such an amazing athlete. In the state championship match alone, she had 2 kills, 29 assists, 2 aces, and 8 digs. Wow! Mariah perfectly balances being focused and competitive and enjoying the moment on the court. She runs such a clean offense, and everything she does is efficient. She has a huge role on this Xavier squad and will definitely be missed!
Halle was an offensive weapon in the state championship match. She had 7 kills and only 1 error, hitting 0.300. Halle was explosive in transition and was able to find great placement for the ball. Her ability to play in all six rotations was critical for Xavier’s consistency.
It is hard to believe Mattea is a senior. She had 5 kills and 0 errors in the championship match, hitting a 0.455. Mattea had such a huge impact in the front row on both offense and defense. She got in front of numerous balls and had a solo block and 2 block assists throughout the match.
Olivia is an athlete who has so much potential. She is going to thrive at the next level, and I am excited to cheer her on at the college level. It is hard to top having a one-handed block to win the state championship. Olivia is balanced in her attack and smart with her shots. But, if she has the chance, she can absolutely rip the ball with huge power.
Belle is such a natural defensive dynamo. She is everywhere on the court, in coverage, defense, and serve receive. Nothing drops on her in the back row. Belle is relaxed and confident on the court as well, trusting her instincts and reacting quickly to the ball. She had 6 assists, an ace, and 16 digs in the championship match. She also had zero reception errors. Considering how many balls she passes in serve receive, that is a huge accomplishment.