Updated Class of 2021 Player Rankings: #1-10
With the updated player rankings this week, we are taking a more in-depth look at the top 25 players from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 classes. The 2023 watch list was published earlier this week. Without any further delay, here…
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Continue ReadingWith the updated player rankings this week, we are taking a more in-depth look at the top 25 players from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 classes. The 2023 watch list was published earlier this week.
Without any further delay, here is a look at the players ranked #1 through #10 in the updated Class of 2021 rankings.
#1 – Lindsay Krause, 6’3, OH, Skutt Catholic (committed to Nebraska)
Of all the players in the state, it’s pretty much a consensus that Krause has the most potential of anyone in high school right now. Her success and the fact that she’s been a part of Team USA each of the past two years is just part of the proof in that. That having been said, she took a step backwards in every attacking statistical category from her freshman to sophomore season a year ago and her hitting percentage ranked third on the team among leading attackers. Did the summer grind of club volleyball and Team USA obligations play a big role in that? Perhaps. It will definitely be interesting to see this fall how she gets back into the high school season flow after completing her Team USA competition.
#2 – Norah Sis, 6’2, OH, Papillion-LaVista (committed to Creighton)
If not for Krause, the player that would be the consensus top player in the state right now is Sis. You can tell she has really hit the strength and conditioning program hard and is playing higher, more powerfully and more physically than ever. She’s a silky smooth player that just seems to float and glide across the court and her defensive abilities are the best of any outside in the state. She could easily win the Gatorade Player of the Year this season.
#3 – Elle Glock, 6’0, Setter, Wahoo (committed to USC)
Glock is one of the best high school setters to come along in the state since Kelly Hunter and it’s pretty mind-boggling to think that Glock has only been setting for a handful of years. She is already very advanced with her hands and ball placement and her size and athleticism are already there. As time goes on, Glock will only continue to improve and is an absolute force on the court.
#4 – Rylee Gray, 6’3, MH, Elkhorn South (committed to Nebraska)
In one of the most top-heavy recruiting classes Nebraska had had in a while, Gray really only seems to be scratch the surface of what she could potentially become, and that’s saying something considering she has a .420 career hitting percentage and is one of the top blockers in the state. Everything is aligned for Gray to have a monster season at Elkhorn South this fall.
#5 – Addison Heideman. 5’9, Setter, Diller-Odell (committed to Iowa State)
I was first told about Heideman a handful of hear ago when Diller-Odell coach Kandice Jurgens mentioned that she thought the Iowa State recruit would one day better than Maddy Jurgens – the coach’s own daughter who is now one of the top setters in the Summit League for South Dakota. I had a hard time believing it at the time, but I’m firmly on board now. Heideman would not only start for any Class A team in the state, but would be an All-State performer at that level. She’s a dynamic athlete and the ball explodes out of her hands but floats softly. She’s a big-time setter.
#6 – Allison Gray, 5’11, Setter, Skutt Catholic (committed to Arizona State)
Gray is right there in the ballpark with Glock and Heidemann and in most normal years would be a top-ranked setter and top-five overall player. Her skill set has been impressive for a couple years now, as evidenced by the fact that she committed to Arizona State at an early age. She will be supremely tested this fall, however, as Skutt deals with the absence of a couple top hitters.
#7 – Shayla McCormick, 6’0, OH, Skutt Catholic (committed to Omaha)
If not for the fact that McCormick suffers a knee injury right at the end of the club season that will keep her out her entire junior year, McCormick might have been a top-five player. She’s long, athletic, plays high above the net and packs a lot of power in her swing. She’s also a standout passer and is certainly capable of being a full-rotation outside hitter in the Summit League for Omaha, providing she bounces back strong after her injury.
#8 – Whitney Lauenstein, 6’0, OH, Waverly (uncommitted)
When it comes to playing above the net and having a power arm, Lauenstein ranks right there with the best in the state. She’s extremely athletic and long and when she’s really feeling it she’s dang near impossible to block at the high school level. Lauenstein’s array of shots, consistency and back-row play are improving and as those things come along, she’s going to become an even more dominate player.
#9 – Kali Kroeker, 6’0, MH, Norris (uncommitted)
While Rylee Gray might be the top middle in this recruiting class, Kroeker isn’t as far behind as one might think. Kroeker is incredibly active and makes herself available a lot and she’s a tremendous athlete and leaper. She led the Titans in blocks last season with 70 and this summer you could really see that her confidence and consistency have really grown. Expect her to be a real force in Class B for Norris.
#10 – Brilee Wieseler, 5’9, Libero/RS, Elkhorn South (uncommitted)
I feel like I write the same things over and over again about Wiesler, but it’s because I believe strongly in it, I guess. I’m not sure what Wieseler’s real position is or what path she might go at the next level, but all I know is she’s a baller, gamer and I would want her on my team. She plays the back row like a linebacker and I could easily see her being a walk-on at a major program in the back-row, but she’s also such a tremendous leaper and attacker that she would make an incredible full-rotation right side at a GPAC or Division II team is she wanted to go that route.