STMA Fall Classic: Five Younger Must-See Athletes

<p>The regular season continues to roll along with sectional playoffs looming in the near distance. The 2019 season has provided a lot of excitement for competing teams and fans alike, including a good look at the future of Minnesota high school volleyball. Several underclassmen have grown a lot over the past several weeks in helping there teams find success as well as gaining confidence in their own individual abilities. With a few big tournaments on tap this weekend and in the latter stages of the regular season, this is a great time to highlight some of these youngsters that will be among the teams competing at the STMA Fall Classic this weekend.</p> <p><strong>CLASS OF 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>Elsa Bergland</strong> - OH | St. Louis Park<br /> The Orioles have some great depth around the floor and Bergland fills her supporting role very well. She continues to contribute<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">in a variety of ways as she is among the team leaders in digs while also</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> earning points off her arm as an attacker and from the service line. St. Louis Park can be considered more than a sleeper as sectional competition is just around the corner. The Orioles are 7-1 over their last two weekend tournaments and should battle well for the title this weekend also.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="72782" first="Cynphany" last="Henderson"]</strong> - S | St. Michael-Albertville<br /> Spending part of the season sharing the setting duties for STMA, Henderson recently led the Knights with 30 assists in their 3-0 sweep of Rogers earlier this week while playing through the front row. She is athletic and shows good pursuit of the ball from anywhere on the floor. She can deliver with good touch and control through all phases in and out of system and against the flow. Her athleticism and quickness also make her very effective at the net. The Knights have been in and around the top 10 in class AAA all season and have a solid core of athletes that can carry they deep into the postseason.</p> <p><strong>CLASS OF 2023</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="73491" first="Sydney" last="Schnichels"]</strong> - OH | Willmar<br /> Having started for the Cardinals as an 8th grader a year ago, Schnichels has emerged as a more prominent offensive option this season. Her size at 6’1 creates a great advantage on the pin with her length. Her improvement has helped Willmar to a 20-10 overall record and good success in 2019 given their need to fill some big shoes following the graduation of key members that carried them to the section finals a year ago. She has great club experience playing for MN Select alongside the Swenson twins profiled below.</p> <p><strong>CLASS OF 2024</strong></p> <p><strong>Olivia Swenson</strong> - OH | Hopkins<br /> One half of the 8th grade Swenson twins that start and star for Hopkins. At 6’3, Olivia has great length that can provide good range in her contact point. Her youth shows at times as she continues to develop her movement patterns in both serve receive and transition. With increased footspeed and quickness she will create more time for her approach work to build momentum and increase her power. Her regular appearances each match are increasing her game experience, which is good for anyone when considering the strength of the greater metro area big schools. </p> <p><strong>Stella Swenson</strong> - S | Hopkins<br /> The setting half of the Swenson duo, Stella stands 5’10 and is already showing good command of her team as the primary distributor. She has great setting genes given her older sister’s highly lauded and accolade-filled career with the Gophers. Some of Stella’s best attributes are in her high hands and contact point that are followed by nice touch and extension. Like her sister, the experience is paying great dividends, which is accompanied by a veteran-style competitive approach to gameday.</p>