Plenty of College Commits, Team Chemistry Highlight FC Elite 18 Navy
Club tryouts are finished (everyone take a collective sigh of relief). There is always plenty of parts that are a bit unsettling, but rosters are coming together and the FC Elite 18 Navy squad is primed with plenty of athletes…
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Continue ReadingClub tryouts are finished (everyone take a collective sigh of relief). There is always plenty of parts that are a bit unsettling, but rosters are coming together and the FC Elite 18 Navy squad is primed with plenty of athletes who will be taking the college court next fall. FC Elite 18 Navy, as well as the other FC Elite teams, will be opening up play at the Prep Dig Resolution at the brand new FC Champions Center in Appleton January 4-5, 2020. Teams who commit to Prep Dig Events will all have team and club profiles throughout the club season!
FVA/FRCC Connection
Katherine WalchMany of these athletes are coming from the Green Bay and Fox Valley area where many of them have found high school success and will now join forces for the club season. From the FRCC there is Katherine Walch – Notre Dame, Katie DiRaimondo and Lauren Borchardt – Manitowoc Lincoln, Taylor Birr – Pulaski, and Kaitlyn Coisman – De Pere while the FVA is represented by Kalli Mau and Maddy Pearson – Kimberly, and Ava Aldag – Neenah. Emma Oelhafen of Xavier and Emma Wollert of Sheboygan Falls round out the team.
Going D2
The NCAA Division 2 route is one that many Wisconsin athletes seek, but with UW-Parkside being the only D2 school in the state, athletes travel to neighboring states to play Division 2 which offers athletic scholarships, but can also bundle in other academic and financial need money.
Katherine Walch – Libero – Michigan Tech
Taylor Birr – Setter – Bemidji State (WI)
Kalli Mau – Setter – Bellarmine (KY)
Emma Wollert – Middle Blocker – Truman State (MO)
Ava Aldag – Outside Hitter – Hillsdale (MI)
Graphic Cred: Tennessee Tech AthleticsSoaring With The Golden Eagles
Katie DiRaimondo of Manitowoc Lincoln started her club career out as a middle blocker. With her leaping ability, athleticism, and physicality there were plenty of options DiRaimondo had as far as what to play. This past season she earned All-State honors as a six rotation outside hitter where she was Co-Player of the Year in the FRCC. DiRaimondo has signed on to play for the Golden Eagles at Tennessee Tech, an up and coming Division 1 program in the Ohio Valley Conference under the direction of Jeannette Waldo who has some Wisconsin ties as well having been an assistant coach at Green Bay.
Uncommitted Talent
With the majority of this squad committed, there are still some athletes who are available to play at the next level. The Senior class of Emma Oelhalfen and Kaitlyn Coisman are still available where Oelhafen was a 2nd Team All State player for Division 2 and broke the Xavier single season record for kills. Coisman puts up an extremely strong block on the right side and is a high IQ player. Lauren Borchardt is uncommitted and is only a Junior where she can just fly on the outside with nearly 300 kills this past season for Manitowoc Lincoln.
Maddy PearsonSwiss Army Knife
Maddy Pearson is committed to UW-Oshkosh and had a major breakout Senior season for Kimberly where she can set or swing on the right side. Really soft hands and physical blocker and attacker just adds another dimension to this team as someone who can do a little bit of everything.
Team Chemistry For The Win
A strong core of this team has played together at some point in their club careers and now they can all end their club career together. These athletes have seen time for Wisconsin Volleyball Academy, Green Bay Power, and One Wisconsin. The ever-changing landscape that is club volleyball. This team is well balanced, high academic, and a sense of familiarity with each other that will make them a strong contender in the Badger Region.