What Badger Region 17s Leveled Up At BRC?

This past weekend at the Badger Region Championships I was able to really take a close look at the 17s across multiple divisions. There were players I had seen play in the past who were playing at a high level and others who were new on the radar, some even from the Class of 2027. Here are some athletes from the 17s who were at another level.    [player_tooltip player_id='755666' first='Lucy' last='Gray'] of 414 Elite has been on the rise this club season from the Class of 2026. She played at our Prep Dig Champions Cup a few weeks ago and was a major standout at Badger Region Champs this weekend. I think she is the steal of the class. At 6'2, athletic and lengthy, she has to be touching ten feet on her approach where she is terminal from the middle and right side. With her athleticism she can score points from anywhere along the frontline. The upside to her game is there, her best volleyball is ahead of her. Her 414 Elite squad had a huge weekend, taking home the 17 Open title.     The Dooyema girls are so fun to watch, they all contribute in their own way. [player_tooltip player_id='504465' first='Emily' last='Dooyema'] on the outside for MKE Sting 17 Silver brings so much electricity to the court where she causes a lot of problems for the other side of the court. She brings a dynamic skill set with her where she has a knack to score points. Whether it be a hard swing cross court, a tool off the block, or a roll to the donut. Sting is loaded with 2026 talent where they have four teams from the 17s that have punched their ticket to USAV nationals in Dallas.     [player_tooltip player_id='388446' first='Alaina' last='Matola'] out of Brookfield East was a huge point scorer this past weekend at the Badger Region Championships for 414 Elite. She brings an aggressive approach where she is fast to the ball, a violent arm swing creating plenty of chaos for the other side of the net. She was one to watch at the Prep Dig Champions Cup and at the Badger Region Championships. She is one of a few standouts from Brookfield East who is having a big club season where the Spartans are generating plenty of momentum heading into the fall.     Madelyn Van Denend is part of Spiketown Sheboygan 17s where many of these athletes played for Sheboygan Christian who advanced to the D5 state tournament this past fall. Van Denend is only a sophomore and is showing she can score at a high level, she can also serve receive and defend as well. This team has a really great chemistry and appears to have a genuine joy when they play together. Keep Van Denend and the rest of the Sheboygan Christian crew on the radar.     This was a fun I AM VBC 17 Red team to watch this past Sunday where they finished 2nd in 17 Open. One of the more dynamic athletes in the gym was [player_tooltip player_id='249633' first='Anya' last='Mikhailenko'] who is a junior at Homestead High School. Her skill set is unique. She is a 5'10 setter/right side combo player who has a huge influence on the game. Her ability to score points is exciting because she approaches with such aggressiveness and can really mix up her shots to keep the defense off balanced. She is a next level athlete where she raises the level of play and is someone the other side always needs to know where she's at and what she can potentially do.     Rylan Kaminski has had a decorated high school career so far for Luxemburg-Casco where she changes the game as a libero. She takes away plenty of points from the other side of the net where she makes a clean first contact and keeps her offense in system. Watching her this weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 17 Flyers, she just glides on the court, her movement is effortless and has a really quiet platform. Her IQ is mature and is always playing with a cool and calm energy.     One of the first plays I saw when I walked over to the I AM VBC 17 Red vs FVP match was Laila Hertel just crushing a ball down the line. It was a next level swing. She plays with a positive energy and isn't afraid to take a rip to score some points. Her performance was key in the I AM VBC 17 Red run to being a runner up in 17 Open. Hertel and her squad will be heading to Indianapolis to compete at the Mideast Qualifier this upcoming weekend.     I remember seeing [player_tooltip player_id='736726' first='Rachel' last='Hoerig'] play for Wisconsin 17 Elite at the Prep Dig Resolution in January and was once again impressed by her performance. This Class of 2026 libero has a lot of athleticism and physicality where she has quite the range she can cover. She is having a strong club season and will be looking to build momentum for a big senior year at Brookfield Central.     Kiera Smith plays for Madtown 173 Select and is a junior at Sun Prairie East High School. What is unique about her game is her ability to set and attack. She was able to score points on the right side for her Madtown team, but was also setting in the backrow as well as the secondary setter on the right side. Whenever the ball went her way, there were positive things that happened for her side of the net.     Noraleigh Nagelmaker was very impressive for Sting United 17 Black this weekend where she was the commander of the backrow. The Class of 2026 libero is actually out of Dubuque, Iowa where she joins her high school teammate Cambel Drapeau for the Sting United program out Madison. She preps for Dubuque Senior High School. She brings a presence to the court where she can serve receive, take pace off a hard swing, and clean up chaotic plays on her court. She is definitely one to watch out of this Class of 2026.     Audrina Stephani was really impressive with her athleticism for [program_tooltip program_id='431945' first='Valley' last='Velocity'] 17 Lime. She is a springy attacker who can get up quick and find ways to score points. She is only a 2028 playing up two levels on a 17s team and could be a sneaky one to keep track of out of the freshman class!

This past weekend at the Badger Region Championships I was able to really take a close look at the 17s across multiple divisions. There were players I had seen play in the past who were playing at a high level and others who were new on the radar, some even from the Class of 2027. Here are some athletes from the 17s who were at another level.