LOVB Fest: 15s on Fire in Madtown!

I love heading over to Madison to check in on the talent. What I especially liked about this tournament was the high level of play. There were big teams from Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and of course, Wisconsin, bringing their best stuff to the court. The 15s divisions were stacked with big talent. The following are some of the best on the courts on Day 1.   Remember to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigamy and Facebook @PrepDig Amy for up to date event coverage, stories, and more.    Speed is the name of the game with Wilkin. She is a feisty middle that has not only quick movements but a wicked fast arm swing. I was super impressed with her gap ball attacks and quicks out of the middle. Wilkin was also impressive on defense with swift movements and stellar net play. She has a quick read on the setter and ball, has a solid reach, moves quickly laterally, and knows how to close blocks. This girl is now on my list of 2028 middles to keep tabs on as this girl is going places.     La Londe is a 6 rotation outside that impressed in multiple ways on Day 1 of LOVB Fest. Swinging from the pins, La Londe has a high contact point and a viscous swing that allows her to terminate balls down the line and cross court with ease. She also sees the block in front of her well, adapts, and alters her shot to go around it or will find the seam. La Londe was also impressive on serve receive, keeping her team in system so they can run a highly effective offense.     I have seen Tuescher play a couple of times now and each time I am impressed with her vertical, her net play, and her heavy arm swing. Today was no different. Tuescher was a beast in the middle that unloaded some big swings that led to huge kills in key moments. Tuescher also came up big on the defensive end. She read the opposing teams setters very well, moved quickly, and has a big reach that made her a wall in which noting could get passed.     Fredrickson is a girl on a mission when she is the court. While she is not the tallest 6 rotation outside, what she lacks in height, Fredrickson makes up for in hustle, grit, and with that huge arm swing she has. I was especially impressed with her cut shot. Fredrickson went around the block repeatedly and scored her team numerous points. Fredrickson was also stellar in defense. She dug numerous attacks and tracked down many deep balls from end line to end line.     Stephens was a powerhouse, 6 rotation outside that took big swings from everywhere on the court today. While her front row kills were definitely impressive, I was more enamored with her back row attacks. Stephens was something to behold as she came flying out of the backrow and hammered down kills to both sides of the open back court. This girls knows how to score points and any coach would be lucky to have her on their team.     I have been following Irlbeck for a while now and each and every time I see her, my jaw drops at some point. Irlbeck is one of those attackers that just “get it”. She transitions quickly, EXPLODES to the pin, and will hammer down big kills. Irlbeck also contributes to her team in other ways. She was solid in serving, provided numerous balls to target on serve receive, and played great middle back defense. She seems to be in her element on the court and it's crazy fun to watch.     Hoverson is a rare gem of a middle to find at 15 years old. She is tall, has great court awareness, and is super quick which allows her to be a stud on both offense and defense. On defense, I think Hoverson led the 15 open division in blocks today. She reads the opposing teams well, moves quickly, and gets her hands in position to close blocks and stop attackers in their tracks. On the flip side, she is also a force to reckoned with on offense. She reads the block in front her, can adjust her shot, and uses that great court awareness to hit the open spots on the court.     Lampe shined running a 5-1 offense on day 1. Leading her team to a 2-0 record, Lampe showcased her leadership and high game IQ as she dished out consistent balls to her pins and middles that were not only clean, but also had a ton of tempo on them. Lampe did a good job spreading out the offense and getting all of her attackers involved. However, she is also very smart and knows who to go to in tense moments to get out of a rotation. Lampe is definitely one that we will be keeping up with as she continues to grow and develop her game.

I love heading over to Madison to check in on the talent. What I especially liked about this tournament was the high level of play. There were big teams from Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and of course, Wisconsin, bringing their best stuff to the court. The 15s divisions were stacked with big talent. The following are some of the best on the courts on Day 1.