New Names (To Me), Big Performances From NLQ 17 Open

I'm out of Wisconsin, I see the Upper Midwest athletes quite a bit - I zero in on Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  What I enjoy about covering a national qualifier is being able to see athletes from across the country that I don't typically get a chance to see.  I also get to see local athletes compete against other top prospects - bringing out new performances. Here are some new names on my radar as well as some names who gave big performances at the Northern Lights Qualifier from 17 Open.     What a gamer. Molly Robertson of AVC 17 Red just made so many positive things happen for her team this past weekend at the Northern Lights Qualifier. She defends extremely well from the setter position and just made things really easy for her teammates. She has great footwork to get to the ball, finds her teammates a favorable match up, and you can tell others to feed off of what she brings to the court. She has given her verbal to Penn State and I can see where she is going to be a key part to an elite program.     I kept checking and as far as I can see, Milani Marrero is not committed to a college…yet. I was so impressed by the libero for AVC 17 Red where she was a major catalyst to their success. She plays with control, she's not chaotic as a libero. There is a poise and maturity to her game where she provides a clean first contact, a high hittable second ball, and finds a way to make the rally better. She would be one I would have on the radar heading into Triple Crown.     So electric. Anne Culkar is a six rotation outside hitter who came up huge for AVC 17 Red, specifically in the match I saw her play against Northern Lights 17-1 which essentially propelled them to the final gold pools. From serve receive to passing to scoring points on the pin she just made things happen. She created a lot of action on their side of the net and was always an outlet to score no matter what rotation she was in. She will be heading to App State and this seems like a great fit for her.     What a swing. I don't get a chance to watch many Idaho teams play and seeing this Crush squad was so exciting. Reese Meier was a problem for her opponents. The 6'1 lefty right side hits such a heavy ball. The velocity is really coming at the defenders. Her hand contact is just different. She will be heading to Ole Miss and could be a high scoring threat at the next level.     Another electric pin in the field was Jonnie Folsom of Idaho Crush 17 Bower. She plays six rotations and is a scoring threat from anywhere on the court. She just bounces off the floor and has a violent arm swing. She is committed to Weber State who is always a contender for a title in the Big Sky. Folsom will continue to be key for Crush as they head to Triple Crown in just over a week.     Elie Bain was the QB1 for Dynasty 17 Black who brought back an open bid to Kansas City. This was my first time seeing Bain play live and I kept looking for where she was committed. She's a Class of 2028, her time to start the process will come this June. The movement, the hands, Bain can be offensive as well. For a 2028, playing at a high level 17 Open is no joke. She is right in line with other high caliber Dynasty setters this club consistently produces.     I really liked this MAVS 17 Elite squad who came in with something to prove. They went undefeated in their opening day pool with huge wins over MN Select and Iowa United. An athlete to have on the radar is Maryn Dean, she runs a really quick offense and does a nice job of finding her middles. This could be a sneaky good team to have on the radar. She is committed to North Carolina A&T.     This isn't exactly a new name on the radar, but a big performance worth noting. Makennah Peterson is a 6'3 middle blocker who plays for Madtown National 171 Elite out of Madison, Wisconsin. Offensively, she hits a real heavy ball, but her blocking was next level this past weekend. In their opening pool play match against Arizona Storm she was causing problems for the Storm attackers who are some of the best in the country. Her presence made attackers think twice when it comes to a big swing.     I don't always get a chance to see a lot of Kansas City clubs play being based out of Wisconsin, but when I do its always impressive the depth of talent I see. Presley Kreter was for impressive for PVA 17 Elite. The speed, the athleticism, the physicality - she has it all as a middle blocker who stood out among an elite field. PVA advanced to the final gold pool, finishing among the elite eight. She will take her talents to Central Florida.     This is another libero from Northern Lights 17 Open that will need to be on the radar of college coaches when it comes to Triple Crown in just over a week. Molly Bokenkrager is an uncommitted Class of 2027 libero who was able to show great range, athleticism, and clean first contact to get her PVA squad in system. She preps at St. Michael's out of Lee's Summit, Missouri.

I'm out of Wisconsin, I see the Upper Midwest athletes quite a bit - I zero in on Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. What I enjoy about covering a national qualifier is being able to see athletes from across the country that I don't typically get a chance to see. I also get to see local athletes compete against other top prospects - bringing out new performances. Here are some new names on my radar as well as some names who gave big performances at the Northern Lights Qualifier from 17 Open.