Recruiting 2022: Hiawatha Valley Conference

The Hiawatha Valley conference has seen some great success among their teams and individual athletes that includes some tradition-rich programs known for their great roster balance, versatility, defense, and high powered offense. With Stewartville claiming the 2019 class 2A state crown, this conference should once again be featured well throughout the upcoming 2020 season. The following list (in alphabetical order) is a group of key rising juniors that should each factor significantly into their respective program’s effort his fall. [player_tooltip player_id="84524" first="Leah" last="Berg"] - 5’11 | OH/RS | Kenyon-Wanamingo Berg should enter the 2020 season with more opportunities given the level of graduation Kenyon-Wanamingo’s offense experienced from a year ago. She has good size and arm skills to be a point scorer as she can swing effectively from both sides of the floor. She shows good momentum build through her approach footwork that allows her to make good adjustments to get to the ball on balance through her last two steps. She also gets her elbow up and back to create some natural torque that can result in good pace and range when balanced in the air. She has good potential and gained some quality club experience playing for SMV’s top 16s squad. [player_tooltip player_id="72789" first="Addy" last="Bzoskie"] - 5’9 | OH | Kasson-Mantorville Bzoskie continued to grow as a primary factor in the Komets’ offense in 2019 as she saw an increase in her opportunities from the previous season. Her efforts earned her an all-conference honorable mention nod. Bzoskie's veteran experience will be key for this team in 2020 as she will continue to build upon her production as a six-rotation outside adding to her attempt count she saw a season ago from both pins and out of the back row. At 5’9 she may not be the most imposing attacker physically but she is skilled in her vision and arm work as she can take aggressive swings through the full range of the floor. The Komets came up short for a return bid to the state tournament and will rely a lot on the trio of rising juniors on this list. [player_tooltip player_id="72766" first="Maddie" last="Converse"] - 5’10 | S | Kasson-Mantorville We talk about Converse a lot simply because she has been leading this Komets’ offense for multiple years. A 2019 all-conference selection, she is set to return even better as she is coming off of her first year playing with the top 16s team at Northern Lights, one of the best in this age group both regionally and nationally. She is this team’s veteran leader, is very reliable in her effort and distribution, and will again be the backbone of all they accomplish as they look to get back to the state tournament after a 2019 absence. Converse is one of the best setters in the 2022 class and does a great job of balancing her team’s offense, which will again be key this fall. [player_tooltip player_id="72823" first="Allie" last="Elliot"] - 5’11 | OH/RS | Stewartville Elliot made some great contributions for Stewartville in 2019 during the Tigers’ class 2A state championship run as she earned all-conference honorable mention honors. With the departure of a key offensive threat due to graduation, she should see an uptick in her opportunities to help create space for Stewartville’s other returning offensive power. She is more than capable of scoring points when given the chance. She is quick, athletic, and gets off the floor fast with good arm work i the air. She also has good versatility to swing and score points through all positions in the front row. Her recent experience with Northern Lights helped raise her stock and prepare her well for Stewartville’s upcoming title defense. [player_tooltip player_id="72814" first="Halle" last="Hustad"] - 6’2 | MH | Cannon Falls Hustad is under the radar as a long and rangy middle from Cannon Falls. This next high school season should serve to raise her stock as she is highly capable of scoring points against these top programs. At 6’2, she has great size while showing good understanding of play development relative to her role and opportunities offensively as a middle. She creates good spacing and timing in front with good response to the set or the defense to make the right play. Hustad can swing and tip for points and continues to expand her range and effectiveness off one foot overhead. She has great potential and should see her ranking improve upon the next round of prospect rankings. [player_tooltip player_id="31617" first="Cate" last="Wanous"] - 5’1 | L/DS | Kasson-Mantorville At 5’1, Wanous is mighty in her role as libero for the Komets. A 2019 all-conference selection, she has some of the best platform skills in the conference as she reads the play well and can create great angles in both serve receive and defensively. Her balance and vision prepare her well to pursue the ball in any direction with good control. She has been a critical part of this team’s ball control and will return as their leader in this facet. Wanous can also apply good pressure from the service line thus expanding her range of contribution. Look for this veteran along with her fellow classmates on this list to have the Komets ranked among the top teams again in 2020. [player_tooltip player_id="72052" first="Jaci" last="Winchell"]- 5’7 | S | Cannon Falls Winchell, a 2019 all-conference selection, is among the top setters in the Hiawatha Valley when considering both skill and experience. She brings a lot of energy and leadership to this role for Cannon Falls and will be counted on once again for her veteran mindset and distribution to create balance in this offense. She moves around the floor well with good quickness and gets to most second contacts on balance so she can dish in all directions. She shows good command through the middle and opposite attack points, which was a big strength for this team in 2019. At 5’7, she plays the three front row rotations aggressively and can put up a block that can put pressure on the hitter across the net.