Husker Volleyball Recruiting Thread

But wait, there's more. Gatorade picks a Player of the Year for each state, not just the above-mentioned top-tier group. Along with Kenzie Knuckles & Madi Kubik, we have another who was the best player in her state.


 


Gatorade Announces Volleyball State Players Of The Year


Gatorade has released its list of state girls volleyball players of the year for 2018.

Of the 51 honorees (one each from the 50 states and Washington D.C.), 32 are seniors, with all but five of those 32 seniors having committed to continue their volleyball careers in college. Sixteen of the athletes honored are juniors and just three are sophomores. 

According to Gatorade, the player of the year award “recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.”

Among the group honored for their achievements during the 2018 high school volleyball season are seven AVCA First Team High School Under Armour All-Americans. Ohio State and Nebraska tied for the most recruits making this year’s list, with three 2018 honorees heading to each school.
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Alabama


Lillie Fromdahl, 5-8, Sr., S, McGill-Toolen Catholic HS

College Commitment: South Alabama


Alaska


Hahni Johnson, 5-9, Jr., OH/S, Dimond HS


Arizona


Shannon Shields, 5-10, Sr., S, Xavier College Prep

College Commitment: Louisville


Arkansas


Clara Parker, 5-10, Jr., OH, Jonesboro HS

College Commitment: Arkansas


California


Natalie Berty, 6-3, Sr., OH, Mater Dei HS

College Commitment: Stanford


Colorado


McKenna Sciacca, 5-11, Sr., S, Lewis-Palmer HS

College Commitment: Northern Colorado


Connecticut


Kiara Robichaud, 5-11, Sr., OH, Joel Barlow HS

College Commitment: Columbia


Delaware


Madeline Matheny, 6-1, Sr., OH, Charter School of Wilmington

College Commitment: Quinnipiac 


Florida


Savannah Vach, 5-10, Sr., S/OPP, Oviedo HS

College Commitment: Miami


Georgia


Gabby Gonzales, 6-4, Sr., OH, Walton HS

College Commitment: Ohio State


Hawaii


Elena Oglivie, 5-10, Jr., OH, Iolani School


Idaho


Zoe Thiros, 5-11, Sr., OH, Century HS

College Commitment: Gonzaga


Illinois


Taylor Landfair, 6-4, Jr., OH, Plainfield Central HS

College Commitment: Minnesota


*** Indiana


Kenzie Knuckles, 5-7, Sr., OH, Yorktown HS

College Commitment: Nebraska


*** Iowa


Madi Kubik, 6-1, Sr., OH, Valley HS

College Commitment: Nebraska


Kansas


Audrey Klemp, 6-2, Sr., OH, St. James Academy

College Commitment: Loyola Marymount


Kentucky


Rylee Rader, 6-2, Jr., MB, Assumption HS

College Commitment: Ohio State


Louisiana


Ellie Holzman, 6-2, Sr., OH/MB, Mount Carmel Academy

College Commitment: Illinois


Maine


Annika Hester, 6-3, Soph., OH, Falmouth HS


Maryland


Jenaisya Moore, 5-11, Sr., OH, Northwest HS

College Commitment: Ohio State


Massachusetts


Riley James, 5-10, Sr., OH, Barnstable HS

College Commitment: Bryant


Michigan


Jess Mruzik, 6-1, Jr., OH, Mercy HS

College Commitment: Michigan


*** Minnesota


Kennedi Orr, 6-0, Soph., S/OH, Eagan HS

College Commitment: Nebraska


Mississippi


Callie Minshew, 5-11, Sr., OH, Brandon HS

College Commitment: Mississippi State


Missouri


Birdie Hendrickson, 6-2, Jr., OH, Logan-Rogersville HS

College Commitment: Florida


Montana


Audrey Hofer, 5-7, Soph., S, Capital HS


Nebraska


Marriah Buss, 6-0, Jr., OH, Lincoln Lutheran HS

College Commitment: Wichita State


Nevada


Tommi Stockham, 6-2, Jr., OH, Bishop Gorman HS

College Commitment: USC


New Hampshire


Leah Creteau, 5-7, Sr., OH, Spaulding HS


New Jersey


Anna Morris, 6-3, Jr., MB, Immaculate Heart Academy


New Mexico


Brie Mortensen, 5-6, Sr., S, La Cueva HS

College Commitment: New Mexico State


New York


Beth Miller, 5-6, Sr., OH, Portville HS

College Commitment: Edinboro (Pa.)


North Carolina


Sydney Dowler, 6-0, Jr., S, Green Hope HS

College Commitment: Maryland


North Dakota


Lauren Ware, 6-5, Jr., MB, Century HS


Ohio


Riley Wagoner, 6-0, Sr., OH, Dublin Coffman HS

College Commitment: Hawaii


Oklahoma


Olivia Curtis, 5-11, Sr., OH, Christian Heritage Academy

College Commitment: Oklahoma


Oregon


Rose Booth, 6-1, Sr., OH, Jesuit HS

College Commitment: Loyola Marymount


Pennsylvania


Abby Miller, 5-7, Jr., S, North Allegheny Senior HS


Rhode Island


Maile Somera, 5-9, Sr., OH, Barrington HS

College Commitment: Yale


South Carolina


Sophie Fischer, 6-5, Jr., OH/MB, Nation Ford HS

College Commitment: UNC


South Dakota


Lily Bartling, 6-0, Sr., OH, Washington HS


Tennessee


Alyiah Wells, 6-2, Sr., MB, Briarcrest Christian School

College Commitment: Alabama


Texas


Paige Flickinger, 5-10, Jr., OH, Byron Nelson HS

College Commitment: LSU


Utah


Tasia Farmer, 6-0, Sr., OH, Lone Peak HS

College Commitment: UC Santa Barbara


Vermont


Maddie Folsom, 6-0, Sr., MB, Essex HS


Virginia


Krissy O’Malley, 5-9, Sr., S, Flint Hill School

College Commitment: Liberty


Washington


Shea Rubright, 6-5, Sr., MB, West Valley HS
College Commitment: Minnesota


Washington D.C.


Lauren Antonucci, 5-9, Sr., S, St. John’s College HS


West Virginia


Bryce Knapp, 5-8, Sr., OH, Woodrow Wilson HS


Wisconsin


Maddie Koch, 6-2, Sr., OH, Ashwaubenon HS

College Commitment: Purdue


Wyoming


Danilynn Schell, 5-10, Jr., S/OPP, Kelly Walsh HS








38 of these 51 kids have committed to their university.  Not surprisingly, the Big Ten has an overwhelmingly large number of them - almost 1/3 are going to Big Ten schools.

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Not a commit yet, but an interesting article on one Lauren Ware, a two sport athlete out of North Dakota. A Gaterade POY article indicates she is a middle. Her first official visit was at Nebraska. Recruit class of 2020. She would probably count against basketball as far as scholarships.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/26654901/basketball-volleyball-bucket-full-ice-two-sport-recruit-lauren-ware

2020 is shaping up to be an interesting situation for the incoming recruits. 11 scholarship players currently, no scholarship players graduating. 3 Scholarship players incoming (not even counting Ms. Ware). It looks like a couple will have to redshirt.

 
More info about the #2 recruiting class from Wagner at the LSJ

https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/volleyball/nebraska-volleyball-recruiting-class-ranked-no-nationally/article_707928a6-1448-5a42-adf4-50aca78a2f64.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Stanford is number 1. Ohio State is in the top 5 which is interesting (TCU in the top 8 is also surprising). I don't know where to find the complete top 30 list without a subscription, but rumor has it that Purdue is also ranked highly at around the 10th slot. I'm not sure about the other B1G schools. One projected top 30 list had 10 B1G schools on it.

 
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Interesting to say the least.  Odd to see a setter of that height. Jordyn Poulter, the generational setter from Illinois is also 6'2" (she graduated last year). I always thought of Poulter as some sort of unicorn--a player so unique in her talents that it really made the opposition change from their normal game plan. Poulter came within two blocks shy of a quadruple double in a match one time (going off memory, might be inaccurate). Now the Huskers have their own unicorn.

It will be interesting to see how Cook incorporates her into the game plan. Hames isn't going anywhere. Indeed she (Hames)  is likely to be a co-captain this year. One of Hames assets though is her ability to dig (Karch Kiraly once mentioned it's like having "an extra libero" with Hames in the back row). Do you put Drewnick back there at the same time and allow Hames more freedom defensively, knowing there is another setter on the floor and that 2nd contact is not always going to be a bump set if Hames makes the initial dig? One spot she can be put in for, assuming Drewnick has some blocking skills, is when Hames is getting abused on the front row (see Creighton and @Penn State for example). Drewnick can sub in without using the double sub they did last year.

With Kurkova leaving the team, it means Senior Night won't be much of a celebration this year. Which means someone (actually a couple) will have to redshirt for the incoming 2020 class unless Stivrins leaves early (she redshirted her freshman year) or someone else on the team is leaving.

Then add to the mix Kennedi Orr, a highly touted setter, who is coming in with the class of 2021. I'm sure Cook has a plan to juggle all this talent at the setter position.

 
knapplc said:
This isn't really a thing in volleyball, is it? I assume you're talking going pro.
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No, you're right, it isn't. That was a throwaway line and I probably shouldn't have even mentioned it.  The only reason I could see someone leave early is if they had a path to the 2020 Olympics via the beach volleyball route. And Hildebrand HAS mentioned, in his capacity with USA Beach Volleyball, that he thinks Stivrins has a future on the beach side. But if you look at the beach teams the USA had representing in Rio,  each had multiple seasons with a pro beach league. The earliest Stivrins would represent the US in the Olympics on the beach side is 2024, and more likely 2028.

I give her a better shot on the indoor team in 2024, even though the middle is getting crowded with young talent via Rettke and Washington. I suppose that if Stivirns had a monster year in 2019 (service game continues to improve and she makes an improvement in back row defense), Kiraly might invite her to the 2020 National indoor team tryouts. He'll have a front row seat for many of her games. But that seems like a long shot.

I personally prefer the indoor game to the beach. It is more fluid, there is more continuity (longer rallies), and more strategy. imo.

 
The 2021 recruiting class is already making an impact on the U18 USA team

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/2019/June/20/USAV-Selects-Girls-Youth-National-Training-Team

Of the 24 girls selected, 4 are committed to Nebraska (Orr, Rodriguez, Batenhorst, and Krause). The only 2021 Nebraska recruit not to make the team is Rylee Gray, a middle from Elkhorn, who is still a highly regarded recruit.

The B1G has 11 commitments on the team, 8 to the other Power 5 conferences, and 5 uncommitted. That's right. Nebraska has more representation than any CONFERENCE outside the B1G.

 
In the article contained in the preceding post about Annika Evans, Wagner makes a statement that only Nebraska players are in the 2020 class. That's odd, because I still had Madi Endsley, 6'3" outside hitter from Cali coming in 2020. So I search for info and there she is making an oral commitment to the Huskers in  June of 2016 and appears still committed as of July of 2018. Then the next thing a see is a twitter announcement on November of 2018 where she has committed to Washington. Can't find an article as to why she decommitted, but it could have something to do with the fact that she would have to redshirt her freshman year.

The same will be true with Kalynn Meyer, 6' 3" middle blocker from Superior unless a spot is created by transfer. Meyer is an interesting athlete. She throws the shot and discus in track and field. She popped a throw of nearly 180' in the discus at the state high school meet recently as a JUNIOR. I was curious how that would translate into college as the weights typically change in the throws depending on the age group. Turns out (at least what I pulled up) 1 kg is the weight of the disc in high school, college, and for international events for women. Which means she would have placed 2nd in the B1G championships this past year and around 10th in the NCAA championships. Pretty impressive.

With Evans coming in at setter, at least Cook has a plan B if someone pulls an Atherton who took her "space shuttle" serve to North Carolina as Hunter was exiting and Hames was coming in. I do wonder if Drewnick will find enough playing time to keep her at Nebraska with Kennedi Orr, a setter as highly touted as Hames, coming in 2021.

 
Undertow said:
In the article contained in the preceding post about Annika Evans, Wagner makes a statement that only Nebraska players are in the 2020 class. That's odd, because I still had Madi Endsley, 6'3" outside hitter from Cali coming in 2020. So I search for info and there she is making an oral commitment to the Huskers in  June of 2016 and appears still committed as of July of 2018. Then the next thing a see is a twitter announcement on November of 2018 where she has committed to Washington. Can't find an article as to why she decommitted, but it could have something to do with the fact that she would have to redshirt her freshman year.

The same will be true with Kalynn Meyer, 6' 3" middle blocker from Superior unless a spot is created by transfer. Meyer is an interesting athlete. She throws the shot and discus in track and field. She popped a throw of nearly 180' in the discus at the state high school meet recently as a JUNIOR. I was curious how that would translate into college as the weights typically change in the throws depending on the age group. Turns out (at least what I pulled up) 1 kg is the weight of the disc in high school, college, and for international events for women. Which means she would have placed 2nd in the B1G championships this past year and around 10th in the NCAA championships. Pretty impressive.

With Evans coming in at setter, at least Cook has a plan B if someone pulls an Atherton who took her "space shuttle" serve to North Carolina as Hunter was exiting and Hames was coming in. I do wonder if Drewnick will find enough playing time to keep her at Nebraska with Kennedi Orr, a setter as highly touted as Hames, coming in 2021.
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Her mom will probably blow a gasket if she has to redshirt.    

 
Undertow said:
The 2021 recruiting class is already making an impact on the U18 USA team

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/2019/June/20/USAV-Selects-Girls-Youth-National-Training-Team

Of the 24 girls selected, 4 are committed to Nebraska (Orr, Rodriguez, Batenhorst, and Krause). The only 2021 Nebraska recruit not to make the team is Rylee Gray, a middle from Elkhorn, who is still a highly regarded recruit.

The B1G has 11 commitments on the team, 8 to the other Power 5 conferences, and 5 uncommitted. That's right. Nebraska has more representation than any CONFERENCE outside the B1G.
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An update on the U18 USA team as they cut the roster to 12:

https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/volleyball/nebraska-volleyball-recruits-chosen-for-youth-national-team/article_d448f503-1c7a-5f96-9785-8da5b378315f.html

and

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/2019/July/26/USAV-Names-Girls-Youth-National-Team-Roster

Orr,  Rodriguez, and Krause made the cut, Batenhorst did not. For people counting at home 3 of the 12 are committed to Nebraska,  7 of the 12 are committed to B1G schools, 2 are uncommitted, 2 are committed to PAC-12 schools (Stanford, UCLA), and 1 committed to a Big 12 member (Kansas). Nebraska was the only school with multiple commits, and a Penn State commit was NOT on the list.

The U18 team will represent the US in the U18 world championships in Egypt September 5th through 14th. I'm sure this is a great thrill for the girls, but it is also slightly inconvenient, as their high school volleyball seasons will be in full swing as they play overseas.

 
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