Here are 25 of the top high school girls volleyball players and the top 5 teams in the Appleton area this season
The Post-Crescent coverage area has a wealth of top girls volleyball players and teams. Here are 25 of the top players to watch along with top teams heading into the season.
TOP PLAYERS
Addison Albrecht, sr., Kaukauna
The 5-foot-10 outside hitter was an honorable mention selection to the all-Fox Valley Association team last season. Finished with 293 kills, 205 digs and 57 aces.
Eliana Brenn, jr., St. Mary Catholic
The 5-11 middle hitter was a unanimous first-team all-Big East Red selection. Totaled 176 kills, 46 aces and 38 total blocks.
Peyton Carlson, so., Waupaca
Was a Division 2 Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association all-state second-team selection in Division 2. The 5-11 outside hitter is the top-ranked player among sophomores in the state by prepdig.com.
Teegan Charapata, jr., Appleton North
The 5-9 middle blocker was a second-team all-Fox Valley Association selection. Finished with 137 kills and a .293 hitting percentage with 43 total blocks.
Hazel Cook, sr., Seymour
The 5-11 outside hitter was a unanimous first-team all-Bay Conference pick. Totaled 281 kills and 194 digs.
Madison Daley, jr., Xavier
The 5-11 setter was a first-team all-Bay Conference selection. Critical member of the Hawks' Division 2 state champion squad last season. Finished with 255 kills, 163 digs and 56 aces.
Ella Demetrician, sr., Appleton North
The 6-foot outside hitter was a first-team Division 1 WVCA all-state selection. Also a unanimous first-team all-Fox Valley Association pick and the league's player of the year. Totaled 419 kills, 218 digs, 36 blocks and 33 aces. Helped lead North to the Division 1 state semifinals. Verbally committed to Michigan.
Lauren Fischer, sr., St. Mary Catholic
The 6-1 middle blocker was a Division 3 honorable mention selection to the WVCA all-state team. Ranked No. 70 among seniors by prepdig.com. Finished with 290 kills and 269 digs.
Molly Fischer, jr., Hortonville
The 5-9 libero was a second-team all-Fox Valley Association selection. Finished with 361 digs and 34 aces.
Alayna Geiser, jr., Chilton
The 5-6 Geiser was a second-team all-Eastern Wisconsin Conference selection. Finished with 151 kills, 179 digs and 56 aces.
Marin Grossman, sr., Hortonville
The 5-10 outside hitter was a second-team all-Fox Valley Association selection. Totaled 325 kills and 162 digs. Ranked No. 81 among top seniors by prepdig.com.
Mattea Kiepert, sr., Xavier
The 5-10 outside hitter was a Division 2 first-team selection on the WVCA all-state team. Helped lead the Hawks to the Division 2 state title last fall. Finished with 266 kills, 74 digs and 59 aces. Ranked No. 22 among top seniors by prepdig.com.
Annika Kowalski, jr., Xavier
The 5-9 outside hitter was a Division 2 honorable mention selection to the WVCA all-state team. Ranked No. 20 among top juniors by prepdig.com. Helped lead the Hawks to the Division 2 state title last fall, finishing with 298 kills, 205 digs and 66 aces.
Claudia Merizon, sr., Neenah
The 5-6 setter was an honorable mention selection to the all-Fox Valley Association team. Finished with 341 assists, 211 digs, 135 kills and 59 aces.
Olivia Neumann, sr., Xavier
The 6-3 middle blocker was a second-team all-Bay Conference pick. Finished with 158 kills and 59 total blocks. Key member of the Hawks' Division 2 state championship team last fall. Ranked No. 25 among top seniors by prepdig.com. Will play collegiately at UW-Green Bay.
Emma Nilson, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran
The 6-1 middle blocker is ranked No. 13 among top seniors by prepdig.com. Finished with 211 kills and a .373 hitting percentage. Also had 77 total blocks and 33 aces. Will play collegiately at Middle Tennessee State.
MORE: Here are 7 must-see games during Week 2 of the high school football season
MORE: Prep Chatter: Freedom's Jones reflects on successful coaching career after retirement
Annalise Patchett, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran
The 6-foot outside hitter was a unanimous first-team all-North Eastern Conference selection. Ranked No. 11 among top seniors by prepdig.com. Finished with 280 kills with a .303 hitting percentage. Also had 50 total blocks and 49 aces. Will play collegiately at Western Michigan.
Mariah Potter, sr., Xavier
The 5-9 setter was a Division 2 second-team selection on the WVCA all-state team. Helped lead the Hawks to the Division 2 state title. Finished with 1,050 assists, 243 digs and 86 aces.
Ava Reis, sr., Kimberly
The 5-9 outside hitter was an honorable mention selection to the all-Fox Valley Association team. Registered 153 kills and 53 digs.
Belle Shea, sr., Xavier
The 5-5 libero was a Division 2 first-team pick on the WVCA all-state team. Helped lead the Hawks to the Division 2 state title. Ranked No. 20 among top seniors by prepdig.com. Finished with 495 digs and 51 aces.
Madison Tripp, jr., Kaukauna
The 5-9 setter was a Division 1 honorable mention selection on the WVCA all-state team. Ranked No. 8 among all juniors by prepdig.com.
Emerson Van Lannen, sr., Appleton North
The 6-foot setter was a WVCA all-state honorable mention selection in Division 1. Ranked No. 9 among top seniors by prepdig.com. Finished with 401 assists and 87 digs. Will play collegiately at Kansas State.
Eva Wall, jr., Freedom
The 5-9 outside hitter was a second-team all-North Eastern Conference selection. Finished with 244 kills and a .381 hitting percentage. Also had 69 total blocks and 44 aces.
Olivia Witkowski, jr., Weyauwega-Fremont
The 6-foot middle blocker was a second-team all-Central Wisconsin Conference North selection. Totaled 225 kills with 58 total blocks.
Megan Woelfel, sr., Hilbert
The right-side hitter was a first-team all-Big East Red selection. Finished with 231 kills, 189 digs and 60 aces.
TOP TEAMS
Appleton North (33-5)
One of the consistent powerhouses in Division 1, the Lightning is coming off a state semifinal finish. North returns a bevy of talent led by Michigan recruit Ella Demetrician, the top-rated senior by prepdig.com. Emerson Van Lannen, Teegan Charapata, Lydia Koshuta and Maggie Hahnke are also top players for the Lightning, which finished second in the Fox Valley Association to Kimberly last season.
Fox Valley Lutheran (35-4)
Finished second in the North Eastern Conference last season to Luxemburg-Casco, but is this finally the year for the Foxes? FVL has had tremendous teams, but always seems to run into an eventual state power in the postseason (Xavier, Luxemburg-Casco). The Foxes return a pair of headliners in Emma Nilson and Annalise Patchett with Ava Patchett an emerging player.
Kaukauna (30-12)
The Ghosts reached the Division 1 sectional semifinals last season before falling to Appleton North. They have a versatile senior in Addison Albrecht around the net and one of the area's top setters in Madison Tripp.
Kimberly (27-13)
The Papermakers won the Fox Valley Association last season but fell to Appleton North in the sectional final. Kimberly lost a lot to graduation but the returning players are talented and led by junior outside hitter Ava Reis.
Xavier (39-7)
The Hawks won the Bay Conference and were dominant in their run to the Division 2 state championship last season, beating Sauk Prairie in the final. The Hawks return the entire starting lineup from that team including Maria Potter, Mattea Kiepert, Annika Kowalski, Madison Daley, Halle Vande Hey, Belle Shea and Olivia Neumann.
CONTINUE YOUR SUPPORT: Thanks to our subscribers for making this coverage possible. Be sure to download our app on the App Store or Google Play. Follow us on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletters
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Top high school girls volleyball players, teams in the Appleton area
