Wayzata stands strong

It's going on five years since anybody other than Wayzata has won the big-school class in the volleyball state tournament. The Trojans have won three in a row — taking the Class 3A title in 2019 and 4A in 2021 and 2022. No state tournament was held in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.

Wayzata looks once again to have the best shot at the big-class title this year, but the Trojans are not the cut-and-dried favorites they were in years past.

It helps to have two of the top players in the state in the Swenson twins, seniors Stella and Olivia. Stella is a crafty 6-2 setter who was the 2022 Metro Player of the Year. Olivia, a 6-3 middle blocker, is one of the most feared hitters in the country and is a human barricade on the block. Both committed to play at Minnesota before Hugh McCutcheon stepped aside, and that hasn't changed under Keegan Cook.

Such a pairing alone makes the Trojans formidable. Now add 6-4 senior hitter Avery Jesewitz, who leads a lineup of towering Trojans including 6-3 sophomore setter Eva Swenson, the twins' sister, and 6-2 Katie Kelzenberg, 6-1 Reilly Kurth, 6-foot Gabby Fish and 5-11 hitters Chloe Lackas and Maggie Anderson. Tying it together is 5-9 Bianca Nistor, the latest in Wayzata's stream of top-flight liberos.

Who can challenge the Trojans? Perhaps Champlin Park. The Rebels have perhaps their best team since winning the Class 3A championship in 2018, led by junior hitter Carly Gilk and stitched together by junior setter Reese Axness. Don't overlook either of the Lakeville schools. Eagan has new momentum supplied by first-year head coach McKenna Melville. East Ridge is always competitive, and Rogers is looking to build on back-to-back state tournament appearances.

Juniors step forward

The Class of 2025, players who are juniors this season, looks to be special.

Two players from the class have already given verbal commitments to the Gophers, Champlin Park hitter Carly Gilk and Rush City defensive specialist McKenna Garr.

Burnsville hitter Mesaiya Bettis has skills to spare. She has gained national team attention and is called "explosive" and "lethal" by her coach, Josh Wastvedt.

Rogers' Anya Schmidt is as versatile as you'll find, and her jump serve makes spectators say "wow." Schmidt heads up an exceptional group of junior setters, which also includes Champlin Park's Axness, Northfield's Teagan Jaynes, East Ridge's Alexis Opland and Lakeville South's Olivia Wagner.

There's a plethora of talented hitters and blockers, among them Eagan's Keira Schmidt, Wayzata's Katie Kelzenberg, Park of Cottage Grove's Carly Slusser, Lakeville North's Brooke Zweber, Champlin Park lefthander Kathryn Adler and South St. Paul's Alaina Panagiotopoulos.

A divine dozen

1. Stella Swenson, Wayzata, 6-2, senior, setter. Last season's Metro Player of the Year and a two-time Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, she controls a game like nobody else. College: Minnesota

2. Olivia Swenson, Wayzata, 6-3, senior, outside hitter. Stella's twin sister, she has one of the state's most potent arm swings and has developed into a savvy six-rotation player. College: Minnesota

3. Kaia Caffee, Buffalo, 6-4, senior, middle blocker. Physically imposing with eye-opening athleticism. Her reach is off the charts, and the angle of her attack poses loads of problems for opposing defenses. College: Ohio State

4. Carly Gilk, Champlin Park, 6-2, junior, right-side hitter. Dripping with athleticism, Gilk is the type opposing coaches lose sleep over. The resounding thud of her kills routinely brings gasps from the crowd. College: Minnesota

5. Mesaiya Bettis, Burnsville, 6-1, junior, outside hitter. Still scratching the surface of her potential, she has a vertical jump above 30 inches that makes her highly sought-after. College: undecided

6. Anya Schmidt, Rogers, 5-10, junior, setter/opposite hitter. Had more than 300 kills in 2022, the byproduct of a remarkable volleyball IQ. Her top-spin jump serve is the most potent weapon in high school volleyball. College: undecided

7. Audrey Kocon, Mounds View, 6-2, senior, setter. A seasoned leader as a setter, Kocon broadened her game during the club season and has become a force as a hitter and a defensive dynamo. College: Providence

8. Keira Schmidt, Eagan, 6-4, junior, middle blocker. Of course you can't coach height, and Schmidt has plenty. Her game has become well-rounded, and she's an intimidating force at the net. College: Marquette

9. Paige Wagner, Lakeville South, 6-3, senior, middle blocker. A defensive force, particularly at the net, where she puts up a brick-wall block and hits with serious intent. College: Michigan Tech

10. Luca Bredenberg, Southwest Christian, 5-9, senior, defensive specialist. In a world of long and tall, Bredenberg stands out with her tenacity and scrappy defense. College: Lipscomb (Tenn.)

11. Reis Baune, Rosemount, 6-0, senior, outside hitter. Baune plays with authority, announcing her presence with a fast arm swing, impossible-to-ignore power and the ability to hit from anywhere on the court. College: North Carolina State

12. Maddy Benka, Minnehaha Academy, 5-10, senior, outside hitter/defensive specialist. Versatile and heady, she thinks volleyball as well as she plays it. Had 439 kills in 2022. College: St. Thomas

A dozen more not to miss

Reese Axness, Champlin Park, 5-10, junior, setter

Ava Ball, Nova Classical, 6-0, junior, outside hitter

Hadley Burger, East Ridge, 6-0, senior, outside hitter

Rayna Christianson, Lakeville North, 6-1, sophomore, setter/middle blocker

Emerson Dillon, New Prague, 5-8, junior, outside hitter

Maddy Dombeck, Farmington, 5-7, senior, setter

Else Kunze-Hoeg, Mounds Park Academy, 6-0, senior, setter

Teagan Jaynes, Northfield, 6-0, junior, setter

Avery Jesewitz, Wayzata, 6-4, senior, outside hitter/middle blocker

Ella Joesting, Prior Lake, 5-7, senior, libero

Avery Klein, New Prague, 5-11, senior, right-side hitter

Bianca Nistor, Wayzata, 5-9, senior, libero

Metro Top 10

1. Wayzata: Until someone unseats the Trojans.

2. Champlin Park: Determined to play hard for coach John Yunker as he recovers from heart surgery.

3. Rogers: Fastest-rising program in the metro.

4. East Ridge: A program that has reached a consistent high level of play.

5. Lakeville North: Young but talented.

6. Lakeville South: Defensively tough.

7. Northfield (Class 3A): New coach, but too much talent to fail.

8. Burnsville: Building on 2022 state tournament appearance.

9. Eagan: NCAA All-America McKenna Melville is now coaching her alma mater.

10. Forest Lake: Tournament-tested.