Previewing the Hiawatha Valley League
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It’s no secret. Southeastern Minnesota is a hotbed of girls basketball, and there is no shortage of quality talent in the Hiawatha Valley Conference, which boasts a long list of Prep Girls Hoops college prospects. No current player, however, will…
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Continue ReadingIt’s no secret. Southeastern Minnesota is a hotbed of girls basketball, and there is no shortage of quality talent in the Hiawatha Valley Conference, which boasts a long list of Prep Girls Hoops college prospects. No current player, however, will be able to match the accomplishments of one who is no longer in the league. That would be Rochester Lourdes graduate Alyssa Ustby Alyssa Ustby 6'2" | CG Rochester Lourdes | 2020 State MN .
The North Carolina freshman is off to an outstanding start at the highest level of college basketball. Nobody in the HVL is surprised. The 6’1 wing dominated the conference for the past several seasons. She rewrote the Lourdes record book, finishing her career with 2,560 points, 1,295 rebounds and 394 steals. She also set single-season marks with 794 points and 364 rebounds. Simply put, Alyssa was among the best of the best.
There’s no doubt folks are thrilled for Ustby and the success she is having. Truth be told, however, they’re probably not sad she’s gone from the league because that levels the playing field a little and will enable other strong talents to step into the spotlight, including Byron star Sacia Vanderpool Sacia Vanderpool 6'4" | C Byron | 2021 State MN , the big post who has committed to Wisconsin. We have a rundown on some of those players to watch along with the teams to beat in the Hiawatha Valley Conference.
WHO’S IN THE HVL?
The Hiawatha Valley league features 11 schools divided into two divisions. Rochester Lourdes won the Gold Division – the stronger of the two recently – which includes Stewartville, Lake City, Kasson-Mantorville, Byron and Pine Island. Goodhue captured the Blue Division which includes Triton, Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Kenyon Wanamingo and Cannon Falls.
5 TEAMS TO WATCH IN 2021
Goodhue
The Wildcats have been wildly successful in recent years, winning state championships in 2016 and 2019. Last year Josh Wieme’s team went 12-2 in conference play, 26-4 overall. Goodhue boasts experience, speed, depth, terrific ball movement and their long-time calling card – defense. The Wildcats truly play team basketball. Currently, their highest-ranked individual player is junior forward Joslyn Carlson Joslyn Carlson 5'9" | SF Goodhue | 2022 State MN (#89). The other top returners are seniors Hannah Gadient, Elissa Lodermeier, Torrie Rehder and Ariana Thomforde. Watch out for freshman guard Elizabeth Gadient, who barely missed our Freshman 50 this fall and has a ton of potential.
Lake City
The Tigers have a lot of talent as their 13-1 conference record from one year ago (they were 22-6 overall) will attest. Expectations are high on Lake Pepin as coach Clay Olstad’s Tigers return pretty much every key player on the roster. Lake City’s top prospect is #33-rated junior Natalie Bremer Natalie Bremer 5'11" | CG Lake City | 2022 State MN , who is drawing Division 1 interest. She’s joined by #52 Lilly Meincke Lilly Meincke 5'10" | CG Lake City | 2022 State MN and #53 Mya Shones Mya Shones 6'1" | PF Lake City | 2022 State MN , who gives Lake City presence in the paint along with 6’3 senior post Grace Bany Grace Bany 6'2" | C Lake City | 2021 State MN (#103). The lineup is bolstered by three buzz-saw youngsters whose energy and defensive intensity is infectious: Sophomores Paige West and Jacey Majerus and freshman Ella Matzke. Sophomore Emma Berge returns from injury.
Rochester Lourdes
Last winter the Eagles became the first girls basketball program in Minnesota to reach the 1,000-win mark. What that tells you is Lourdes has been very good for a long time pre-Ustby, and they’re likely to be good long-term, too. It just might take some time this season to adapt to the new realities. Lourdes was 14-2 in the HVL, 28-2 overall. Coach Aaron Berg also lost the services of point guard Anna Otto, who is now at Dordt. He returns three standout college prospects in junior guard CJ Adamson CJ Adamson 5'9" | CG Rochester Lourdes | 2022 State MN , the #31-rated player in the 2022 class. She’s joined by sophomore standouts Vivica Bretton Vivica Bretton 5'9" | SF Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN (#45) and Emily Bowron Emily Bowron 5'7" | SG Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN (#65) who are both very, very good. Sophomore post Ella Hopkins Ella Hopkins 6'3" | PF Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN (#69) is among the state’s most improved players this year. 5’10 senior guard Sydney Elliott is a great three-point shooter.
Stewartville
The Tigers have been really solid in recent years, even after elite 2021 forward Erin Lamb Erin Lamb 6'2" | PF Stewartville | 2021 MN decided to focus on volleyball a couple of years ago. That decision paid off with a scholarship to Kentucky, but it also made it obvious that there was much more to Stewartville’s success than Erin. Coach Ryan Liffrig’s team was 11-4/20-9 last winter. Much of the credit should go to standout point guard Lily Welch Lily Welch 5'7" | CG Stewartville | 2020 State MN , who has now moved on with diploma in hand. Stewartville also lost all-conference guard Olivia Quam, along with Kailee Malone and Anna Buckmeier. That leaves speedy guard Maia Peterson Maia Peterson 5'7" | PG Stewartville | 2021 State MN as the most experienced backcourt player, but she’ll have help in the form of two excellent sophomores we love to watch. That would be Haylie Strum Haylie Strum 5'6" | CG Stewartville | 2023 State MN , #73 In the class of 2023, along with #85 Keeley Steele Keeley Steele 5'8" | CG Stewartville | 2023 State MN . PS: It was just confirmed by coach Liffrig that Miss Lamb is returning to the basketball court this season, which will be a ton of fun to see. Her shooting motion is pure art!
Kasson-Mantorville
Culture is so important in girls basketball and one of the things that has always impressed me about Ryan Haraldson’s program at Kasson-Mantorville is the team atmosphere. There always seems to be a ton of energy, plenty of positive vibes, a relentless work ethic and lots of community support, not to mention one of the most impressive gyms in the state. The KoMets were 10-5 in the HVL last year, 19-10 overall, and made it to the section 1AAA final game. They return a veteran core that is poised for good stuff this season, led by this year’s breakout senior Ashlyn Bigelow Ashlyn Bigelow 5'9" | PG Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN – the Army commit is coming off a highlight reel summer – and one of the top combo guards in the state in Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN . Aby is top 10 now in the class of 2023 and she can do it all. The rest of the veteran lineup includes 6’2 post Mya Suess Mya Suess 6'1" | PF Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN , her backup Ellie Bigelow, plus guard Avery Irish Avery Irish 5'11" | CG Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN . Watch for sophomore power forward Mackenzie Tozier to make an impact, too.
One more to watch
If you’re looking for a sleeper in the Hiawatha Valley League, you might want to look to Dodge Center where Triton alum Dustin Wright has returned home to coach the Cobras. Wright had tremendous success at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, and he brings new energy to town. The Cobras were just 5-9 in conference play last season, 13-13 overall, and they will have to overcome the graduation of six players including guards Sydney Gilliland Sydney Gilliland 5'7" | CG Triton | 2020 State MN and Kendra Petersohn Kendra Petersohn 5'10" | SF Triton | 2020 State MN (Gustavus), both 1,000-point scorers. Triton will rebuild around sophomore forward Brylee Iverson Brylee Iverson 6'0" | SF Triton | 2023 State MN , a top-25 talent who averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds per game last season. Promising freshman Azeri Thiemen, a 6-footer with length and athleticism, is one to watch.
THE DEAR DEPARTED
We’ve already told you about the departure of Alyssa Ustby Alyssa Ustby 6'2" | CG Rochester Lourdes | 2020 State MN from the HVL, but there are four others players of note who have also graduated. That list would include Ali Hunstad Ali Hunstad 6'0" | PF Zumbrota-Mazeppa | 2020 State MN of Zumbrota-Mazeppa, the 42nd-ranked player in the class of 2020, who is now at MSU-Mankato. Veteran point guard Lily Welch Lily Welch 5'7" | CG Stewartville | 2020 State MN of Stewartville, #74 in the class, has also moved on along with Triton’s Sydney Gilliland Sydney Gilliland 5'7" | CG Triton | 2020 State MN (#121) and #151 Kendra Petersohn Kendra Petersohn 5'10" | SF Triton | 2020 State MN (Gustavus).
TOP 100 PROSPECTS
- Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN – 2023 #10, Kasson-Mantorville
- Sacia Vanderpool Sacia Vanderpool 6'4" | C Byron | 2021 State MN – 2021 #17, Byron (Wisconsin)
- Brylee Iverson Brylee Iverson 6'0" | SF Triton | 2023 State MN – 2023 #23, Triton
- CJ Adamson CJ Adamson 5'9" | CG Rochester Lourdes | 2022 State MN – 2022 #31, Rochester Lourdes
- Natalie Bremer Natalie Bremer 5'11" | CG Lake City | 2022 State MN – 2022 #33, Lake City
- Vivica Bretton Vivica Bretton 5'9" | SF Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN – 2023 #45, Rochester Lourdes
- Ashlyn Bigelow Ashlyn Bigelow 5'9" | PG Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN – 2021 #49, Kasson-Mantorville
- Lilly Meincke Lilly Meincke 5'10" | CG Lake City | 2022 State MN – 2022 #52, Lake City
- Mya Shones Mya Shones 6'1" | PF Lake City | 2022 State MN – 2022 #53, Lake City
- Emily Bowron Emily Bowron 5'7" | SG Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN – 2023 #65, Rochester Lourdes
- Ella Hopkins Ella Hopkins 6'3" | PF Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN – 2023 #69, Rochester Lourdes
- Elizabeth Gadient – 2024, Goodhue
- Haylie Strum Haylie Strum 5'6" | CG Stewartville | 2023 State MN – 2023 #73, Stewartville
- Keeley Steele Keeley Steele 5'8" | CG Stewartville | 2023 State MN – 2023 #85, Stewartville
- Aubrey Akervik Aubrey Akervik 5'11" | SG Byron | 2023 State MN – 2023 #92, Byron
- Joslyn Carlson Joslyn Carlson 5'9" | SF Goodhue | 2022 State MN – 2022 #89, Goodhue
- Rylie Schnell Rylie Schnell 5'9" | CG Byron | 2022 State MN – 2022 #98, Byron
Top photo: Senior post Sacia Vanderpool Sacia Vanderpool 6'4" | C Byron | 2021 State MN (left) of Byron had some great battles with the now-graduated Alyssa Ustby Alyssa Ustby 6'2" | CG Rochester Lourdes | 2020 State MN (right) of Rochester Lourdes. (Photo courtesy of Vanderpool Studios)