5 high school boys volleyball players to watch this season

Middleton captured its first WIAA state championship last season, becoming the first area team since Monona Grove in 1965 to take home the gold ball.

The Cardinals aren’t alone in featuring high-caliber players, including a number of high-level recruits and U.S. National Team selections.

Here are five area players to know this fall.

Milo Dean, Sr., Madison West

Position: Libero

Notable: Milo Dean, a starter for Madison West last season, again will be a leader for the Regents. The second-team all-Big Eight Conference pick tallied 177 digs last season to go with 35 aces behind his “powerful jump float serve,” according to coach Jamie Dalheim. Described as a “level-headed player who can take control of the defense,” Dean helped the Regents reach the sectional semifinals and will help the group contend for a Big Eight title.

Quotable: “Milo has the court awareness that any great defender has. He always is in the right spot on the court and can keep a rally going by continuously getting the ball up,” Dalheim said. “He is not only a great player, but he also is a leader to the team. Milo leads by example and pushes everyone to be the best players they can be.”

Sam Fleming, Sr., Madison La Follette

Position: Outside hitter

Notable: Sam Fleming was a major bright spot for Madison La Follette last season, earning second-team all-Big Eight honors. He became the Lancers’ go-to hitter as a junior, racking up a team-high 207 kills. He also had a second-best 89 digs to go with 25 aces and 21 blocks. Fleming has a jump serve that can find the floor on either side and has worked to improve his hitting percentage. That, coupled with his burgeoning leadership skills, have made him the Lancers’ focal point as they try to flip their 3-18 record from last season.

Quotable: “Sam has a very relaxed personality on and off the court, keeping his composure and leading by example,” coach Ian Spletter said. “This, along with his ability to make huge plays in our offense sets him apart from other players.”

Lincoln Myers, Jr., Madison Memorial

Position: Right-side hitter

Notable: Lincoln Myers, a key piece in Madison Memorial’s sectional runner-up team a season ago, will take on a larger role for the Spartans. The 6-foot-9 junior put his 7-foot wingspan to good use, piling up a third-best 173 kills and a .267 hitting percentage. Myers, an honorable mention all-Big Eight pick, also added 50 blocks and made the United States Boys U19 Volleyball National Team as a sophomore this past spring. Myers, a Division I recruit, boasts plenty of firepower and could help take the Spartans to new heights.

Quotable: “Lincoln is an incredibly humble and special kid that will be the focal point of our offense this season … and will raise an already versatile and veteran offense to unseen levels,” coach Eric Peterson said.

Evan Mello, Jr. Madison Edgewood

Position: Libero

Notable: Evan Mello, a two-year starter, helped Madison Edgewood continue to rise up the Big Eight leaderboard last season. The honorable mention all-league pick helped the Crusaders finish in the top half of league for just the second time since joining in 2017. Where Mello excels most is in his serve receive and has developed into a go-to leader. Coach Keegan Talbott expects even bigger things from Mello this season.

Quotable: “Our entire program is made up of mostly underclassmen, and to have an upperclassman like Evan leading our defense makes the world’s difference,” Talbott said. “He’s stepping into his confidence and matching his leadership with his skillset, and it will be very exciting to see how the season unfolds.”

Caden Van Buren, Jr., Middleton

Position: Outside hitter

Notable: Caden Van Buren played a pivotal role on a veteran team last fall, helping Middleton capture its first WIAA state championship. At the state tournament, the honorable mention all-Big Eight pick had a team-high 40 kills compared to six hitting errors (.453 hitting percentage). It made for a big season in which he had a team-high 179 digs and was second-best in kills (255), blocks (73), aces (52) and hitting percentage (.353). The U.S. Boys U19 Volleyball National Team Development Program pick will be relied on even more as the Cardinals pursue a second straight title.

Quotable: “Not only is he talented in the attacking phase of the game, but in my opinion he is the best all-around player in the state,” coach Dylan Griffith said. “Caden has always been a steady player on the floor, but he looks to step further into a leadership role.”

Editor’s note: The Wisconsin State Journal’s high school coverage area includes the following schools: Madison Memorial, Middleton, Verona, Madison La Follette, Sun Prairie East, Sun Prairie West, Madison West, Madison East, DeForest, Waunakee, Mount Horeb, Stoughton, Monona Grove, Oregon, Madison Edgewood, McFarland, Deerfield, Marshall, Belleville, Wisconsin Heights, Madison Abundant Life, Madison Country Day, St. Ambrose, Lodi and Sauk Prairie.