5 players to watch during the high school boys volleyball season

Madison West, Middleton, Madison Memorial, Madison La Follette, Madison Edgewood, Sun Prairie, DeForest and Madison East are the only area teams to have a boys volleyball program.

Middleton has been the area’s powerhouse, winning the past three Big Eight Conference titles, but will have a new coach in Dylan Griffith this season.

This may allow Madison Memorial, which finished second in the conference and has a talented senior class, to dethrone the Cardinals.

With the first matches starting Tuesday, here are five players to watch during the 2023 season.

Ambrose Engling, sr., Middleton

Position: Outside hitter

Impact: The Princeton commit was a second-team All-State selection last season after leading the Cardinals with 279 kills, 3.48 kills per set and a .0376 hitting percentage. Engling also was second on the team with 66 blocks and earned first-team All-Big Eight Conference honors.

Quotable: “Ambrose is a very dynamic athlete and has grown into being an offensive outlet for us, but over the past few seasons he has really improved his all-around game,” Griffith said. “He brings a strong sense of leadership and experience coming into his senior season and we can’t wait to see what he does this year.”

Henry Possell, jr., Madison West Position: Outside hitter

Impact: Possell became an all-around player as a sophomore, finishing last season with 45 digs, a 0.229 hitting percentage and 1.9 passing percentage. This earned him first-team All-Big Eight honors. Heading into his third year on varsity, Possell will “have an opportunity to step into a leadership role,” Madison West coach Jamie Dalheim said.

Quotable: “Henry works hard on and off the court to better himself,” Dalheim said. “He plays smart volleyball by finding holes in the opponent’s defense and taking command of the court with his strong swing. I’m excited to see him continue to improve on all aspects of his game as we make our way through the season.”

Justice Koning, sr., Madison Memorial

Position: Middle blocker

Impact: Koning had a historic junior season for the Spartans, leading the team with 103 blocks and 56 serving aces. Both season totals rank second in school history and earned Koning a unanimous first-team All-Big Eight Conference selection.

Quotable: “Justice is downright terrifying out of the middle, at 6-foot-8, he offers one of the biggest blocks and swings anyone will face this year and he’ll do a lot of damage for us,” Madison Memorial coach Eric Peterson said.

Greg Smith Jr., sr., Madison East

Position: Outside hitter, middle blocker

Impact: The 6-foot-5 Smith used his height advantage to dominate opponents last season. The second-team All-Big Eight outside hitter led Madison East with 128 kills and 21 blocks as a junior.

Quotable: “Greg is an athletic cheat code and he is noticed by everyone when he walks into the gym,” Madison East coach Matthew Filteau said. “He consistently hits the ball at the top of his jump, and has only gotten stronger since last season.”

Brody Stuttgen, sr., Middleton

Position: Setter

Impact: Stuttgen was Middleton’s best passer and server last season. The second-team All-Big Eight setter led the team with 745 assists and 51 serving aces. He was second on the team with 136 digs.

Quotable: “In his third season on the varsity team, Brody has improved tremendously and become more consistent every year,” Griffith said. “He brings an infectious energy onto the court and is always a great teammate. His experience will be invaluable for us this season.”