Volleyball inks four on national signing day
11/10/2021 2:00:00 PM | Volleyball
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - The St. Cloud State University volleyball team was on a mission in 2021. The #11 Huskies wanted to prove that 2019 wasn't a fluke, and that they are one of the best teams, not only in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) but the nation as well. With one weekend remaining, St. Cloud State sits atop the NSIC standings with a 17-1 record and does not look to give up that top spot any time soon. On Wednesday, the Huskies added even more depth to their already impressive roster, as four members of their 2022 recruit class signed their National Letters of Intent: Emma Berran, Emily Kern, Maddie MacTaggart, Emilie Planert.
"We are extremely excited to bring in another standout class for the fall of 2022," head volleyball coach Chad Braegelmann said. "This class knows how to win. Multiple state championships, multiple state tournament appearances, experience at the open level of club volleyball, this group has high expectations for themselves and their teams. We are very optimistic about the future of St. Cloud State volleyball as this group will continue to build on the legacy of our alums and the current team."
Meet the St. Cloud State volleyball recruit class of 2022:
Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Eagan)
A setter from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, Berran joins the Huskies after an impressive career with Eagan High School. A three-time letter winner in volleyball, Berran earned Third Team All-Metro Honors in 2021, All-Conference honors as a junior in 2020 and AAU All-America honors with Mizuno Northern Lights in 2019. Off the court, Berran is a member of NHS and the Eagan Band and academically ranked in the top-10 percent of her class as a freshman, sophomore and senior.
Braegelmann's comments: When we offered Emma a scholarship, we knew she could play multiple positions and that she was the type of person we wanted and needed on our roster. An injury to a teammate her junior year moved her into a full time setting role and she really took off from there, setting her HS team to an excellent (Covid shortened) junior year before setting for Northern Lights 17-1 this past spring. It will be fun to see how Emma transitions to the college game with her previous experiences helping with the speed and pace of the game.
Emily Kern (Belgrade, Minn. / Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa)
Kern joins the St. Cloud State volleyball program after earning a multitude of awards during her prep career at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa. A three-time All-Conference and Defensive Player of the Year honoree, Kern earned All-State honors in back to back seasons and was named First Team All-State as a senior in 2021. She was also named to the All-Area Team in 2018, 2019 and 2020. She broke the school record for career and single-season digs and led her team to the state tournament in both 2018 and 2019.
Braegelmann's comments: Emily has been on our radar for years as a local recruit with a lot of talent. She has been to camps and clinics here at SCSU, so we know her well and could tell she is always hungry to learn and improve her game and is a fantastic defender. She's been the starting libero for a very successful high school program for years and knows how to deal with the pressure of big games with multiple state tournament appearances. We are excited to see how her game transitions to this level and her defensive intensity will be a nice addition to our gym.
Maddie MacTaggart (Omaha, Neb. / Millard West)
A 5'10 outside hitter from Omaha, Nebraska, MacTaggart joins the Huskies after earning AVCA All-Region, All-Conference and All-State honors at Millard West. As a senior, MacTaggart led Millard West to a second place finish at the Nebraska Class A State Tournament and recorded her 1000th career kill in early October. Additionally, MacTaggart was named to the AVCA All-America Watch List prior to the 2021 season and earned postseason honors every year since 2018.
Braegelmann's comments: Maddie is a dynamic athlete that can jump well and play above the net. She plays for a Nebraska Premier club that plays and does well in many open level club tournaments, so she knows how to compete and play against great competition. Maddie is able to score points from both pins as she has played outside for most of her high school career and right side for a chunk of her club time. Maddie will have some opportunities to play at both pins for us in college as well in the back row, as her serve receive and defense have continued to improve over the past year.
Emilie Planert (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere)
Planert travels to Minnesota from Wisconsin after earning multiple honors as middle blocker for West De Pere High School. A four-year varsity player, Planert was named First Team All-Conference her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and was named the MVP and Bay Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2021. She holds the West De Pere program record for career blocks and led her junior olympic team to a third place finish at nationals during the 2020-21 season. Off the court, Planert is a member of French Club, FFA, 4H and NHS and has been a high honor roll student for nine consecutive trimesters.
Braegelmann's comments: Emilie came to camp this past summer and we were very impressed with her athleticism and blocking ability as well as her attacking ability. She's able to attack well in front of the setter and high above the net and we are excited to see her growth and development as both an attacker and a blocker. She is very consistent on the court and brings a calming influence out there when she plays.
