Rankings Update: New 22s To The Hoosier State

We’ve updated our class of 2022 rankings, and have a new #1! Once [player_tooltip player_id="85811" first="Emma" last="Halter"] accepted her verbal offer from Texas, it was completely obvious that she earned her gold medal. Now that we have that out of the way, we’ve got quite a few that have been newly added to our rankings. There are many to mention in multiple positions, but we’ll spend time in this article to talk about our top ten additions to this updated list. Here we go! #6: [player_tooltip player_id="103403" first="Abigail" last="Kesler"], 5-11, MB, Muncie Burris It would be easy to criticize me for my first pick on the newbie list, but hear me out. I know that she’s not as big as some of the other middles in these rankings. I know she doesn’t jump as high. And I know that Burris didn’t get out of their sectional last fall. That being said, she still pounds balls at multiple tempi along multiple spots at the net, and everyone she plays knows it. So, with that rationale, shouldn’t she be limited in her ability to be as good as she is? You mean to tell me that NONE of the coaches know how to stop her? I argue in the other direction, they can’t stop her because she’s that good. Period. #11: [player_tooltip player_id="102465" first="Aniya" last="Kennedy"], 6-0, La Porte If you’re defending, bring a helmet. Aniya will bounce every ball she gets, and her attack jump goes over any blocker that dares try to block. Although the tempo her setter gives her in high school isn’t as fast as the club or collegiate level, I would assume it’s that way to ensure she gets to max jump before attacking. This is a raw talent that is fully capable of using her athleticism and hand-eye to own her spot in the front row. #19: [player_tooltip player_id="102846" first="Kendall" last="Schara"], 5-8, OH, Crown Point A primary-passing, six-rotation outside that has every shot in the book on offense and touches every ball on defense. This is what you get out of Miss Schara. She’s a character kid that, although undersized, just gets "it". "It" is becoming more and more rare these days with position-specific training and a lack of understanding of the entire game, not just one aspect. Kendall knows it all, and is only getting better. #24: [player_tooltip player_id="103404" first="Traeston" last="McCutchan"], 6-2, RS, Evansville Reitz Memorial One of only three six-footers on this list, Traeston is a force to be reckoned with. Her space on the block is what hitters can’t figure out, and her attack, along with her upper body, is just getting stronger and more coordinated. The last time I saw a kid with this kind of size and this much raw ability was a former player of mine from Tri-West, Liv Benner, who was 6-6 and went to Mississippi State. And I think Miss McCutchan is still growing. Stay tuned. #39: [player_tooltip player_id="101318" first="Kylie" last="VanHoy"], 5-10, S, Loogootee The quarterback of the offense in volleyball touches every second ball. More important (for some coaches) than defensive specialists, the setter needs to be in control at all times, regardless of where and how the ball is passed to her. No exceptions, no excuses. That’s Kylie. Her size is great. Her ability to play smoothly and in control constantly is a great addition to her skill set. Our highest-ranked noob setter on this list is rising quickly, and it will only be a matter of time before someone notices. #43: [player_tooltip player_id="102466" first="Lizzie" last="Bailey"], 6-0, OH, Castle Our third and final six-footer on this list is a strong, smart pin attacker that has a high contact point to make the block close to irrelevant. After watching her in Saint Louis over President’s Day, I came to the conclusion that her TEAM is excited for her on every attack, but Lizzie is just steady-as-she-goes. Even-keeled, hard-working and can shoulder the responsibility of being a physical leader without flash. My kind of pin attacker. #45: [player_tooltip player_id="103331" first="Maddie" last="Kmetz"], 5-7, S, Andrean Maddie has been in charge of the offense at Andrean for two years now, and in no way will relinquish the setting position any time soon. I need to see more of her to see the entire skill set, but I definitely trust the coaching staff there. You don’t accidentally run the offense at the Class 2A #4 team, you have to earn it, and Miss Kmetz certainly has. #46: [player_tooltip player_id="101974" first="Emma" last="Hickey"], 5-7, DS, Penn One of two DS’s on this list, Miss Hickey has volleyball, quite literally, in her genes. Her sister played at IUPUI and continues to coach at a high level. Emma will patrol the backcourt for Kingsmen (Kingswomen? Queensmen? Lady Kingsmen? I don’t know.) and is one of the better defensive kids you’ll find in Northern Indiana. #52: [player_tooltip player_id="102847" first="Cecilia" last="Bulmahn"], 5-8, OH, Mount Vernon (Fortville) I am kicking myself every time I see her name, since I completely dropped the ball on adding Cecilia sooner. I’m surprised that her dad, former Ball State player Eric, hasn’t killed me yet. This is the THIRD of three volley dork sisters in this family, and the first two play at Valparaiso. She’s very unassuming, but can play multiple positions---six-rotation OH, three-rotation DS, libero---you name it, she can do it, and will be a big reason for MV’s success this fall. #56: [player_tooltip player_id="102747" first="LonDynn" last="Betts"], 5-4, DS, Fort Wayne Concordia A spitfire of a defender, it seems as if she’s been a libero for roughly forever. Her foot speed is off the charts, she seems to always be where the ball is, and her contact is so consistent, it would be a shorter list to mention the flaws in her game. This is another kid that, given time, will definitely reach the top twenty in this list by the time she graduates. Now, all we need to do is play.