Top Cleveland Area U18s Teams

<p>Some of the best senior talent trains in the greater Cleveland area. With a handful of club options, some of the best U18 teams in the region hail from this area of the state. Here are two top teams that are a must see for volleyball enthusiasts.</p> <p><em><strong>AVC 18 Red</strong></em></p> <p>Academy Volleyball Cleveland has a terrific national-level reputation for training, competitiveness, and depth of talent. Their 18 Red squad features a roster full of committed athletes set to join some of the most respected programs at the DI and DII levels. A huge strength for this group will be in their ball control and defense as both <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114395" first="Emmy" last="Klika"]</strong> (Pitt) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114403" first="Hanna" last="Bissler"]</strong> (Miami, FL) provide great stability in these areas. Klika has good first step reaction and quickness while Bissler provides a terrific all-around skill set and at 5’9 has great length for a defensive type of role at the next level. Another area of depth is in the middle and on the right side as a corps of athletes will fill these positions with experience and versatility to score points from both positions and defend well at the net. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114380" first="Abby" last="Walker"]</strong> (Cincinnati) is a physical athlete and among the best at this position in the state. Teammate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114417" first="Jen" last="Sivak"]</strong> (Bucknell) provides length and good offensive range, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114419" first="Madison" last="Olinger"]</strong> (Cleveland State) has big-time blocking instincts and movement through both pins. <strong>Maddy Hooper</strong> (Palm Beach Atlantic) rounds out the middles. The pin action will feature some dynamic athletes including high flying <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114409" first="Joy" last="Banks"]</strong> (Northern Kentucky) and the arm speed of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114411" first="Missy" last="Sterkel"]</strong> (Belmont). <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114428" first="Kate" last="Mihacevich"]</strong> (Nova Southeastern) may be there most complete pin attacker and six-rotation athlete as she can get it done in several facets of the game including point scoring from both sides and out of the back row. The offense is in great hands with setters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114397" first="Kamiah" last="Gibson"]</strong> (West Virginia) and another versatile athlete in <strong>Jayme Zoeckler</strong> (Notre Dame College). Gibson has big talent and is a physical presence in this role at 6’1. She is this team’s floor leader and has ability to vary this offense well in location and tempo, making them a big challenge to defend. Banks was a 2020 DI all-Ohio 1st team selection while Klika and Walker each earned DII all-Ohio 1st team honors.</p> <p><em><strong>CVC 18 Black</strong></em></p> <p>Cleveland Volleyball Company has some of the state’s top talent from the 2021 class as well led by a group of high school teammates from Padua Franciscan, the top-ranked team in the country in 2020 by one resource. At 6’0, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114394" first="Amanda" last="Leigh"]</strong> (Buffalo) has great size as a setter and some of the best prep level competitive experience behind her as she closes out her senior year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114390" first="Brooke" last="Cirigliano"]</strong> (Miami, OH) is solid in the middle on both sides of the ball and will get support from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114423" first="Jordan" last="Chessar"]</strong> (Nova Southeastern) and her versatility in the middle and on the pins. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114440" first="Maria" last="Futey"]</strong> (Buffalo) is an accomplished outside hitter and has great presence through all six-rotations with her ability to score points with her arm as well as pass and defend. At opposite is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114396" first="MaKenna" last="Schafer"]</strong> (Ohio) and great length and reach on both sides of the ball. She can strike the ball well above the net and fills space well when blocking to put a lot of pressure on opposing left side attackers. Also on the outside is <strong>Shea Purcell</strong> (New Hampshire), a savvy attacker that can score through power, range, and finesse. Also in the middle is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114383" first="Margo" last="Huff"]</strong> (UNCW). Huff moves well throughout her offensive patterns and can create a big arm with good speed both in front and behind the setter off one foot. There is good athleticism and skill among the rest of the roster that includes opposite <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114491" first="Ravin" last="Morgan"] </strong>and defensive specialists <strong>Emily Gardner</strong> and <strong>Isabella Peroni</strong> (Niagra). Peroni is fun to watch given her quickness and ability to read and react well to make big plays look routine on the defensive side. This team features many post-season accolades from the recent 2020 high school season as well including 1st team all-Ohio honors for Cirigliano (DI), Futey (DI), and Schafer (DIII).</p>