What I Liked From Indiana On Jan 16-17 Tourneys

<p>Every once in a while, I get the opportunity to hit up a local tournament to either referee or just enjoy live. I did a little of both this past weekend with two tournaments locally, and have three that I was impressed with that are steadily rising.</p> <p><strong>’22, [player_tooltip player_id="125436" first="Emily" last="Holmer"], 5-0, L, Academy 17 Twisters</strong></p> <p>This pint-sized passer has above average defensive skills and received serve at a high level to keep the Twisters in every point. She is more than capable of covering for weaker passers in serve receive and covered blocks exceptionally well. This is a full-go, no quit player that will make a difference at the next level. I look forward to my next encounter with her play.</p> <p><strong>’22, Madison Farmer, 6-1, MB/OH, EVRC 17 Marx</strong></p> <p>On a high school team that doesn’t see a lot of athletic success, I never even knew Madison existed until I saw her warm up on Saturday. She hits a high and heavy ball (just ask the defenders and blockers she dominated on Saturday), and her raw athleticism gets her out of more trouble than most. What’s even better is that she’s improving with every experience on the court. I love the fact that she keeps bringing it no matter what happened on the previous play. A great short-term memory is needed to play this game at a high level, and she’s already light years ahead of where she should be developmentally. </p> <p><strong>’23, Kara Biehl, 5-5, L, Boiler Juniors 16 White</strong></p> <p>The libero jersey is a thankless companion. You’re expected to pass everything perfectly (when your teammates bail), touch every ball on defense (to cover for others) and cover every block (when hitters don’t hit high). Time and again, Kara proved that she would do ALL of the dirty work that others were either unwilling or unable to do defensively. I liked her poise, even when her team was down, and more often than not, Miss Biehl was the reason her squad was successful. This is a coachable kid who can, and will, make a difference at a small college near you. I just hope that she gets a little more exposure between now and then.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>