President's Day Weekend Standouts: Class of 2024

President’s Day weekend is always a big time for club tournaments and showcases. Last weekend, the Garden State Championship Series continued out of PowerZone Volleyball in Denville for some fierce competition. There were plenty of standouts in this Sunday’s 16U division. Here were some of my favorites from the class of 2024: <img class=" wp-image-133747 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Katelyn-Poggi-S-2024-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="122" height="162" />Katelyn Poggi, S, Xtreme 15-2, West Morris A strong setter is critical to having a successful program. Having someone as competent as Katelyn Poggi running the offense is a great asset to any program. This setter has good control over the ball and a strong sense of the game. Even as a freshman, she is able to keep the game at her pace and connect well with her offense. She's athletic with a lot of growth potential, too. Poggi will be a great addition to the West Morris squad and will continue to help her club team thrive this season. <img class="wp-image-133715 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Rose-Ceralli-L-2024-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="138" height="184" />Rose Ceralli, L, Xtreme 15-2, Mount Olive My personal favorite type of player is someone who is strong, sturdy, and reliable. That is exactly how I would describe libero Rose Ceralli. With her competent back row play, she kept her team in the game when things looked bleak. Her confidence radiates on and off the court, and she certainly keeps her teammates calm when the game gets out of control. Ceralli is a talented young libero with room to grow. <img class=" wp-image-133716 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Tessa-Kelleher-MB-2024-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="107" height="142" />Tessa Kelleher, MB, Xtreme 15-2, Mendham Tessa Kelleher is going to be a force for the future of Mendham's program. Rumor has it that some key players for the program are not playing this season which frees up some varsity spots for studs like this. Kelleher is extremely athletic and coordinated: perfect for a young middle. She can serve, pass, and definitely swing. After building some more confidence with her blocking, she will be tough to beat. <img class=" wp-image-133714 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Shantel-Starling-Donovan-Catholic-2024-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="125" height="167" /> Shantel Starling, OH, OCVBC 16, Donovan Catholic Donovan Catholic is stacking the future of their program with these next few athletes. Shantel Starling, standing at just over 5’10, is a powerful young lady. Playing up to the 16s level, this athlete has shown that age is just a number. She plays well above her grade level in terms of volleyball IQ but also in tenacity. Starling hits the ball hard cross and down the line, serves to ace, and puts a roof up over the ball. That’s not where her talent ends; she plays hard in the back row as well. She is going to be absolutely terrifying in the coming years. <img class=" wp-image-133713 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Carly-Bowbliss-MB-donovan-Catholic-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="124" height="166" />Carly Bowbliss, MB, OCVBC 15, Donovan Catholic Also working in construction is Carly Bowbliss. In New Jersey, we don’t typically see a ton of strong blockers emerging so young, but Bowbliss is happy to prove us wrong. This middle is going places. She is a dependable option for her setter and she plays to win. If her block isn’t down, she can be accountable for some short defense to keep the ball playable. Behind the service line, she continues to impress with a strong and consistent serve. She and Starling will be an unbeatable duo this high school season. Macayla Linder, OH, OCVBC 15, Donovan Catholic <img class=" wp-image-133711 alignright" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Macayla-Linder-OH-Donovan-Catholic-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="134" height="178" /> If two stud freshmen weren’t enough, Donovan Catholic also scooped up outside hitter Macayla Linder. She’s a leader on her travel team and gives her setter peace of mind to know that any ball she gives her will be converted. She still has room to grow in terms of arm speed and strength, but that doesn’t take away from how well she controls the ball and thus the pace of the game. She will be an interesting player to keep our eyes on going forward. <img class="wp-image-133705 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-24-at-5.42.54-PM-233x300.png" alt="" width="130" height="167" /> Sarah Bogert, OH/MB, Allegro 15 National, Morristown Sarah Bogert is a dynamic athlete and teammate. This reformed soccer goalie brings her swift lateral movement, hand-eye coordination, and leadership onto the volleyball court. At 5’10, she’s a natural choice to play middle on most New Jersey squads. When she’s on the outside and has space to really open up her swing, that’s where she shines. We can expect big things from this freshman at Morristown this year. <img class="alignright wp-image-133706" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-24-at-5.45.27-PM-300x284.png" alt="" width="178" height="169" />Sophie Pogodin, RS, Allegro 15 National, Kinnelon Standing at 5’9, left-handed Sophie Pogodin is a natural volleyball player. She has only been playing competitively for about a year now, and she has taken to the sport well. She has a long, athletic frame that lends itself well to the mechanics of hitting. While she’s still building strength, her quick whip of an arm gives her great contact on the ball for some impressive swings. Keep an eye out for Pogodin this season. <img class=" wp-image-133707 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-24-at-5.46.44-PM-289x300.png" alt="" width="167" height="173" /> Sophia DiGregorio, S/RS/MB, Allegro 15 National, Riverdale Also a reformed soccer goalie is Sophia DiGregorio from Riverdale. DiGregorio is one of those do-it-all athletes. You can put her anywhere on the court and she will not only get the job done but she does it well. She came to the squad as a setter but quickly took to hitting right side and then middle. Most notably, her jump serve is impressive beyond her age. She is a force in all six rotations and the team certainly feels her absence when she is on the sidelines.   <img class="wp-image-133708 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-24-at-5.49.02-PM-180x300.png" alt="" width="115" height="192" />Lindsey Millis, OH/DS, Allegro 15 National, Kinnelon Millis defies the laws of gravity when she plays. Standing only at 5’4’, she manages to out-jump most girls her age. She attributes her excellent body control and strength to her years training as a flyer for competitive cheerleading, but now that it’s behind her, she dedicates all her training to volleyball. She has a hard swing due to a quick whip in her arm and is able to convert at a crazy high percentage. The same goes for her scary strong jump serve. This is a player that you use photos and video footage of to show other players how they should look. Her form is perfect and execution is usually very close to it as well.

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President’s Day Weekend Standouts: Class of 2024

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