Rankings Update: ’22s That Are New To Me

<p>Full disclosure: I am the only Indiana scout in the Prep Dig network. There will be times that, without outside help, some high-level athletes will not be seen by me. That being said, I do the best that I can with not only the resources I have and the places I go, but from adult input as well. I apologize not only to the five athletes and their families in this article, but to any athlete that I can’t reach. Any and all help is greatly appreciated, and my efforts don’t happen unless I get a little help.</p> <p>Here are five noobs to the ’22 rankings that you need to know.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115070" first="Marina" last="Gronkiewicz"], 5-10, S, 1st Alliance 17 Black</strong></p> <p>Marina is far enough north in the state of Indiana to have the luxury of training in Illinois as well. 1st Alliance is a well-run, well-trained group of teams and coaches that get the most out of their players year in and year out. Marina is no exception. Her hands are high, sets are accurate, and her athleticism gets her to a lot of balls other setters in this class just can’t. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115017" first="Emma" last="Lyons"], 5-7, DS, Empowered 17 Elite Black</strong></p> <p>Emma is the ’bro for Empowered’s top 17s team, and for good reason. Her serve receive is smooth and flawless, she defends well and feeds settable balls, and bombs away from behind the baseline to serve. I’m sure she can play any back row position, but for now, she’s the special jersey in the left back. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125465" first="Niesha" last="Anderson"], 6-2, MB, Empowered 17/18 Elite Black</strong></p> <p>Niesha is a heavy-ball-hitting middle that takes up space in the block and goes over most people in the attack. She is a force in the middle, and is slowly inching in on reaching ten feet in her attack touch (as of this writing, her attack touch is 9-9). Although a latecomer to volleyball, Miss Anderson is quickly becoming one of the better bigs in Indiana in this class.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118189" first="Payton" last="Rolfsen"], 5-11, S, Empowered 17 Elite Black</strong></p> <p>Rounding out the three Empowered kids on this list is one of the top uncommitted setters in this class. Payton is long and lean, quick with her hands and feet, and defends better than most setters in ANY class in the state of Indiana. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108601" first="Josie" last="Hanas"], 5-7, OH/DS, Boiler Juniors 17 Elite Gold</strong></p> <p>Josie is listed at 5-8 in my rankings, 5-6 on the Boiler Juniors website, so of course I list her as 5-7 in this article. More than capable of being a six-rotation outside, and did so in the championship match of last weekend’s Central Zone Invite, she pans out to being a DS at the next level, and will do so with ease. Her serve receive is smooth, her defense is exemplary, and she’s smart about ball placement on defense and offense. Do not underestimate her size; Josie should not be served under any circumstance, and her attack reminds me of how beach players play---with a high volleyball IQ.</p>