Chicagoland DS & OH Watchlist: IHSA 3A

<p><span class="TextRun SCXW111209548 BCX4" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW111209548 BCX4">As we are moving into the second week of the IHSA Volleyball season, we look into some talent coming from our Outside Hitters and Defense Specialist group out of the Chicagoland area.  These athletes come from the IHSA 3A division and are definitely ones to keep eyes on this season.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW111209548 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong>Gigi Kinner</strong><span data-contrast="auto">- St. Ignatius High School</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Kinner is coming into the spring season, coming out of an impressive season with Chicago Elite 17U-18U as she is a quick and steady ball handler for her team. Kinner has currently seen action in three sets and has a total of 4 kills and 11 attack attempts for St. Ignatius. It is still very early in the spring season, as athletes are just now seeing action for the first time due to COVID. Kinner has excellent movement across the floor is able to read off of her teammates when it comes to passing and striking the ball. Kinner has some work and talent to show as it is early in the season, so she is definitely going to be one to watch this season in the group of defense specialist amongst the Chicagoland area. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong> </strong><span data-contrast="auto"><strong>Elise Heneghan-</strong> Fenwick High School</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Heneghan is a different type of athlete that is definitely one to watch this spring season. Not only is Heneghan swift on her feet and persistent with her ball handling, she is also a stellar athlete on the basketball side. Heneghan has impressive stats from her previous season with 56 sets played, with 164 kills, 169 digs and 24 blocks. We hope to see Heneghan this season, as she has the athleticism, skill set and possess the ability to have quick movement and wide range in her ability to be aggressive and competitive. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong>Shannon O’Laughlin</strong><span data-contrast="auto">- Fenwick High School</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">O’Laughlin enters her sophomore year, coming off </span><span data-contrast="auto">a</span><span data-contrast="auto"> impressive season with her team, 1</span><span data-contrast="auto">st</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Alliance, and is expected to take her talents to the floor during her high school season. Last season, O’Laughlin had an impressive season as a Freshman with 127 kills, 161 digs and 19 Aces. O’laughlin is definitely one to watch this spring, as her skills are developing and she is a key component to her teams. She incredible movement across the floor and is an aggressive player when it comes to defending her territory.  We look forward to seeing what O’Laughlin brings this season as she is one to keep on your radar. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong> </strong><span data-contrast="auto"><strong>Jennifer Falk</strong>- De La Salle High School</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Falk is going to be one to watch throughout the spring season, as she winds down from her club season. Falk has physical attributes that show out and bring attention to Falk when she is on the floor. Standing at 5’7”, Falk has impressive movement and has an impressive block jump. She has a few years in the high school scene and she already possesses the right skills needed to be a successful defensive specialist. Falk </span><span data-contrast="auto">should</span><span data-contrast="auto"> be kept in mind as we move into the middle session of this spring season. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong> </strong><span data-contrast="auto"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="61731" first="Zoe" last="Watts"]-</strong> De La Salle High School  </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Standing at 5’9”, Watts has special assets that is impressive when it comes to defending the ball and setting up attacks on the ball. Watts has a powerful strike in both right and left arms, which makes her very diverse on the floor. Watts has a steady flow as she moves across the floor, making her accessible to defend the ball. Her ball handling skills are firm and are persistent to the direction the ball is aimed at. Watts is very aggressive on the court and has </span><span data-contrast="auto">awesome</span><span data-contrast="auto"> athleticism when it comes to working as a team. She is going to be one to keep an eye out for this season. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>