Academy Summer League: Week 1 Favorites, Part 1

<p>For the first summer league in what feels like forever, the Academy Volleyball Club put on a good showing. Courts 5 through 11 featured 22 teams from around Indiana, from as far north as Lafayette and all the way down to Whiteland. It was nice getting back in the gym, and I’m sure the girls were thankful for it as well. There are quite a few that will be in this league that I won’t have a chance to see during the fall season, so I’m spending each week focusing on teams that need a little pub. Speaking of those two towns.....</p> <p><strong>Whiteland </strong></p> <p>Although this school is in the next town over from me, I never get a chance to ref them. That being said, I hope I do get that opportunity, as this is a small and tough team with athleticism up and down the lineup. My headliner is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125431" first="Grace" last="Meluskey"] (’22, 5-2 DS/L), </strong>who is easily the most college-ready volleyball player on this squad. Always with great body control and bombing away from the service line, she will be both the physical and vocal leader for the Warriors this fall. Another example of the small-but-tough roster is <strong>Kennedi Morrison (’24, 5-6 OH/DS). </strong>Miss Morrison is a six-rotation outside with an aggressive streak that shows a lot of promise against bigger blocks. Larger schools at the next level will like her ball control and defense, while smaller schools might take advantage of that arm. Finally, <strong>Ashlyn Ricketts (’24, 5-9 MB) </strong>really stuck out to me. Since the two Pike middles were significantly taller than her, one would expect that she would be dominated in the middle. That wasn’t the case at all last night. She takes up space at the net, is smart with imperfect sets and pounds in-tempo sets. Sounds like a middle to me, and she’s only an incoming sophomore.</p> <p><strong>Clinton Prairie</strong></p> <p>I’m a little biased here, since I had a chance to watch this team at the Lafayette Harrison tournament back in the fall. That being said, it’s amazing how much these kids have developed since then, with a nice addition to the fold. Obviously, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108606" first="Sydney" last="Swan"] (’23, 5-10 OH)</strong> is the MVP of this squad, and her maturity and confidence are through the roof with a solid season of club training from Boiler Juniors behind her. She is a do-everything, all go, no quit pin attacker that can do everything you need from a six-rotation OH. However, if Miss Swan takes ALL of the swings, her arm might fall off. <strong>Claire Ecenbarger (’23, 5-7 OH) </strong>is a great complement when Sydney is in the back, adding another element to the Gophers’ attack. She’s also a six-rotation kid, but may edge toward DS for larger schools at the next level. <strong>Caydence Rios (’22, 5-4 DS/L)</strong> is the clear floor general in the ’bro jersey, and always manages to stay on her feet not only in pursuit, but in serve receive as well. For this squad, solid passing will be the key to long-term success, and it starts and ends with Miss Rios. Finally, I was pleasantly surprised that I have my first "Class of ’25" player in <strong>Abbey Swan (’25, 5-3 S), </strong>the younger sister of Sydney above. Her hands are high, she gets to almost every ball, and sets the right kids in the right situations. The future looks bright for this roster.</p>