Academy Summer League: Week 1 Favorites, Part 2

<p>Wrapping up the four teams that I saw two days ago gives me a feeling of normalcy again; that we’re slowly but surely bringing things back into what "normal" might feel like. There’s nothing that emphasizes that more for me than summer league. Today’s article talks about seeing a couple of teams that are looking for depth or, at the very least, newcomers that will make a difference.</p> <p><strong>Shelbyville</strong></p> <p>Talking with Coach Fuller before their match against Franklin Central, I got the impression that this was a match where a few kids were going to get a solid opportunity to play against top competition without all of the pressure of the regular season in the way. He mentioned missing at least two starters, making the five listed below a good core to either build upon or supplement their future. <strong>Emily Parker (’22, 5-10 OH/RS) </strong>seems to the be leader of the bunch, and will hit high hands hard regularly to score. Her hard jump float will also be a factor, and she can always pinch in on serve receive if needed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="107707" first="Riley" last="Lee"] (’23, 5-6 DS) </strong>should see her future as a three-rotation DS, working toward being the full-time libero soon. <strong>Madison Bassett (’22, 6-0 MB)</strong> is a long and lean middle with smart shots everywhere and takes up good space on the block. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="107708" first="Gracie" last="Leffler"] (’22, 5-10 S)</strong> is a 5-1 setter through and through. Although I would think that someone her size would be more offensive, Miss Leffler would much rather distribute a solid, balanced offense. Her block is also impressive for someone her size. Finally, my pleasant surprise was rising freshman <strong>Ashlyn Turner (’25, 5-10 OH).</strong> She’s more apt to play a pin position than middle (her club position), and in her time as a three-rotation left side, she hit high and hard, had length to get to a ton of sets and rarely made errors. Not bad for an incoming high schooler.</p> <p><strong>Greenfield-Central</strong></p> <p>Graduating eight players from their ’20 squad, this season will be interesting for the Cougars. Who might step up? Where is the offense coming from? With <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85871" first="Morgan" last="Hornaday"] (’22, 5-10 S)</strong> running the show as a 5-1 setter, hitters won’t have a problem receiving a hittable ball every time. In the match I watched, I don’t remember a bad set, or even an out-of-system ball that wasn’t hittable. Every ball got to where the hitters could do something with it. No hero setting, no flashy plays, just exceptional play from start to finish. Accompanying this rising senior are a pair of young attackers. <strong>Mya Grigsby (’24, 5-11 OH)</strong> is a long and tall six-rotation outside that can do everything a full-time outside should do. She pounds from the front row, is effective in the back and can receive serve in all three zones. My surprise for this squad was watching the play of <strong>Harper Holden (’25, 6-0 MB).</strong> She plays beyond her years, terminates on contact, and was the best overall middle I saw Thursday night. The future is bright for this young lady. </p>