Academy Summer League Week 4 Review: North Central

<p>Another 4A school from the north side of Indianapolis, the Panthers have always had athletes, but this year’s team might be their most talented in recent memory. With <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110513" first="Emery" last="Moore"] (’24, 5-9 S)</strong> at a high-level training camp, it was great to see how many athletic options North Central could roll out in her absence. Here’s what I saw.</p> <p><strong>’24, [player_tooltip player_id="110514" first="Whitney" last="Scherrer"], 6-0 S</strong></p> <p>The last time I saw Whitney was last fall, when I reffed one of her matches. North Central’s coach confirmed to me that she’s grown since last fall, and even my six foot guess from Thursday might be a bit low. She’s longer, leaner, stronger, and a more accurate setter than even a few months ago, and can also attack from the right when Miss Moore returns. I am amazed at her transformation, as she goes into her sophomore year fully capable of staying on the varsity for the remainder of her high school career. </p> <p><strong>’22, Akia Terrell, 5-5 DS/L</strong></p> <p>NC’s full-time libero is an exceptional option for the special jersey, and I might believe other area high schools covet Miss Terrell’s skills. Her footwork is quick and light, she contacts a ton of balls both in serve receive and defense, and she’s hyper-accurate behind the service line. For a pair of younger setters, Akia is a great first-contact for their development.</p> <p><strong>’24, [player_tooltip player_id="110512" first="Alaleh" last="Tolliver"], 5-11 OH</strong></p> <p>High-flying and hard hitting, Alaleh is another young talent that can bang away from any spot on the floor, front or back. She’s also being used as a six-rotation option, so knowing that her serve receive is only going to get better over time is a huge selling point for her future recruitment. I like this kid, as she’s a very dynamic athlete for not only this class but any class in Indiana.</p> <p><strong>’24, [player_tooltip player_id="133763" first="Marlina" last="Anderson"], 5-11 MB</strong></p> <p>I might be selling her short by listing her as 5-11, as her attack touch is near ten feet. She takes long strides quickly in transition, can attack from in front of or behind the setter, and goes pin to pin with the best of them. Her no nonsense attitude toward the thankless work involved to be an effective middle does not go unnoticed, as her availability in the attack opens multiple options for her pin attackers. Marlina is yet another class of ’24 kid for NC that will be terrorizing other central Indiana teams for years to come.</p> <p><strong>’22, [player_tooltip player_id="85893" first="Georgia" last="Trisler"], 5-5 S</strong></p> <p>I list another setter here because I was impressed that NC has not one or two, but THREE solid setters. On this night, the Panthers ran a strict 6-2, with Miss Trisler as the second setter. Just as accurate and effective as Whitney, she keeps the majority of her sets in the same tempo and the same location, avoiding the disconnect often seen in 6-2 offenses. Although not as tall as some of her fellow setters, Georgia is more than capable of setting at the next level.</p>