Uncommitted Prospects From CP Tournament To Watch

Watching the Crown Point Tournament Main Court was comparable to a club tournament. High level teams across Indiana where some are committed to various divisions at the next level and a whole lot of athletes who are going to add plenty of value at the next level. I know throughout the tournament there were plenty of athletes on all courts, but to keep things simple, I stayed on the main court to take in all of the action. Here are a few athlete who I know are on the radar, but for those keeping an eye on them throughout their high school season, know from my standpoint they are doing more than alright. <img class=" wp-image-153128 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC09033-e1629218324603-300x262.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="359" /> [player_tooltip player_id="107706" first="Vanessa" last="Del Real"] - Crown Point Class of 2023 - Libero The “Real Deal” Del Real. I was able to see Del Real play for a highly talented 1st Alliance 16 Silver squad out of Chicagoland who were part of a 16 Open field at USAV. Del Real makes playing the libero position easy. Her movement is efficient, platform quiet, and she makes plays look easy. Teams need a libero who are going to make the routine plays every single time, and can keep their side of the net in system off a hard driven swing. She can do that. There is a calming presence about her that allows her teammates to feel confident every time the ball goes her way. <img class=" wp-image-153129 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08869-e1629218401514-238x300.jpg" alt="" width="284" height="356" /> Kyla Oppenuis - Crown Point Class of 2022 - Outside Hitter You can tell a lot about a team through the lens of a camera. There are some teams where it is just hard to take pictures of because they lack energy, not a lot of enthusiasm for each other. Not with Crown Point, every celebration point was social media content worthy and Oppenhuis is in the middle of it all celebrating her teammates. She is a crafty six rotation with a big time beach background. She can create so many shots for herself, finding the open spot and using the block to her advantage. Her serve receive ability is solid and is one who could really come up big in the clutch for CP. <img class=" wp-image-153130 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08990-e1629218487747-300x249.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="357" /> [player_tooltip player_id="85907" first="Mallory" last="Dills"] - Cathedral Class of 2023 - Setter Cathedral was a fun team to watch with most of their athletes under 5’10, they relied on solid ball control and a quick tempo to score points. This is all established through their setter in [player_tooltip player_id="85907" first="Mallory" last="Dills"]. Dills is long, athletic, and receives the ball high where she is tough to read. As soon as her middle goes for the slide, she is shooting it to the outside for a one on one. She is not afraid to set her middles time and time again where their connection was so strong for being the start of the season. She’s played club for Munciana and is following in the footsteps of a number of top notch setters to come out of that program. <img class=" wp-image-153131 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08905-e1629218566300-300x284.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="379" /> [player_tooltip player_id="110503" first="Ava" last="Utterback"] - Plainfield Class of 2024 - Outside Hitter Watch Utterback approach and jump - it’s just different. Her movement on the court is so smooth as a backrow player who can pass to attack to score. I’ve mentioned in a previous article that her overall athleticism has improved since first seeing her play for Circle City at the Central Zone Invite in January. These 15s players who transition to their 16s years make major gains, Utterback is an example of this. She will be a rising prospect looking to build momentum throughout the year in the high school season for a big club season in 2022. <img class=" wp-image-153132 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08928.jpg" alt="" width="560" height="373" /> [player_tooltip player_id="109992" first="Lauren" last="Wallace"] - Munster Class of 2023 - Outside Hitter Her athleticism is tough to measure. She approaches and attacks with aggressiveness where some of the photos I was able to get were looking photoshopped with how high she was able to touch. Wallace can attack on the outside or on the right side. She provides plenty of options with her offensive versatility to score points. When she is on along with [player_tooltip player_id="96843" first="Haley" last="Melby"], this Munster team is tough to stop. Add in a solid first contact from Auburn commit, [player_tooltip player_id="101109" first="Sarah" last="Morton"] and they are a well run machine. <img class=" wp-image-153133 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08999-e1629218732165-271x300.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="395" /> [player_tooltip player_id="110490" first="Taylor" last="Lewis"] - Cathedral Class of 2024 - Middle Blocker Lewis has plenty of raw athletic ability. Give a joust at the net and most likely its a point for Cathedral. She plays high and connects well with setter [player_tooltip player_id="85907" first="Mallory" last="Dills"] where she can take off on one foot or hit the quick tempo. She is only a Sophomore and has a scary upside that will be fun to watch develop.   [player_tooltip player_id="138731" first="Emma" last="Ekblaw"] - Chesterton Class of 2022 - Combo Attacker Eklblaw was able to score from multiple spots along the front row. At 6’1, she is able to contact from a high point and hit from different angles. She was able to swing a bit on the left side, but was mostly scoring on the right side where she could go down the line or split the block. She is active along the net and is real springy. <img class=" wp-image-153134 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08949.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="313" /> Payton Hinkle - Brownsburg Class of 2023 - Libero I could write about all of the defenders on this Brownsburg team and how they play with relentless pursuit. Hinkle was the libero this weekend where she plays incredibly clean. She makes the routine pass and is nails in serve receive. She can keep a play alive and anticipates the next play where she can get her feet to the ball. No unnecessary dives needed when you can pursue and have efficient feet. The ball doesn’t drop without a few touches on their side of the floor. <img class=" wp-image-153136 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08936.jpg" alt="" width="440" height="293" /> [player_tooltip player_id="85896" first="Quinci" last="Thomas"] - Brownsburg Class of 2023 - OH/RS Thomas brings a lot of athleticism and length along with a really steady all around game. She is fundamentally sound and well trained. Thomas can score points on the pins, but her presence alone makes the team better. Well composed, high IQ, and positive body language is the name to her game. Whatever the team needs, she seems to find a way to get it done. <img class=" wp-image-153137 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/DSC08950.jpg" alt="" width="443" height="295" /> Aysa Thomas - Brownsburg Class of 2025 - Setter Whats up Class of 2025! This is the first Freshman and Class of 2025 athlete I have been able to write about and Aysa Thomas is a perfect fit for that. She stepped on the court in high level matches all weekend and played with such great composure for a Freshman. Mature beyond her years, Thomas can hit all of the tempos and can get her attackers involved in a favorable match up. She belongs on that court and her teammates look to her to make the call. A fearless athlete, keep an eye on her and Brownsburg who will win plenty of big matches this fall.