Club Team Previews: Rev 17-1 and Academy 17-1

<p>I finally get the opportunity to watch a club tournament in person. This week will be filled with the teams I will see at the Shootout at Capitol Sports Center on Sunday, January 9. Today’s athletes are from the Raptors and the Tsunami, respectively.</p> <p><strong>REV 17-1 RAPTORS</strong></p> <p>The club programs in central Indiana are varied but numerous, despite its small metro area population (relatively speaking to other high-level club-filled cities). In a short amount of time, Rev has built itself into a nice little club filled with athletic talent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99590" first="JaNyah" last="Henderson"] (’23, 5-11 MB, Fishers)</strong> does it for me in the athleticism department, jumping out of the gym and one of the faster transition middles in the area. She certainly plays longer and taller than her frame suggests. <strong>Margo Hernandez (’23, 5-9 S, Fishers)</strong> runs the 5-1 show, and has a ton of volleyball talent in her own <em>family </em>with her sister Mallory spending her last season at Georgia and her brother Aaron recently signing to play at Ball State. Margo’s abilities to make the setting position look easy, and will have plenty of weapons to feed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85904" first="Elle" last="Patterson"] (’23, 6-0 OH/RS, Tri-West) </strong>can play either pin and hit every shot on each. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99586" first="Gabby" last="Gilbert"] (’23, 5-11 OH, Pike)</strong> is a heavy-armed pin attacker as well, and uses brute strength to put balls away, a stark contrast to Elle’s finesse. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85915" first="Abby" last="Herman"] (’23, 5-8 DS/L, Mount Vernon) </strong>will compete for the libero jersey, and her first contact will be key in this roster’s success this spring.</p> <p><strong>ACADEMY 17-1 TSUNAMI</strong></p> <p>So. Much. Talent. The big get bigger, as the 17-1 at Academy is once again looking down on its competition, literally. You have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99583" first="Mya" last="Ayro"] (’23, UConn commit)</strong> attacking over blocks with pace. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="143101" first="Alexis" last="Thatcher"] (’23, Samford commit)</strong> can go get tight passes that a lot of setters in this class just can’t. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85926" first="Raegan" last="Burns"] (’23, Kansas commit)</strong> just came off of a state championship run and is an amazing first-contact option. There are so many other big and strong athletes to name for the Tsunami. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93482" first="Avery" last="Hobson"] (’23, 6-0 OH, Hamilton Southeastern)</strong> knows nothing but winning at her high school, and should take one of the left pins in the offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99589" first="Jessica" last="Pickett"] (’23, 6-4 MB, Carmel)</strong> is an absolute force in the middle, and her strength leads her development. <strong>Gabby Weihe (’23, 6-1 MB, Noblesville) </strong>is the "other" middle, and is springy and fast on the jump, which matches perfectly with her whip of an arm swing. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104213" first="Maeve" last="Perry"] (’23, 6-2 RS, Brebeuf)</strong> is a big lefty option that can, curiously enough, play middle in a pinch as well. Probably the biggest surprise to this roster is the name <strong>Ashby Willis (’23, 6-0 OH, homeschool), </strong>who, if memory serves, played on KIVA’s top 16s team last spring and was a primary-passing six-rotation outside. What a roster. I’m looking forward to watching them this Sunday.</p>