Bluegrass Preview: Dunes 16 Black
From “the region” to Louisville, the girls from Dunes’ 16-1 squad probably have the longest drive of any club in the state of Indiana. Some might think that’s a bit much for a two day tournament, but the Bluegrass Prequalifier…
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Continue ReadingFrom “the region” to Louisville, the girls from Dunes’ 16-1 squad probably have the longest drive of any club in the state of Indiana. Some might think that’s a bit much for a two day tournament, but the Bluegrass Prequalifier is no ordinary two day event. With over 900 teams on over 130 courts, finding diamonds in the rough is hard enough. On Saturday morning, you can find Dunes 16 Black on court 40. Here are five athletes from various graduating classes you should watch.
’24, Kathryn (Kate) Buckley, 6-1 MB, LaPorte
Adept at both the middle and right side positions, Kate uses her length and strength to her advantage regularly. She’s mostly a two-footed attacker, and can go from pin to pin defensively with ease. I’d like to see some higher level play from her, so this weekend in the 16 Open division should be a good test for her.
’25, Lily Kowalik, 6-0 MB, Saint Joseph (Michigan)
I’m cheating here, since Lily is from Michigan. However, it’s worth noting that Lily is not only playing up a year, but plays longer than her six foot frame would indicate. With that being said, I like her ability to make some blocks obsolete or, at the very least, make blockers stay honest and account for her in the front row regularly. Her strength is coming along, and should increase with every added rep.
’25, Mya Davis, 6-1 RS, Triton
Another young, tall and lean athlete on this roster, Mya will be used as a right side on this squad, even though she is listed as a middle on her school team. Mya almost looks like a basketball player playing volleyball, as her defense at the net is more refined than her offensive ability at the moment. Again, this is a great kid with a great opportunity to improve her stock early on by playing up a year and getting used to open-level competition.
’23, Emma Fleck Emma Fleck 5'7" | S New Prairie | 2023 State IN , 5-7 S, New Prairie
We go from a couple of young athletes to a young junior who should run the show for this roster all spring. Don’t look at the height; Emma is fully capable of running a 5-1 at the next level. Her quick and consistent hands make every ball not only hittable, but exactly where each hitter needs the ball to terminate regularly. I like her footwork as well; Miss Fleck makes this game look fluid and easy.
’24, Kaylee Mrozinski, 5-10 MB, Penn
Although Kaylee spent the majority of her time at Penn on the JV squad, she’ll be asked to carry the torch on the big girls roster next fall at Penn. She’s listed as a middle here, but can play any of the front row positions for a three-rotation stint at any time. I’d like to think that she’s a plug-and-play at any position, so let me list her properly as an “athlete” first, with a position TBA.