Bluegrass Preview: Munciana Indy 16 Pumas
Like a good portion of clubs here in the midwest, there are branches of the parent club that make membership more numerous and available to more kids around Indiana. The Academy has Grand Park and Boiler Juniors, for example. In…
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Continue ReadingLike a good portion of clubs here in the midwest, there are branches of the parent club that make membership more numerous and available to more kids around Indiana. The Academy has Grand Park and Boiler Juniors, for example. In Munciana’s case, for the athletes that don’t go all the way up to Yorktown to train, there’s another option with Munciana Indy , which has its facility located in Fishers, just northeast of Indianapolis. In this article, we touch on five athletes from the 16-1s, who can be seen on court 38 in the morning wave on Saturday.
’24, Hannah Cooke, 5-8 S, Heritage Christian
A recent transfer from the Academy, Hannah is a defensive-minded setter who can easily run a 5-1 at the next level. I like her ability to locate the ball accurately, regardless of the pass, and will become offensive to keep opponents honest. Although she’s one of the two setters in the 6-2 they run at HC, I wouldn’t be surprised if that changed next fall, considering her training this spring.
’24, Rachel Burke, 5-10 MB/RS, New Palestine
I’m listing both positions here because of her versatility. She’s an M2 in high school, more two-footed than one. Rachel could also take up space on the block on the right pin with her sneaky length that will cause opponents to alter their shots. She didn’t get a lot of varsity reps last year, so I’d like to see more out of her this spring leading into next fall. For now, however, her size and athleticism will get her far on their own.
’24, Mackenzie Sheldon Mackenzie Sheldon 5'11" | OH Carmel | 2024 State IN , 5-11 OH/MB, Carmel
Another long and lean attacker, Mackenzie is another multi positional front row option that also uses her size to her advantage. For the purposes of this writing, I’m anticipating seeing her on both pins more than the middle. As her transition footwork evolves, we’ll see more of what she’s capable of not only this weekend but next fall on varsity as well.
’24, Lauren Paska, 5-10 OH/MB, Lapel
From a school not normally known for their volleyball, Lauren is another hybrid of an attacker that is clearly projecting to be on a pin at the next level. Unlike the ladies listed above, Miss Paska hits a heavy ball and challenges blocks regularly with that strength. Although she didn’t see a lot of backcourt time in high school, with the graduation of five Bulldogs she’ll be asked to shoulder a bigger load come next fall.
’24, Taylor Welch, 5-11 MB, Westfield
A defense-first mentality is what you’re getting out of Taylor. As for her projection, she can be in either middle position, as her one-footed attacks are just as terminal as her attacks in front of the setter. She’s generally faster than the others on this list, and has a stronger volleyball background. Finally, her 5-11 listing doesn’t do her justice; she takes long strides to get to every ball on offense, and her defense is consistently at a high level at the net.