My Fave Team At Bluegrass, Part 1
Watching as much volleyball as I did this past weekend at the Bluegrass Prequalifier in Louisville, I saw a ton of talent. Some of that talent spends time on both sides of the Ohio River, which is why today’s edition of “My Fave Team” comes from Southern Indiana in the form of Union 15-1 UA.
’25, Haiden Means, 5-9 S, Scottsburg
Running a 5-1 offense is one thing. It’s completely another if you’re in open divisions consistently running a fast offense with smaller than average attackers to set. I was supremely impressed with this young lady, as she’s more than capable of doing whatever she wants as a setter. No flash, no extra yelling, just a get-the-job-done type of player that happens to be one of the better setters in this class.
’25, Charlotte Meyer, 5-6 DS/L, Sacred Heart
One trip over the bridge from Southern Indiana to Louisville, and one of three high schools come to mind that supply endless amounts of volleyball studs. Charlotte is one of those studs, and she has already solidified herself as a top-tier libero in this class. She gets stopped on defense, keeps her upper body quiet in serve receive, and pursues with the best of them. Union’s success in this tournament started and ended with Miss Meyer.
’25, Molly Habermel, 5-8 OH, Sacred Heart
I echo Steve LeMaster’s (PD Kentucky) evaluation of Molly, that she’s fast with her feet and aggressive throughout play. Used as an outside on Saturday, she showed off her whip of an arm as well. I also agree with Steve on her reliability; if and when Union needed a side-out, more often than not Molly was the one doing the heavy lifting for the squad.
’25, Abby Julius, 5-9 MB, Providence
Back into Southern Indiana we go, to the heart of Union territory in Providence. After yet another successful fall, Abby is the M1 for this roster, and brings the fire and speed off of one foot to this group. For her size, she is adept at defending pin to pin, can hit accurate shots from anywhere along the net, and has the arm swing strong enough to power through opposing blocks.
’25, Kaleigh Medlock, 5-10 MB, Mercy Academy
Wrapping things up with another solid option from Louisville is the M2, Kaleigh. Where Abby can do things behind the setter, Kaleigh excels on zero-tempo balls away from the setter (think 31). Time and time again, Miss Medlock was the go-to in transition when she was in the front row, and even if the shot wasn’t there, her volleyball IQ made a better ball and minimized errors at the same time. Her strength will take her far, and this is probably the most traditional middle I saw on this day.