Stock Risers In The Class Of '23

<p>There were multiple athletes since the last update that had their stock rise. Some moved the needle for us at PD, and others turned their rise into perfect timing for a scholarship offer. Here are five kids that had their best matches in front of their future bosses.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='107706' first='Vanessa' last='Del Real'], 5-6 DS/L, Crown Point, Akron commit</h2>   <p>As far back as the fall of 2020, some friends of mine knew I wasn't very good at seeing kids from "the region". One in particular, Crown Point's libero, caught most of their eyes, and let me know to keep an eye out for her. Mind you, these are referees and college coaches that don't get "blown away" too often---they've seen so much ball that no one player sticks out, let alone a defensive specialist. Enter Vanessa, who has quietly improved her game to perfection, leading her 1st Alliance team to a gold medal finish in 17 Open at GJNCs this past July. She can pass half the court, defends at a superior level, and has played open-level ball for roughly forever. All of that confluence led her to an offer from Akron, who got a Power 5 libero as their 'bro of the future. Well done, Zips.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='156466' first='Kennedy' last='Wagner'], 6-1 OH, Valparaiso HS, Ole Miss commit</h2>   <p>So I admitted the above weakness in my game to note another, more overt talent in northern Indiana. Kennedy, Vanessa's teammate, was named the MVP of said 17 Open division at GJNCs, and in this author's opinion, it was a no-brainer. She can do everything needed to excel at the next level, and will do so in the ever-athletic SEC. Her abilities of attack, receive and defend are off the charts. In short, if EVERYONE in the gym knows you're the best player out there and they still can't stop you, you're next-level elite. Congrats, Miss Wagner, future Rebel. </p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='85924' first='Ella' last='Hemmings'], 5-6 DS/L, Brownsburg, LSU commit</h2>   <p>Speaking of the SEC, Ella adds her superior serve receive and defense to a squad that desperately needs a boost in that department, let alone in the SEC. Her quiet demeanor and steely determination kept her Circle City 17 Purple gang in the top five rankings all spring. Without her abilities as a first-contact queen, I'm not so sure we'd be talking about Circle's top 17s team. This fall should prove to be one of Brownsburg's best teams yet, as they work toward moving past the regional round in the ever-tough 4A class.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='108100' first='Kendall' last='Hickey'], 5-3 DS/L, Heritage Christian, Ohio commit</h2>   <p>It may seem like I'm mentioning a ton of defenders, but that's the position that has the most players nationwide. It takes something REALLY special to be noticed as a defender anymore, and since there are so many available, coaches can wait to offer or even receive a commitment from defenders. Kendall is another next-level defender and serve receive master from Rev, who took bronze in the 17 National division at GJNCs last month. And in order to play for Coach Carlston, you have to have toughness (mental and physical) and an extreme amount of discipline to play at his expectation level. Miss Hickey has those qualities in droves, and should do well in the MAC in the fall of '23.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='106295' first='Ella' last='Chapman'], 6-3 MB, Greensburg, Florida Gulf Coast commit</h2>   <p>At this time last year, Ella was just another big that finally got to play a little big-girl-ball at Circle. Boy, what a difference a year makes. She learned, rather quickly, that it takes more than being big to succeed at this level, and Ella wasted no time whatsoever in her development. She's exceptional in front of the setter, takes up space on the block, and has rapidly adjusted her experience to match the kids around her on an amazing Circle squad that included the likes of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85895' first='Chloe' last='Chicoine'] (Purdue commit), [player_tooltip player_id='85932' first='Ava' last='Smith'] (FGCU commit)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85896' first='Quinci' last='Thomas'] (Xavier commit).</strong> She'll be an outstanding addition as an M2 for Matt Botsford's crew in Fort Myers.</p>

There were multiple athletes since the last update that had their stock rise. Some moved the needle for us at PD, and others turned their rise into perfect timing for a scholarship offer. Here are five kids that had their best matches in front of their future bosses.