South Warren vs. Bowling Green: Underclassmen Studs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The biggest matchup in region 4 took place on September 1st in South Warren High School's gym where the Lady Purples and Spartans battled for the top finish. Bowling Green ended up taking home the win in three close sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-19), and I think the scores don't show how competitive the match was. The South-BG rivalry is full of grit and love for the game, but I wanted to take a different spin on this match. I want to highlight four underclassmen who don't get much love but really stood out to me because they are the future for these two high-level schools. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Morgan Rockrohr-</strong> One of two freshmen on Bowling Green's roster, Morgan Rockrohr, was thrown into the game the last five points of the third set, but I think she may have earned MVP in the hearts of all the fans and players. Rockrohr recently moved to Bowling Green High School from South Warren Junior High, so the singular five points she played meant a lot more to her than us fans will ever know. A talented outside hitter that plays all the way around, Morgan Rockrohr got two huge kills with a nice high hands swing and a beautiful line shot in the last five points to give Bowling Green the dub and her first two kills EVER in a varsity match. What an honor to see it happen. Mark my words- Morgan Rockrohr will become a leader at Bowling Green, and this game was just the beginning of her successful career. Morgan Rockrohr is the future of Bowling Green. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mckenzie Garrison- </strong>Mckenzie Garrison is also one of two freshmen on the South Warren roster and played as a defensive specialist in the big match. Garrison normally doesn't have much playing time in varsity, but against Bowling Green, she saw the floor and performed well. Passing is all about doing your job whether it's nailing a free ball pass, pushing for a ball, or moving your feet in serve receive. When you don't notice the freshman in the game, that means she's low error and simply doing her job. I think Garrison is just starting to find success in varsity matches and will continue to show great promise for the South Warren Spartans' future defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='477191' first='Claire' last='Lawless']-</strong> For Bowling Green High School, this sophomore defensive specialist usually gets put into the game when one of the three senior passers are not performing well. Lawless entered the game and was so smooth in the back row and natural in every move she made. The game just comes easy to her in serve receive, and Lawless finds a way to put her platform on the ball and get it to target. A feel for passing is sometimes just something you can't teach, and that's what makes [player_tooltip player_id='477191' first='Claire' last='Lawless'] special. Bowling Green High School liberos have always been extremely talented and arguably the most valuable players starting with Hailey-Beth Austin (2015-2018), now [player_tooltip player_id='68141' first='Mackenzie' last='Austin'] (2019-2022), and I think [player_tooltip player_id='477191' first='Claire' last='Lawless'] will fight for this next huge leadership role. Keep an eye on this one- you won't regret it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Avery Jones- </strong>Lastly, a South Warren Spartan sophomore, Avery Jones strikes me as a strong leader on and off the floor. Jones is the type of kid that can struggle on the court but still be the upbeat, encouraging teammate that creates a positive culture in the gym. Giving everything she's got 110% of the time, Avery Jones will fly around in the back row and make a play when the team needs it the most. Her energy and love for the game is simply inspiring, and she's a blessing to watch out on the court or talk to after the game. Avery Jones is a great athlete but also a genuinely amazing 15 year old girl. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->